Merry Christmas Y'all

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas.  I know I have.  Earlier this week, no...  Everything seemed to be happening at once.  I was working longer hours because of the holidays and between making sure Ky had everything she needed to go to the sitters, trying to remember to put the containers of frozen breast milk in the fridge the night BEFORE to thaw, wrapping presents, paying bills, making a last minute order for Charlotte and Louise, and dealing with a very sick and cranky husband.  It was overwhelming y'all.  I admit that I broke down in tears several times. 

I kinda just wanted this Christmas to be perfect.  It's our first one as a family of three and I wanted it to be special.  Which is kind of silly because Kylie won't remember it, but I knew I would.  And here I am, not enjoying this whole week because I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off.  Bedtime just came too quickly every night, and it seemed like I never had a moment to spare.  Plus, two days before Christmas I remembered I had not bought Rex his stein.  See, every year I get him the Budweiser holiday beer stein.  So, HOLY CRAP!!!  Nobody has them left just two days before Christmas.  And then I finally find one at a gas station on my way home from work, it was the last one, so I scooped it up and when I get home I realize it's from frigging 2009!!!!  I was so frustrated.  So yesterday I'm calling every single liquor store in a fifty mile radius from my house and I finally find one.  And it was a 2010.  I practically begged the guy to hold it for me, I was going to be there in like 10 minutes tops.    And luckily he took pity on me, the crazy lady practically in tears over a damn stein.  But I got it. 

So by last night I was a total zombie.  Kylie had been up late the night before, since she got the same cold Rex had.  I had to get up at 4 am to get Ky ready for the sitters and me ready for work.  Work was exhausting.  We were short handed and had way too much stuff to do.  I finally get off, fight traffic to get home, pick up Ky, locate the stein, pick up the stein, buy the turkey and the stuffing mix, go home, take a shower, put on make up, feed Ky, load up the diaper bag.  Why you ask? Because Christmas Eve is also Rex's frigging birthday.  Yeah, my hubby always got royally screwed every year as a kid because he got combined birthday and Christmas presents.  So any who, we were going out for a couple of drinks with friends.

It turned out really nicely though.  I finally got a chance to relax and bullshit with buddies.  I didn't drink, but I hardly ever do, so I enjoyed a huge strawberry lemonade and watched Rex and his friends get a good buzz going.  We ate Texas egg rolls and hot wings, and cracked open about a million peanuts.  Kylie watched the football game on tv, and was fascinated by the guy making balloon animals for other kids.  All in all, it was just what I needed.  Some time to unwind and relax and catch up with friends.

This morning dawned bright and early with Ky Bug waking up at seven.  She had woken up several times during the night with a cough, but managed to fall back asleep easily every time thank God.  I fed her and then Rex and I opened up our stockings and gifts to each other.  Then Ky and I went out and opened gifts with the grandparents and great grandparents and had tons of fun crinkling wrapping paper.    We hopped in the shower and then got some lunch at Jack in the Box.  We went back home and played some Call of Duty zombie levels and then picked up Rex's little brother.  Uneventful, but so nice.  I'll probably get in trouble with my grandma for not going to the big family dinner, but that's ok.  Rex, Kylie, and I just needed some time to be by ourselves.  So now the turkey is stuffed and in the oven, Kylie's happily playing with a toy next to me on the floor, and the boys are playing Xbox.  It truly is a wonderful world tonight.

Four Months Old!!!

Ok, I can't believe it y'all. My Ky Bug is 4 1/2 months old! It doesn't seem quite real. It feels like just yesterday we were coming home from the hospital with her, scared to death, with absolutely no idea what we had gotten ourselves into.  It amazes me that I could love someone so much that I have known for such a little time.  Each day I love her even more than the day before.

She has grown so much in the past month and a half.  Kylie now weighs in at a whopping 12 pounds and 10 ounces (25th percentile), is 25 1/2 inches long (50th percentile), and her little noggin is 16 1/2 inches around (50th percentile). 

Kylie now fits perfectly in all of her 0-3 clothes except her sleepers. Her little legs are too long for those so in sleepers she wears 3-6 months.  She just moved up to size 2 Pampers diapers, though Santa might bring her some cloth diapers this Saturday.  She still has tiny little feet and size 1 baby shoes are still a bit too big. And don't even get me started on keeping socks or shoes on her, it's damn near impossible. I keep her her in her jammies a lot these days just because there is no way she can kick those off!

