March 5 - Spring has sprung??

It's a BEAUTIFUL day for some piggy toes!!

Has spring sprung?? What is up with this GORGEOUS weather that is SPOILING me?!?! Since it was absolutely beautiful today I decided to give Alaina a little taste of spring and put her in a skirt. I love this outfit. It is from Baby Gap but it is last years "model" that I got at the second hand store. Don't know if I have ever mentioned that our second hand store is AMAZING. A lot of times you can find things with the tags still on them that some rich mom with a kid with too many clothes sells back there. I think I bought this before Alaina was born when my mom and I went shopping. I thought it would be cute for spring! It has a little yellow jacket that goes with it too but it is still a tad to big and, it was amazingly too warm out for it anyway! Anyway...here is my little spring chicken in all her glory!

Threw the hat off and just chillin

Hi Mom!! My piggys are ready for some green grass!!

I also got her a little gift from Gordmons tonight...I couldn't resist!!

March 4 - Happy Birthday Daddy!!

Today is Daddy's birthday! So Lainey got a card for Daddy and we made him some lemon bars. Yummy! Now we just have to wait for him to get home because he had bowling tonight! We are soooo excited! :o)
Other than Daddy's birthday, not much to talk about today. Daddy picked up Alaina from daycare because mommy had to run and buy plates, forks and napkins for the baby shower she is helping hostess on Saturday. While there, I also found a really cute easter basket for Alaina so I was really excited about that! Tonight, while Daddy was at bowling, Alaina and I just hung out together. She has been really cute and funny all night! She even talked to grammy on the phone! Well - time for Lainey to get a bath! Goodnight!

March 3 - Her Name Came! And...you should never send me to Target alone!

Yae!!! Alaina's name came in the mail today!! I ordered this from a lady off of eBay. I really liked how I could pick whatever font I wanted, how big I wanted the letters and she even paints them and hangs them with the corresponding color of ribbon! They turned out AMAZING! Since they are going to hang on the green wall, I did not get a green letter. I will have to post a picture after I get everything all hung up! I think Alaina likes them?? ;0)
Today wasn't such a great day at work. I was super busy but, at least the day went by quickly. I left on time and went to pick Alaina up. They explained when I got there that she had only taken ONE nap the entire day. Eeeee... Not good. So we got home and of course she wants to nurse and have mommy time. So we get all settled on the couch and she is out like a light. Teddy gets home around this time and we needed to run to Target, but, we didn't want to wake her. So, Teddy decided I could just run the errand alone. BIG MISTAKE. Sending me to Target is like a kid in a candy store. So, I get there. I enter and of course the first thing right inside the door is cards and stuff. Tomorrow is Teddy's birthday and I wanted to get him a card and a little something from me. So, I picked out a card. Well, actually, two cards. I couldn't decide. One was hilarious and one was just cute so he just got them both. Then I decided to get him the new John Grisham book that just came out because he really likes that author and I heard it was good. While in the book section I see a book on baby sign language that I, of course, have to get! I am dead set we are going to learn this sign language thing and the daycare uses it some too. So anyway - I get that. Off down the aisles I go. of course then I am passing the scrapbook aisle... Oh my... my hands start sweating. Do I chance going down there? Maybe just a quick peak... Big mistake. Three things of stickers/jolees and some stamps later I am walking out of the aisle. Hey - they were on sale!!! So now I am nearing the middle of the store. Hmmm...straight back to toys or turn right for baby clothes and shoes... Tough decision but no contest. Baby clothes win every time! Zoom zoom zoom over to the baby clothes. Lord help me! It is the new spring line! Agh!! Let's see... One pair of pajamas, a white sweater that we NEED to go over some short sleeved things, a spring outfit complete with plaid pants and a jean skirt/sweater combo later I am wheeling out of the baby clothes... Teddy is going to kill me! Oh, and a new blanket because heaven knows we do NOT have enough of THOSE! I am out on the backside of baby now which is the front side of toys. Thankfully, no good toy buys today! So now I am off to what I ACTUALLY CAME TO TARGET FOR, baby wipes. Yeah - see?!?! Target is EVIL! I go in for baby wipes and look at all of this stuff I have in my cart already!?!?! Big brick of baby wipes for the house, medium brick of baby wipes for daycare because I gave them part of my big brick on Monday and of course some travel wipes. Gah...that is like $15 in baby wipes... Oh yeah...Teddy wanted some soda. Better get that. Oh wow - that is that new pledge multi-surface. Hmmm - I heard that worked really well. I better get some of that. Ok, now the soda. Oh yeah, Ivan needs lettuce. I am out of potatoes - better get some of those while I am standing right here... I finally convinced myself that I just needed to leave. Not just leave, RUN FOR THE DOOR. So, I check out (we won't discuss this part) and trudge off to my car with my baby wipes...plus a million other things taking up the other 5 sacks... Spent the 10 minute ride home trying to decide how I would explain the extra sacks of stuff to my husband. So, I started off with distraction tactic #1 "Hey Honey, I got you something for your birthday!" He is surprised and really liked the book. Then the attention turned to the other stuff. "What is all that?" Distraction tactic #2 "I was thinking about making some round steak with mushroom gravy tonight so I got some potatoes to mash and I was thinking some green bean casserole - does that sound good?" Ok, good - wheels in the head are turning. "Yeah - that sounds great. But what is in these sacks?" Uh oh...I need more distraction tactics!!! "Ummm...just a few things for Alaina..." *Acting like it is no big deal* "Please tell me you did not buy her more clothes!" Uh oh... "THEY WERE ON SALE!!!"
This is why Target is the root of all evil...

