Gratitude Day 30

I grumpy again today so I was having a hard time thinking of a topic to be grateful about. I broke a present I was making, my house is a disaster, and I'm running out of steam for the evening. So I flipped through my phone for a picture that might help me relax and found this one of Tim showing Amelia the Chtistmas tree. Tonight, I am grateful that I have so much to be thankful for that I could create a month's worth of posts about it. I am also thankful for the infectious joy that Tim brings to the holidays. I am excited to share this with Amelia!

Gratitude Day 29

I am grateful for the talents I was given in the creativity department. I am so glad my mom took the time to teach me how to use her power tools so I can create fun gifts for others! I am also grateful for the Internet, where I find fun ideas!

Gratitude Day 28

I'm so grateful for good friends who helped us decorate our tree! It takes a lot of work to put ornaments on a 9 foot tree, thanks Megan and Tyler!

Gratitude Day 27

Today I am very grateful for old friends. We had lunch with Nancy, Travis, and Spencer today. It was so nice to catch up with old friends that I see only once a year or so.

Travis is deploying this week, so if you're the praying type, please say one for him and Nancy, as the next 6 months are going to be difficult for them.

Travis took the pictures today, and I don't have any of the three of us on my phone, so you get another picture of Amelia. This time she's in her adorable polka dot Minnie Mouse dress.

Gratitude Day 26

I've been slacking on my thankful posts since I've been out of town, but I'll post more when I get home tomorrow. Today? I'm thankful for lazy days spent wrapping presents with my MIL. We wrapped all I the presents we got on Thursday night and Friday morning, and had a good time hanging out while the boys golfed!

Gratitude Day 24

I'm thankful again today for my little turkey!

Gratitude Day 23

I am very grateful for Paul's new school, which he loves. For a kid who could have easily hated school, it is amazing that he thinks of school in a positive light. Yay New Way Learning Academy!

Gratitude Day 22

I am so very grateful for Costco pumpkin pie today. If you've had it, you'll know what I mean, and if you haven't had it? Then go have some now.

Seriously. Right now.

And since I ate all of my pie, I will give you a picture of Amelia when she was jaundiced in the hospital and sort of looked like a pumpkin.

Gratitude Day 21

Today I am grateful for my Dad, who had been my unwavering #1 fan since I was a kid. I have learned a ton from him over the years, and I can't wait to see Amelia learn from him as well. I always know if I need someone in my corner, he's the one to call. If I ever have a bad day, he will cheer me up with his wicked sense of humor.

Gratitude Day 20

I am EXTREMELY grateful for Huggies today. Without them, my daughter's outfit, as well as my shorts, would have been ruined. Guess what happens when your two-month-old doesn't go number two for a few days?
...
It all soaks back into her system? NO. It comes out in a MASSIVE mess all at once. Thankfully, Amelia was wearing her trusty Huggies, and only a small amount got on our clothing.
Praise the person who invented disposable diapers, and kudos to those brave souls whose kids were the control group for testing the absorption of said diapers.
I LOVE HUGGIES!

Gratitude Day 19

Thank you God for college! Today I am grateful that I was able to go to college debt free, and able to graduate with a degree that I'm actually able to use.

I am also grateful that my Wildcats beat the Scum Devils in the Territorial Cup this year. :)

Gratitude Day 18

Today I'm giving thanks for the fact that after 30 years, my mom was able to retire today! Thankfully she will be able to spend more time doing the things she likes to do!

Gratitude Day 17

I know I shouldn't be giving thanks for so many "things", but some days I am just really grateful for my stuff! Today, I am extremely grateful for the Moby Wrap, which allows me to get things done even when all Amelia wants to do is be held. I love sitting on the couch letting her snuggle with me, but sometimes we need to get things done, and the Moby is the only way I have use of both of my hands! Amelia camped out in the Moby all afternoon while I baked and decorated cupcakes, and did the laundry. I'll post pictures of the cupcakes after they are revealed to their recipient tomorrow. I don't want to ruin the surprise!

I am also grateful to the nurses in the NICU today, as the March of Dimes has named November 17 National Prematurity Day (thanks for the info, Lia!). We are extremely lucky that the medical community has come so far and they were able to help our 33-week-old angel come home healthy and strong after only a few weeks!

Gratitude Day 16

On days when I don't have a picture to represent what I'm thankful for, like today, I will subject you all to pictures of Amelia. Katy took a ton of really good ones, and I feel the need to share them! By the way, you should check out her other photos here. She's a wonderful photographer and bow designer. I am grateful to have her in my life!

