Before I Was Mommy

Before I was a mommy, I slept in most every weekend morning. Now I get up early just to see my beautiful girl's smiling face.

Before I was a mommy, I didn't have to plan being away from home, and arranging for care for my daughter. Now I don't want to go out because it's less time I get to spend with her.

Before I was a mommy, I went shopping for myself. Now I go shopping to see what cute new clothes came out that I can style her in.

Before I was a mommy, my car was always clean. Now I find a blanket, a shoe, a toy, in the backseat and it brings a smile to my face.

Before I was a mommy, I could sit on the couch and watch great movies alone. Now I have a cute little companion every time.

Before I was a mommy, I held everyone's babies and wished for my own. Now, everyone holds my baby, and I take her home. :-)

Before I was a mommy, I was on time to work everyday. Now I find myself lingering to hear one last little coo, getting just one more kiss, and enjoying one more hug.

Before I was a mommy, life was incomplete. I was blessed with this beautiful little girl and she changed my life for the better, forever. She is the light in my eye. The reason I rush home from work. The smile in the middle of the night when she wakes me cooing. The laughter from the back seat when she's finally grabbed her toy again. The giggles as she is tickled. I couldn't ask for anything better. <3

Growing Up

My baby girl is one year old! Well, 13 months at the time I'm blogging. I can't believe it's been a year since that precious little baby girl came into my life. What a blessing she is. How blessed I am! I thank God for her everyday. She's has truly changed my life. I've traded bar nights for TV and milk evenings. I've traded sleeping in, for getting up early to get my day with my girl started. I've traded girl's nights out, for "girl's" nights in! I wouldn't change it for anything in the world either! London is the best part of my day, always. Whenever I am having a bad day, I just have to come home and see her smiling face and it all goes away. She melts my heart. I love her!

I am a better person because of this little person in my life. She balances everything perfectly. I have loved watching her grow from a newborn, to an infant, and now into a little toddler. I've watched her lay in my arms and coo at me. Learn to roll over. Learn to crawl. Learn to babble. Learn to pout. Learn to play her Daddy like a fiddle. ha ha He secretly loves it, as do I. ;-) I can honestly say that the past year has been the best adventure of my life. Does that mean the terrible twos are going to be exhausting? lol Bring it on!

11 Months and Counting

My itty bitty baby girl is going to 11 months old in ONE week. Yes, you read that correctly. 11 months old! Next it's 12 months. Which equals ONE YEAR (for those of you that didn't know)!!! I can't stand it. :-( I hate that she is growing so fast. But each day brings something new, and I love that. I love the anticipation of what she will do or learn next. She's such a light in my life. :-)

London has decided she is independent, no wait, not, no wait, yes she is. That is, she is independent when it suits her. She doesn't want us to leave her, or put her down, but when we hold her, she's constantly squirming to get down. Lol. Poor kid, she doesn't know what she wants! Just like her momma!! She has developed an attitude along the way too! (That is just like her daddy...I swear!) She has gone to smacking, but I think she's exploring. She's gone to biting. I'm not sure what to think about that. And she's gone to pinching. I know exactly what I think of that! But she only does this to ME!! I've tried smacking her hand, but she just grins at me, or looks at me like I'm an idiot. So a friend suggested I take her hand and show her how to be gentle. Day One, I'll let you know how that goes!

I ordered the Pettiskirt for London's 12 month photo shoot today. I'm getting so excited for it! I hope it turns out the way that I'm envisioning it. I have a great idea, I just have to execute it. Well see! I've been planning this one since she was 6 months old! lol It's been so hard to keep it a secret and not go ahead and DO it already. One more month, one more month. Oh wait, one more month she'll be ONE! Such a dilemma. Dying to do her shoot, trying to slow time to let her not grow up too fast!

London has learned to pull herself up. It's so cute! But she isn't cruising, she's still too afraid to do that, I think. She'll get it though. I just have to remind myself to give her time. :-) Andy is convinced that she won't get into anything because we'll always be right there with her. And while I plan to, I also know that walking babies move FAST. We'll see how his theory goes. :-)

Am I Dreaming?

This little darling is mine! I have to keep reminding myself that she is! I am BLESSED beyond measure! Everyday I learn something new from London. Everyday I thank God for her! She is my life, and I look back and wonder, "What did I do before I had London?" lol My life must have been pretty boring!! Again, I must say that I am BLESSED! She is a true gift from God. This little cutie makes my horrible days better, and my good days awesome! She is the light of my life. My mini me. :-)

Here goes my my-baby-is-growing-up rant. In 1 1/2 months London will be ONE! Ummm...excuse me? Who said she could grow up so fast?!?! Certainly not me! I can't believe it. Just one year ago, I was wondering what my little sweetheart inside of my belly would look like. Wondering if I would be a good mommy. Wondering if I would have a hard labor. Wondering so much! I can't say that the wondering has stopped, but I know what she looks like, I feel like I'm a good mommy, and I definitely had a crazy labor! lol But I would not trade any of it, for anything in the world. Through all of the sleepless nights (there really weren't that many), through the first teeth, through the worrying if she was developing like she should, introducing solids, taking a picture every month, enjoying the giggles, the smiles, the cries...all of it...I am thankful! I am thankful everyday for her! I am thankful for the interrupted sleep, because that means she is here! I am thankful for the nights when she doesn't want to go to bed, or stay asleep, because that means that I get to hold her just a little longer. :-) I secretly love when she cries for me and won't go to anyone else, because it makes me feel so loved! I am even thankful for her crankiness, because I am her mommy, and she is my baby girl, and I am just thankful for her!!