Kylie is liking tummy time more and more. It helps that she is getting better at it too. Now she can lift her head and chest up 90 degrees and is starting to push up on her arms. She tries to pull herself along with her hands now as well. And last week she rolled from her back to her belly.  Kylie loves standing, she can hold herself up with just us balancing her.  She grabs stuff with her hands and brings it to her mouth. She has discovered Rex's beard (well really just his scruff from not shaving for a week and a half) and loves touching his face now, and also my ears.  Whenever she is on her back she just kicks and kicks and kicks. She loves sitting propped up against my Boppy pillow but hates the Bumbo seat Rex and I got her. She just braces her back and pops herself out of it.  And if she can't pop herself out then she just cries.

Kylie still loves being outside, though it is getting harder as the weather is getting colder.  But on the non windy days I just bundle her up and we go on walks.  She still loves looking trees up and down and has discovered the windmill in my parents' backyard.  Kylie loves watching the chihuahuas wrestle and growl and be crazy. We are teaching her to pet them too :) Now she opens up her hands when we move her fingers over their fur.

Kylie is super vocal now. In the morning when she wakes up she will talk to herself for about 20 minutes before actually wanting to get up.  She laughs and giggles and chuckles and squeaks and squeals. She also makes this siren sound, getting louder and quieter and then louder again.  Kylie still smiles with her whole mouth open.

The bug sleeps about 11 hours a night now, from 8 pm to 7 am.  This is much appreciated by Rex and me.  For a while we were having trouble getting her her to fall asleep without a whole lot of crying.  But we finally found a routine that works for us.  Every other night she gets a bath and a massage while I put lotion on her. Then every night she gets her last feeding, is burped and put into one of her sleep sacks, we read Goodnight Moon with her in my lap, and then I rock her and sing Godspeed (Sweet Dreams) by the Dixie Chicks. I set her in her crib, kiss her four times, and sing the song one more time and then turn on her ocean sounds and sights.  Most of the time she will be asleep within fifteen minutes with minimal fussing.  Naps are a different story though.  She will NOT sleep in her crib and very rarely she will sleep in her swing.  Ky will fuss and cry for a whole hour without falling asleep even for a minute.  She will fall asleep in two seconds flat if she is in someones' arms though. So for now I have given up and both of us will take a nap together on our bed. The other day we both slept for an hour and a half.  It was pure bliss.

Her eyes are still blue, but a gray-blue now I think.  Her hair is finally filling in on the sides of her head, but not quite because she still has the Mohawk look going on sometimes.
She is still completely on breast milk and formula.  We're not going to start her on any solids till she is six months old.  We decided this with her pedi since she doesn't NEED solids yet and it also reduces the risk of her having food allergies too.  Ky is sure interested in food though, and she now assumes any kind of drink is for her and opens her mouth wide and gets all excited!

So my Ky Bug is growing with leaps and bounds.  It is wonderful to see her grow and discover the world around her everyday. How beautiful it must be to look at the world with brand new eyes everyday.  Even when I don't want to get up in the morning, I love looking down into her crib and seeing her smile up at me, it makes my day every time.  I love her so much that I feel think my heart might burst out of my chest.  I seriously can't imagine life without her, and she has definitely made me into a better person.

My Morning So Far

Kylie woke up about an hour ago, which is pretty darn decent.  She has been sleeping about 11 hours a night now and is only 4 1/2 months!  This is much appreciated by Rex and me.  I can even start to forgive her for not wanting to take naps. 

Now Kylie's new thing is to totally not pay attention when she is eating.  At first I thought it was just because she is getting the bottle a lot more since I went back to work, but Rex says it happens with him too.  It's like she just discovered the world around her and can't be bothered with eating.  Yeah, she'll get hungry, but after about five minutes she'll just pop off the boob/bottle to look at something that caught her eye.  She has finally discovered all the animals in our house.  And she will do her darnedest to keep them in eyesight.  This morning it was my cat Pork Chop that caught her fancy.

See, this is a baby that's supposed to be eating, but can't concentrate long enough on the boob to get the job done.  My boobs are hurt, they used to be Kylie's favorite things.