The other thing I am grateful for today is the breastfeeding support group at Northwest. I was super nervous to go the first time, and I am really glad that I did. Even if I don't have questions about nursing, it is really nice to go and be with other new (and veteran) moms who understand what I'm going through. I always leave the meetings feeling better about what I'm doing, especially after a night like last night. I don't know what it was, but I did NOT want to get up for Amelia's second feeding, and Tim didn't get up because he hadn't been able to sleep earlier in the night (eye roll). It was good to go and hear from other moms who have had those moments of thinking, "what did I get myself into here?" Luckily I always snap out of those bad moods when I get that chubby kid in my arms (and turn on dvr'd episodes of Ellen to keep me awake).

PS- Amelia had her two month shots yesterday. She got measured, and she is 21 inches long and weighs 9lbs. 2oz. Dr. S said if she had been a term baby, she would be in the 90th percentile. Yay!

Gratitude Day 15

Today I would like to give thanks for my extended maternity leave. Having Amelia early was scary and challenging, but it gave me an extra two months at home with her that I wouldn't have had otherwise. I am so grateful to have this time with her, and I am learning that if I don't get my to do list done, it's ok. My house can be a little bit messy so I can spend more time hugging my daughter and no harm will be done. I am very lucky to have a job that allows me as much time off as teaching does!

That being said, I am not looking forward to going back and having to miss out on a single smile, tear or coo. :(

Gratitude Day 14

Can you feel it? Can you smell it in the air? Can you sense the underlying excitement? The holiday season is upon us, and today I'm grateful for the holiday spirit that is taking over. When Paul was here this weekend, we spent some time with our neighbors, and all of the kids were very excited that the elves in the house were moving around while they were playing and not paying attention to them. It was really neat to see the kids getting so excited about the mischievous elves, and made me really excited for the years when Amelia will be old enough to enjoy these festivities as well!

The holiday season is also fun because so many people come home for the holidays, and I get to see friends who have moved away. I know Charlotte and Laura will be home for Thanksgiving, and I'm looking forward to spending time with two of my favorite girls!

Two Months!

Yesterday was two months since Amelia was born. I cannot believe that much time has already gone by. I still feel like this is all surreal! We had another photo session to mark her second month of life yesterday, but she was decidedly less cooperative than she was last month. Here are a few of the photos, including one I took today, too.

Amelia and her adorable Guess Baby outfit from Grandma Wittrock:

Amelia getting ready to karate chop the scrabble tiles and pull her bow over her face:

Posing on the Minnie chair, which she can no longer lay on because she's too long:

The biggest challenge for me has been looking at her by her gestational age instead of her birth age. Since she wasn't due until November 1, we are supposed to look at that as the date for her developmental milestones. It's hard when she is two months old by her birth day, but I can only expect her to do the things a two week old baby is doing. Luckily for us, one thing she does do well is sleep for a 5-6 hour stretch almost every night. Unfortunately right now that period usually ends around 2am, when she decides she wants to be awake, and gets very upset if we put her down!

Speaking of her gestational age, I didn't get to take the traditional belly shots in the later weeks, so Amelia and I posed for one on her due date, at 40 weeks:

Gratitude Day 13

Today I am grateful for my little brother. Paul came into our lives when I was 19, and has been a big part ever since. He came down this weekend to spend some time with us and we had a blast. He played with some friends' kids, helped watch Amelia, took Tonks for a walk, and played video games with Tim and I. Paul is a special kid, and I am very thankful that I get to be a part of his life!

Gratitude Day 12

Today I would like to take a moment to appreciate the beautiful desert I live in. The Tucson mountains make a great backdrop for my walks, and provide many Kodak moments. Tonight they were obscured by clouds and rain, but this photo, which I snapped a few days ago, makes me smile.

Gratitude Day 11

Today I am giving thanks for all of the men and women who serve in our armed forces and protect our freedoms. I am also thankful for their families, who sacrifice seeing their loved ones for months on end in order to keep us safe. Thank you!

Both of Amelia's great-grandfathers were in the armed forces, so they are featured here today.

Gratitude Day 10

Thank you, God for the Internet (especially Pinterest) for helping feed my creativity addiction and teaching me to enjoy cooking dinner! I am grateful for all of the people who post easy to follow, step by step instructions for meals, like crockpot buffalo chicken sandwiches. Yum!

Gratitude Day 9

Today I would like to give thanks for quiet moments. Our lives can get very hectic these days, and the quiet moments we do have are few and far between. It is nice to catch one here and there, and I love being able to enjoy them more, especially now while I am not focused on anything except Amelia.