March 2 - The Little Pink Bear

Today, a little pink bear wondered in to our yard. While it was here, it made a little imprint in our snow.
It is a very small imprint. I happened to catch the little pink bear in the act and the little pink bear was very upset. It's little pink paws got some snow on them and the little pink bear became very cold.
So I scooped the little pink bear up and brought it inside to get warm. The little pink bear was very happy to be warm and I even gave it a little something to eat. After this the little pink bear promptly fell into a deep sleep because it was very happy. The End. :o)

March 1 - Do you Want to "Squeeze Me"??

Look at those chubba wubba legs!! Don't you just want to SQUEEZE them? Hence, the onesie... ;o) Today was a long day. I had a headache most of the day which made it hard to want to do anything. I think I took, like, three naps all day. Fortunately, after naps and some Advil I finally felt a little better last night. Lainey was, of course, in a great mood pretty much all day. Now when you put her on her stomach for tummy time - you can't keep her there. She just rolls right over. Thankfully, she was into the nap taking too! After dinner we spent some time "stretching our toes" and then we took a bath and got ready for bed.

February 28 - **WE FINALLY DID IT!!!**

Alaina is four months old today and this morning she rolled over for the very first time!! Mommy was really excited and Alaina just had this look on her face like "Whoa! How did I get here?" Alaina does not keep it a secret that she is not a huge fan of being on her tummy. We have done tummy time like we are suppose to since she was little but she has never really liked it. Normally after a few minutes she is done and throws a fit to be turned back over. Well, today she finally just decided she would turn herself over. We had been having a problem with getting the arm out of the way and now she has figured out how to tuck it in so she can get on her side. So, that was exciting! We have TWO stickers on today's baby calendar entry. Our four month old sticker and our roll over sticker! What a day!!
This afternoon we just played and Alaina took a long nap so mommy got some much needed cleaning done and some baby laundry. This evening daddy took us to dinner and we got to go out for a bit after being snowed in all day!! I think we got almost 5 inches last night. Just like the past few snow storms, I am sure it will be melted within days. Well...time to be getting ready for bed! Goodnight!

February 27 - *A Mommy & Baby Afternoon*

(Our bow flipped back a little!)