So we gave up and went out to the living room for some tummy time for Ky and some blogging time for mama.

Meanwhile, Rex is still snoozing away, with all the chihuahuas and my cat, cuddled around him, snug as a bug.  So jealous.  And I didn't go to bed till midnight last night because my stupid work decided they needed to extend their hours for the holidays.  Who goes into a pet store at 10 o'clock at night?  Yeah, you got it, no one.  We did not have a single customer in the store from nine to ten.  Though earlier we had these crackhead girls come in with their baby who were caught letting their baby nap on a dog bed.  Poor baby.  He was right around Ky's age too.  Some people are just not meant to be parents.

So that's been my morning thus far.  It looks like it's shaping up to be a fairly decent day.  Outside I see clouds building up by the mountains, so hopefully it will rain.  I absolutely adore rain.  It makes the desert smell so so good.  Today I hope to accomplish: wrapping Christmas presents, sending out pictures of Kylie to relatives, and finishing up a custom order for my Etsy store.  Have a great day y'all!



Almost Wordless Wednesday

This is Kylie's idea of nap time. Not mine.  She has decided that screaming her head off is much more enjoyable then peacefully sleeping for a half an hour to forty-five minutes.  Yesterday, she only took a twenty minute nap.  Last week I kept track of when she gets sleepy and wants to nap, so this week I'm attempting to put her on a schedule.  Which is not easy between her spending days with me, and nights with either Rex or her sitter.  Both who like to spoil her and let her nap in their arms.  And this bugs me more than Debra Messing's nose does.

So Tired

Well, I've been back at work for two weeks now, and it's kicking my butt big time.  I'm only working about twenty-five hours a week, but seriously, it feels like fifty.  I never realized how out of shape I've gotten over the past five months, and now my flabby butt is laughing in my face.  So I'm hoping running around work like a woman possessed will help me lose these fifteen pounds of leftover baby fat that I just haven't been able to kick. 

Work itself is going pretty good.  I feel kinda guilty for saying this, but it feels nice to get out of the house sans baby even if it is to help crazy people decide on which fish/hamster/lizard/bird to buy.  I do still have an extra appendage though.  My breast pump.  That's who I share my breaks with now.  Every single one.  I feel like a darn moo cow.  Rex isn't helping any because he is starting to call me Bessie.  If only looks could kill, then he would have dropped dead the first time he said that to me.  But any who, I got a killer deal on the breast pump, and I am super excited about that.  During Kylie's first month, I was able to rent one through my insurance because of all our breastfeeding issues.  After that, I was left without one.  When we were up visiting my grandparents up north, my mom and I stopped in a children's second hand store to look around.  And low and behold, on one shelf there were three used breast pumps.  And one was a Medela Pump in Style with the black messenger bag.  For $38.  How could I say no to that?  It even had the car adapter.  Now, I didn't feel too weird about buying an used one because when I rented the Medela pump, they let me keep all the tubing and breast shields.  So I just threw away the ones that came with my purchase and am using the rental ones.  Score for me!

And sorry for still not having Kylie's Four Month post up yet.  Remember a month or so ago when our doctor's office scheduled Kylie's four month appointment when she was only three months?  Well, they marked it down that she had her four month appointment even though she didn't get her shots or anything.  Yeah.  So I had to call them and they were able to squeeze her into time next Monday.  The lady on the phone was not the most helpful.  I asked if it would be with Kylie's pediatrician, and the lady was like, "Yes, who else would I schedule her well baby check up with?"  Grrr.

And big news on the baby front!  Yesterday Kylie rolled all the way over for the first time!!! She was on her back playing with a toy and I look over and hear her grunting.  She was trying as hard as she could, so I grabbed my phone and started snapping pictures, and before I knew it, she was on her tummy, looking around, like, "How in the world did I end up like this?"

Wordless Wednesday

Attack of the Fur Babies

So, I've just realized that I have forgotten to introduce my first children.  I don't see how I forgot because they make themselves known to the world at all times.  They are my chihuahuas.  Dakota, Nova, Daisy, and Midget.  Some of the most psychotic dogs you will ever meet.  But God help me, I love 'em. 