Tim commented to me that he understood why I didn't get anything done during the day after having Amelia fall asleep on his chest for the first time. :)

Gratitude Day 8

Today I am grateful for the amazing technology we have in our lives. My iPad keeps me well entertained while I am nursing Amelia in the middle of the night, providing hours of distractions. I know it's not as important as family or friends, but sometimes having a smart phone, tablet, or e-reader seems like the best thing in the world.

Gratitude Day 7

Today I am grateful for rainy days. I woke up early this morning to the sound of rain on the roof and the comforting smell of wet desert around. Amelia and I spent much of the day snuggling on the couch in the cold. It was a great day.

Gratitude Day 6

Today I am grateful for hockey. Since I was 10 years old, hockey has been a big part of my life. While I was pregnant, I didn't get to play, and got a new perspective as a spectator. It was, admittedly, a lesson in patience to be on the sidelines for 9 months.

Tonight I got to dust off my equipment and play for the first time since February. Although I still haven't been on the ice, playing roller hockey satisfies my craving for hockey for now. I missed the feeling of being out there and tonight was a great reintroduction to the sport. Hopefully I can continue to play this game that I love. It has given me countless memories, dozens of friends, and much more.

Gratitude Day 5

Today I am thankful for mothers. My mother, her mother, and Tim's mother. I have not always been as appreciative of my mom as I should have been, but I am becoming more and more aware of just how amazing she is as I get older. I am so grateful for all of the things she has done for me over the years, and all of the things I continue to learn from her.

Amelia and I had a great time on Wednesday, when we met my mom and Tim's mom for lunch in Casa Grande. It's so nice to be able to take time to do these kinds of things while I am off of work. I am glad that my relationship with Tim's mom is good. I am looking forward to Amelia having a close relationship with both of her grandmas!

Gratitude Day 4

Today I had a hard time being thankful. I'm grouchy. However, one thing that always makes me smile is baby feet, so today I'm thankful for those. Amelia's little feet are adorable, and I am so glad I get to see them every single day!

I'm also thankful for sleep, which I desperately need in order to get rid of the grouchies.

Crafty Time

I've been tossing around the idea of starting a craft blog for a while. I am at my best when I am allowed to be creative, and I love it when people ask me to help them on projects. I can't wait for Amelia to have fun school projects to complete so I can help her like my mom helped me. It must be in my genes to be crafty and creative. I can remember my mom helping me with various school and scout projects as I was growing up. She always helped fuel my creativity, and pushed me to go the extra mile for projects. I think that's why I have been itching for an outlet.

I started looking at projects on Etsy this summer, and recently joined Pinterest. I may have an unhealthy obsession with both of these sites lately, but I've been having a lot of fun gathering new ideas for crafts. Tim gets annoyed when I ignore him while I'm pinning, but he has benefitted from my exploration as well, as I have found many easy recipes for dinner and I have been trying them out on him. For a girl who hates cooking, it's a big deal for me to be excited about preparing a meal.

My goal is to post pictures (and directions) of some of the crafts I am doing while I am home on maternity leave. It's a good life I lead... I cuddle with a beautiful baby and create and read... and that's about it.

First up? Projects from Amelia's room.

I saw some cute silhouette pictures on etsy, and decided to give them a try for Amelia's walls. We have a Disney theme in her room, so I found pictures of a few Disney characters and printed them out. Then I cut around them and traced them onto scrapbook paper. I cut these out, and glued them onto contrasting papers and voila! I had four cute silhouettes for her wall!

I know I have a closer picture of these somewhere, but I can't find it right now...

Gratitude Day 3

Today I am thankful for my adorable dog, Tonks. I'll let her pictures tell her story.

Gratitude Day 2

Ok, day two of gratitude month. Today I am grateful for Tim. He is an amazing man (who can still act like a boy) who balances me perfectly. He is extremely supportive, patient, and kind. I am incredibly lucky to have him in my life!

Gag. Sorry, I got a little cheesy there, too.

Tim and his first baby, Tonks.

Tim and Amelia.

Month of Gratitude

Since having my preemie, I have realized that there is a lot in life that I take for granted. In a small effort to cut down on this behavior, I have decided to post every day this month about something I am grateful for. I am also going to try to include a picture with each post, so you can visualize what it is I am thankful for.

Today? You guessed it. I'm thankful for Amelia. She came into our lives in a whirlwind of emotion, but she is easily the best thing that has happened to us. I can't imagine life without her (insert cheesy coo here).