IT IS FRIDAY!! End of the work week! We made it - thank the Lord! :o) I got up and went in to work at 6:30 today because I was getting off at 10:30. I took a half day of vacation and went and picked Alaina up at 11:00. We met some of mommy's friends from work, and another girl I used to work with who had her baby in early August last year, for lunch. Since I was already going to be back down by work I decided I would take Alaina up for a visit. I haven't taken her in since she was around 4 weeks old and here she is, going to be 4 MONTHS old tomorrow. Where did all the time go?!?! I guess that is the point of the blog...to keep it all in my memory. :o) So, I took Alaina up and she met pretty much everyone I work with, have worked with, will work with, and then some more people that I didn't know just because they saw a cute baby going by! She got LOTS and LOTS of attention. Everyone commented on her beautiful big eyes and all of her pretty hair, her little outfit and shoes, everything. I think Mommy and Baby both left with a big head full of compliments... ;o) After that we went home and Lainey had a little afternoon snack and we took a little nap. It was a great afternoon off and I am so glad I took it!

Tonight we are just at home. It is snowing, so, we made some dinner and now I am blogging, Alaina is playing on her mat and looks a little sleepy and Teddy is playing a video game for a little bit. Nothing exciting, but, I like weekends at home with little to no plans. It helps offset those CRAZY work weeks!!

Me in my little sweater...

The whole outfit

This face just cracked me up...

February 26 - Play Mat Loved by All + A Giggle = A Great Night!

Alaina isn't the only one getting use out of the play mat! Duncan decided to play with his Milk Bone on it and promptly fell asleep. I guess it must be comfortable? Sam also enjoys batting at the toucan that jingles while lying on his back. Unfortunately, I am yet to capture Sam's adventures on film. (Hopefully soon) Today was a long day for Mommy and Daddy. Thankfully Alaina took a pretty good nap this evening and we were able to both get some work done from home. Not exciting, but, it did help us catch up a little. One very exciting thing did happen this afternoon and this evening. Alaina tried to giggle. When I say tried, I mean, it was short, but, it was definitely a giggle. She did it first for me when we got home from daycare. I was kind of hopping her up and down and she decided that was just hilarious and let out a little "hahaha." Of course, no matter how many times I bounced the kid after that, I could not replicate how funny it apparently was the first time. She was just looking at me like "You seriously think I am going to do that again for the same trick? Come on, amuse with something better." So later last night I was talking to my mom on the phone and we were watching TV and Alaina was sitting in her bumbo next to me and we were playing with her little pink puppy. I was making it hop up and kiss her and suddenly she just did it again and this time daddy heard it and Grammy kind of heard it too! One of these days we are just going to crack up!!
(Can you tell our family room is baby land from all of these pictures? Ha ha ha! That isn't Alaina's tug rope in the background though... Guess there is a little of Duncan around too...)

February 25 - Feeling a little better...

Not much to write tonight, it was a pretty boring day. Alaina seems to be feeling better. Still a little cranky, but, not nearly as bad as Monday and yesterday! We even did our tummy time tonight which Alaina isn't a HUGE fan of. She will do it for awhile and then she gets mad. We are trying to work on rolling over but she just can't seem to get that silly arm out of the way! Thought maybe if she got mad enough on her tummy she might roll to her back, but, no cookie on that idea! I think she isn't in any hurry to roll over because she doesn't really want to be on her tummy anyway! Oh well - I am just glad she appears to be feeling better! Teddy has bowling tonight so it is just Lainey and Me until about 9:00. She is taking a little nap at the moment on her Eeyore blanket and Duncan is lying next to her making sure she doesn't go anywhere (he is so protective!) And in case you are wondering, sheep is still not far away!

February 24 - Ear infection won't keep Lainey down...