Look at that gorgeous baby! How can I NOT be thankful for her?! I love her to pieces!!

The Binky Bandit!!

My daughter is a bully! Yup, you read that correctly, a bully. Just ask her babysitter. She'll surely tell you.

Incident one. There's a little girl named Hailey that is about two months younger than London who also goes to the same babysitter. Hailey wears a bib most of the time, and at one point the babysitter looks over and London has Hailey by the bib and is just shaking away!! My kid is 8 months old and she's already had time out. ha ha Well, not really, but they were separated for a little bit. :-)

Incident two. The Binky Bandit. Same babies involved here. London v/s Hailey. Hailey is a binky baby, London isn't. Well, London is evidently jealous. Hailey has her binky attached to her clothing by a strap, and little London thinks it's a leash! She's always grabbing for it! So, she has been dubbed the Binky Bandit. lol Poor Hailey!!

In other news, I am planning a first birthday party! Yes, you read that right too. My little baby girl will be one year old in 3 1/2 months!! Well, less than that now! Where did my year go?!?! I have enjoyed every minute of it, but wow! I can't believe that I will be soon saying goodbye to her infant years. Time sure does fly. I know there are many other mommy friends of mine that are facing the same thing. I am however, looking forward to the next stage of her young life and so very thankful that I get to spend that time with her.

Mommy Needs a Break...

Or so I have been told. ha ha Andy is constantly trying to get me to live my little princess for some "mommy" time. I just don't feel the need to. Yes, the other night was STRESSFUL! BUT, I unwound by spending time with him once we FINALLY got London to sleep. I'm sure that I do need some time away, but I spend 8am to 5pm away, and two nights a week I spend 5pm to 12am away from her. So, I don't feel like I need anymore time than that! Maybe I'm fooling myself. lol

Strangers in the Night

Andy and I are strangers in the night. Not by choice, mind you. And not because we want to be strangers. But because we have a little girl, that WILL NOT go to sleep easily.

This weekend has been the worst that we've had it in a long time. Back up...five months old, London's pediatrician recommended we do CIO (Cry It Out). I freaked, as I'm sure you know, because I don't BELIEVE in CIO. It's not for me. I don't want my little precious bundle of joy laying in her crib, realizing that mommy and daddy are NOT coming to soothe her, and learning that she just has to go it alone. I don't want to see the fear cross her face when we try to lay her down and she realizes that soon we will walk out of that room, for what seems like forever to her. I DON'T. But, under encouragement from everyone, including family and friends, Andy and I decided to give it a go. And we did, for three months. London is eight months now. The first week was hell. The second week was easier, and by the end of the first month, we had a little girl that would sleep through the night like a trooper. But she STILL whined when we tried to put her to bed. And now she screams when we get near her crib! Ummm...not a happy baby. In fact, even worse than a happy baby. A very pissed off baby! However, it did affect her mood during the day. It actually gave us a happier baby...but she wouldn't nap. UGH. Well, one thing at a time.

Fast forward to Christmas. A few days after Christmas, London began to get whinier when we tried to put her to bed. She would wail loudly. It broke my heart. And it only continued. And now, we are into full blown screaming. This week has been the worst of them all. Thursday night, she actually went to bed with very minimal crying at all. Friday night was not as good, but still not half as bad as it has been. Saturday night...pure hell! Our baby girl has a cold, and she's teething, and this makes for a bad combination at bedtime. She screamed when putting her to bed. OK, she's cranky because she's tired and doesn't feel good. So I held her and rocked her, and she finally went to sleep in my arms, and I laid her down and World War III broke out! About thirty minutes later, she was out for the count. This was 9:30. At 12:00 she was back up, for 45 minutes before Andy came and woke me to nurse her. Then she fell asleep in the bed with me, but immediately woke up when we tried to transition her to her own bed. We battled her until 2:00 when she finally went to sleep. But she was back up at 4:00. Andy took over again at 6. Sheesh! No nap today either. Grrrrr.

Tonight took an hour. And LOTS of crying. :-( Isn't this what I said I don't want to do???

This is why Andy and I are strangers in the night. And day too. We sleep in shifts. We eat in shifts. We clean in shifts. We play in shifts. We don't do anything together anymore really. I know it gets better, but I just will whine a little until then. lol

I'm at my very wits end. I purchased "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" book on Friday. But I haven't had the chance to read it. I so hope it helps!!!