Meet Daisy. Also known as "Fat Back" or "Pink Belly." We acquired her two and a half years ago from my friend Marie who works at the city's animal control office.  Very dangerous to have your friend work here because they inform you of all the cute chihuahuas that come in.  Well, she texted me a picture one day of an itty bitty chihuahua puppy and asked me if we wanted her.  I texted Rex (which I should earn a gold star for I think because most of the time when it comes to animals I tend to just take them home.  Surprise honey!!!) and he instantly fell in love and said yes we had to have her.  And since that day she has been 100% Rex's dog.  No ifs ands or buts about it.  I am her mortal enemy and she will do anything to come in between us.  Seriously, we will be cuddling and watching tv and she will push her way in between us grunting and growling.  She is the diva of the bunch.  In winter she always needs her sweaters and hates going out in the cold.  She has a funny habit of burping right in Rex's face after she eats.

Meet Dakota.  Also know as "Coco."  He is the most psychotic one of the bunch and the only one we paid good money for.  Oh, around the tune of $1200.  Yeah, this was still when Rex and I were dating and he still liked me :)  Now Coco is a sweetheart, but he has lots of issues.  Take eating his food for example.  Now, he can't just sit at his bowl and eat, noooo.  He needs to take a single piece of food out at a time, take it about 3 feet away from the bowl, set it down, roll on it, bark at it, and then eat it.  Yes, this is a daily occurrence.  He falls asleep at night by going in and out of the covers about 10 times before he will settle down.  He looooovvvves car rides though, especially in our truck.  He loves to sit on the center console and smell the air conditioning vents.  Coco's mortal enemy is my brother's pug.  They love to get into growling matches.

Meet Midget.  Also known as "Mimi" or "The Fox."  She is the fluffy red dog on the left.  We aren't quite sure what kind of dog she is, and basically she just looks like a little fox.  She is the cuddle bug of all the dogs, and she loves giving kisses.  She can howl like there is no tomorrow and has a high pitched whine that can shatter glass (well, maybe not, but it sure seems like it sometimes).  Mimi was running around in the parking lot at my work one day and one of the customer service guys caught her and brought her in.  I first saw her in a crate in the cat room.  This poor little dog had about 20 cats staring her down.  Then I did a bad thing.  I brought her home and didn't tell Rex.  This was when he was working 2nd shift so he got home about 3:30 in the morning.  Him coming home consisted of him stumbling into the bedroom, stripping down to his boxers, and falling into bed.  So he fell into bed that night, and was petting the dogs when he first discovered Mimi.  All I heard was, "What the hell?" and then he flipped on the light.  Yeah, he was surprised to say the least.  He kept saying I would have to get rid of her, but ending up liking her and let me keep her.  Mimi's mortal enemies are birds.  And rats.

Meet Nova.  Also known as "Nova Nove."  She is my little darling and is a pound puppy.  She came from the same shelter as Daisy.  Rex and I got her about a month before we got married.  Nova is the most sane out of all of our dogs.  And the friendliest.  We always take her on road trips with us and she has been to Texas twice with us in the past year.  She gets excited every time she sees us packing up our bags.  She loves people and is super patient.  We take her to visit Rex's grandma in the nursing home and soaks up all the attention from the elderly people there.   Nova loves walks as well, and she will stick her head down any gopher hole she spots.  She will eat anything.  I mean, literally anything.  When I'm cooking she hovers around like it's life or death if she doesn't eat something.  Onions, garlic, apples, frozen vegetables, potato peels, you name it.  If it falls on the floor it's fair game.  Now, Nova's mortal enemy is my dad's cat Tucker.  She's fine with my cat Pork Chop, but if she sees Tucker she's after him like a bat out of hell.

So there you have it.  My fur babies.  I want to strangle them most of the time, but then they do something so incredibly cute and I can't help but laugh.  Though Kylie is probably going to grow up thinking she's a chihuahua and start growling and barking at people.  Oh well, what can you do? 

Etsy Shop

 I just opened my Etsy store Charlotte and Louise!!!!!  I'm so excited!!!!  I'm selling handmade felt headbands and clips.  I'm trying to make some extra money to help pay off bills so we can get the heck out of Cali and move to Texas!!!  If any of you would like to do a giveaway on your blog just let me know, I would be more than happy to provide a headband or clip!!!  Here are some peeks at what I'm selling right now!