So, today we went to the Dr. and bad news, we have an ear infection again. That explains the crankiness... She also weighed in at a wopping 12 pounds and 3 ounces WITH her clothes on... Little peanut!! I left the Dr. to take Alaina back to daycare. I gave her a dose of tylenol to try and help until I could get the antibiotic filled. I felt like the WORST mom in the world leaving her at daycare when she didn't feel well, but, I have already been home twice this year and I get five sick days the whole year. Plus, she wasn't contagious... Guess I need to save the days where we HAVE to stay home. But...it was still horrible. I left the daycare and ran to drop off her prescription so that I could pick it up after work, grabbed something to eat, and ran back out the door to go back to work. As if the day wasn't bad enough, I backed out of my parking spot and the guy across the aisle from me wasn't paying attention and backed into the back of my SUV. He, of course, had no damage, but my car has a small dent and some scratches. *sigh* It isn't even worth turning into insurance, plus, they would probably rule it no fault because we were both in reverse in a parking lot. Ugh. Thankfully, the guy was super nice. I do appreciate that. He apologized profusely and gave me his information in case Teddy wanted to talk to him and all that, but, ugh. Just not what I needed. So after all of this, I had to go back to work!!! I couldn't wait to get out of there at 3:30 but at 3:25 my manager stops by my desk and wants a "quick meeting." He knows my baby is sick and I need to go and he says it won't last more than about 10 minutes. FIFTY minutes later I was walking out of his office. I was FURIOUS. Not only did I feel horrible taking her back to daycare but NOW I am late picking her up. Thankfully, she did pretty well. The tylenol helped and we picked up her antibiotic and started that, so, we are on the up and up.
As you can see above though, the ear infection didn't affect her mood 100% of the time. She was a smiley for a little bit last night, but, we definitely weren't happy the whole night!

February 23 - Duncan's New Toy

I mentioned in the prior post that Duncan got a new toy on Sunday. The "newness" has not worn off yet as you can see... We even have to take a nap on the couch with the sheep!! Well, at least he is entertained I guess! (Also, note Sam in the background doing what he does best, napping!)
Today wasn't a great day. It was a busy day at work and when I went to pick Alaina up they said she had been extremely fussy all day, so, something was wrong. I called the Dr and they were full for the evening but got us in for tomorrow morning, so, we will go then. She has been fussy at home too. She doesn't appear to be pulling at her ear but she didn't last time she had ear infection either. I guess she could be teething... We went to Daddy's last basketball game tonight and Alaina got a lot of attention from Molly and Lacey again. Too bad basketball is over because Alaina really enjoys the "action" and appears to be trying to pay attention!

February 22 - Mr. Belvedere

Meet the newest addition to our fish family, Mr. Belvedere. Mr. Belvedere comes to us from PetSmart and is going to be replacing Rosie as the cleaner of the aquarium. He has a BIG job to do and I don't think he will go hungry for quite some time... Welcome Mr. Belvedere!
Today was a productive day. I ran errands this morning and did some housework this afternoon while Alaina slept. She has been a little cranky today for some reason... Then this afternoon we took Alaina and Duncan to PetSmart to get Mr. Belvedere. Duncan also got a new toy. It cracks me up that he knows exactly what toy is his. He never tries to take any of Alaina's toys - he knows exactly what belongs to him but when he gets a new toy, it is hilarious. He plays with it non stop for HOURS and talks to it, throws it in the air, etc. It is very entertaining. So, needless to say. Duncan has been entertaining himself all evening with his new toy! Well, time for me to get another load of laundry in and get some dinner on the table! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

February 21 - Not quit big enough yet...But we are in no hurry!!

So today we tried out the jumper that Daddy had put together. It is pretty sweet, but, our feet don't quite touch the ground yet! Still fun to play in though, and mommy and daddy can make it bounce! It is great because you can hang toys all over it, plus, the seat swivels 360 degrees with 4 play stations around it. It plays music, lights up, everything. Soon enough, those feet will touch the ground, but, Mommy is in no hurry. Mommy is okay with just letting the baby be small. Don't know if any of you listen to country but I heard this song on the way home the other day. It's by Darius Rucker and it is from the Dad's point of view but that didn't stop me from bawling pretty much all the way from work to the daycare. They probably thought something horrible happened when I walked in to pick her up. But, now whenever anything happens with Alaina this song just pops in my head.

"It Won't Be Like This for Long"

He didn't have to wake up
He'd been up all night
Laying there in bed listening
To his new born baby cry
He makes a pot of coffee
He splashes water on his face
His wife gives him a kiss and says
It gonna be OK

It wont be like this for long
One day soon we'll look back laughin'
At the week we brought her home
This phase is gonna fly by
So baby just hold on
It wont be like this for long

Four years later bout four thirty
She's crawling in their bed
And when he drops her off at preschool
She's clinging to his leg
The teacher peels her off of him
He says what can I do
She says now don't you worry
This will only last a week or two

It wont be like this for long
One day soon we'll drop her off
And she wont even know you're gone
This phase is gonna fly by
If you can just hold on
It wont be like this for long

One day soon she'll be a teenager
And at times you'll think she hates him
Then he'll walk her down the aisle
And he'll raise her veil
But right now she's up and cryin

And the truth is that he don't mind
As he kisses her good night
And she says her prayers
He lays down there beside her
Till her eyes are finally closed
And just watchin' her it breaks his heart
Cause he already knows

It wont be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is
gonna be All grown up and gone
Yeah this phase is gonna fly by
He's tryin' to hold on

It wont be like this for long
It wont be like this for long

Now, if you are a mommy, even if you aren't, tell me you aren't crying right now? Yeah...that is what I thought...
So, now that I am crying again... that is about all for today. Tonight we went to Red Lobster for
dinner because we had a gift card. Apparently it was bring your baby to Red Lobster night. There were...at least six I think. They ran out of carseat slings!! So that was fun but other then that, pretty boring day. Just spending time with my baby, who thankfully, is still a baby. :o) So this dishes can wait because it won't be like this for long...

February 20 - We need a "Meow Fit"

I know I just posted about my Wii Fit but it cracked me up to see that my overweight cat has taken to napping on the Wii Fit box... I think they need to make a "Meow Fit" for overweight kitty cats that need to get in shape, like mine. And also my parents kitty Wilson. He he he!!
Anyway, thank goodness today was FRIDAY!! I did my Wii Fit session when I got home from work and we spent the evening at home with Teddy and Alaina. Alaina has been a little stuffy with a cold so she has been sleeping a lot. She was probably awake for a couple hours the whole night. Teddy and I watched a little TV and had some dinner. Then we all went to bed in pretty good time. Teddy had to be up early on Saturday and Alaina and I were just tired from getting up around 5:00 this morning.

February 19 - Mommy's Favorite Toy

Oh my goodness!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Wii fit! It is so much fun AND it is really helping. You can set goals for weight loss and I can already tell a difference in both pounds and inches. Everything fits better. My posture is getting better. My brother also gave me Jillian's (From The Biggest Loser - LOVE that show!) game for the Wii Fit for Christmas. I haven't played that one yet. Thought I would try and master the Wii fit game first. My favorite right now is probably the aerobics stuff {Love the Hula Hoop Game!}. The balance stuff is fun too and and I really enjoy Yoga but on this it seems a little slow. Hard to get that calm at home! Ha ha! Regardless though, whoever thought of this deserves a big hug! Fun way to lose weight and be on your way to a healthier life!! :o)

February 18 - Sammy Sam Sam

He he he! Well...since I showcased Maggie yesterday I had to show off Sam. The picture is a little blurry, but, he smiled. :o) This is Samson Cat a.k.a. Sammy, Sam, Sambo, Fuzzy Butt, Fatty... Why do we have so many names for the same animal?? Ha ha. Actually when we first got Sam and Maggie (they are brother and sister believe it or not) I named them Samson and Delilah. Teddy put the kibosh on that one. He said he wouldn't have his little kitten named after a prostitute from the bible... So, Delilah, became Maggie. The name Teddy picked. Here is a fun fact for you. We argued the entire 9 months over a name for the baby and 3 days before she was born Teddy looked at me and told me that it was really my decision all along. He just wanted to make sure I was thinking about it. (WHAT!?!?!) I don't think I have ever wanted to stangle someone so badly in my life... Ughhhh.... So anyway, off the subject. We are talking about Sam now. Sam is a sweet cat. He thinks he is a baby and wants to sit on your lap and love on you, well, me. I am normally the only person he cuddles with. He likes to get right up around my face and kneed my neck and purr, but, the issue is that he drools. Severely. So I tend to not like that for very long. :OP Most of the time I make him just sit on my lap while I pet him. He is a cute kitty cat and very very ornery. His favorite thing to do is go in the nursery and steal small stuffed animals and play with them and carry them around like a kitten. Sounds cute but it is SUPER annoying. He even gives them a bath...with his tongue. GROSS! Duncan doesn't even steal Alaina's toys... Naughty naughty Sam. We love you!

February 17 - My Maggie Moo Cat

Today was a pretty boring day. Teddy and I went to work and Alaina went to daycare. I was super busy and was really glad when the day was over and I got to go see my Lainey!! We came home and waited for daddy to get home and then we ran an errand to the grocery store to get food for daddy to take to work for food day on Wednesday. Then I had to come home and cook it. ;o) Anyway, in the midst of everything, I noticed that Maggie had made herself at home in the very beautiful and very expensive hand made basket that Teddy's mom gave me for Christmas. I guess since I hadn't decided what to put in it yet, Maggie made the decision for me. What is better in a basket than a kitty cat?? Maggie is a beautiful and sweet cat. She isn't much for cuddling unless it is on her terms. (Female?? Ha ha!) I think she is so pretty because she is a black calico but she has a lot of white. She has little mittens on her front feet and socks on her back feet. She comes to you whenever you whistle and she goes by many names. Normally Maggie Moo or Maggie Moo Cow. Sometimes Magpie, Magzilla or Magaroni to name a few. He he! We love her and our family would not be complete without her!

February 16 - Star of the Week

When I went to pick Alaina up today I took a picture of her "Star of the Week" bulletin board. Awwww - how cute is she?? I told the ladies that work in the room that I knew I was a nerd but I just had to take a picture and they both just smiled. One admitted she took a picture when her baby was up there too, so, I guess I am not the only crazy mom. Ha ha! Here it is a little closer. Not sure how you are suppose to know a 3 month olds favorite songs and colors and all that so, we just kind of went by what she responds to... Ha ha!
Anyway - the rest of the day was pretty boring. I had the day off because my work was closed today for Presidents Day. I went ahead and had Teddy take Alaina to daycare anyway. #1 Because we are paying for it no matter what and #2 Because I knew I would get more done being home alone. So, while everyone was gone I got the entire downstairs cleaned up, swept, vacuumed AND carpet cleaned. Woo hoo! Then I also got laundry done and even worked for a little bit so I can be caught up for tomorrow. I went to pick up Alaina at 3:00 and we spent some time together. Tonight Daddy had a basketball game. Alaina and I did not go this week. We stayed home to make dinner and all that fun stuff. And now, my friends, it is time to get myself and little miss ready for bed! Goodnight!

February 15 - A new member at the zoo

Meet our new Giraffe from Aunt Amanda! It is soooo cool! :o) (I think that is what Alaina's 'Gooo' meant...) AND when you pull out on his tail he plays music! Oh how we love things that play music! So, we had to get a picture with the Giraffe.
Today was a good day. This morning we went over to Teddy's parents house after saying goodbye to my family and Ashley's friends. We ended up going to lunch with Teddy's Mom and Dad and Aunt Amanda met us there later to give Alaina her gifts she got in Las Vegas. After that we loaded everything up and made the trek back to Omaha. On the way home Alaina awoke from her nap and was inconsolable so, I ended up using my battery pack for my pump for the first time. Believe me, you have not LIVED until you have pumped going down the interstate at 73 mph with a baby screaming next to you. Ha ha ha! ;o) We safely got the milk pumped into the bottle and I fed her like a little calf while she sat in her car seat and then she was back asleep the rest of the way home. When we got back it was time to start laundry, do dishes, wash bottles, and all the other stuff that has to happen to get ready for the work week. Then, I just spent what was left of the evening trying to catch up on blogging my pictures and spending time with Lainey. What a fun day!

February 14 - Happy Love Day (Secret Project Revealed!)

Thank you Lord!! The weather cleared and they got the roads cleaned up! We were able to keep our plans of going back to Iowa this weekend. Alaina and I were sooooo happy because we worked so hard on our Valentine's Day gifts!! This is a picture of Papaw and Grammy getting their gift. Pictures of Lainey!! I thought I had a good picture of the actual project but, this is one I took after it was hanging and it has the reflection of the windows on it. (Sorry!) I will get a better picture next time I am home for my own sentimental reasons. I could have sworn I took some...
We made a little footprint butterfly that you can see on the heart in the middle and then lots of pictures. Here are some of my favorites that I took.