Cow Girl

A few weekends ago, my dad (PaPa) and Anita (TaTa) came in for a visit to see Adly. (We don't bother pretending that people come to actually visit Adam or I these days). 

In the last few months, my child has become cow obsessed. The girl just loves cows. What is it about them? It started with a visit to my aunts family farm, where she got up close and personal with cows. One even licked her. The girl asks to watch that video any time she sees my phone. It used to be by request of "moo, moo, moo!" Now it's "cooo-w, cooo-w, cooo-w!"

When papa came down this weekend, of course he came fully stocked with cow toys. One being a small figurine of a cow. Guess who hasn't put the cow down since? 

On Saturday, we decided to go visit Adly's favorite suburban getaway, a family farm. Shocking, I know. My intended city girl is definitely a country girl at heart. There we could look at the cows, see horsies, piggies, and roosters (which, oddly enough, Adly is terrified of). They also had ginormous pumpkins and a farmers market. It was beautiful weather, making for the perfect fall Saturday.

Here is my little pumpkin, standing on her own, talking to the horsies and hanging with Papa and Tata. Fall is officially here!

Wait...didn't I get put in one of these things last year?!

Just a girl, checking out some horsies.

Papa had to stop in the gift shop.

Rehydrating after a day at the farm.

Up Nort

A few weekends ago we got a chance to head up to Adam's family cabin in Door County, WI. All of the siblings went, as well as my mother-in-law (ga ga), and Adams aunt KK and uncle Bruce. We had planned it months in advance and were excited to all get away together.

Since Adam couldn't come up until Saturday, Adly and I hitched a ride with my sister-in-law Nora (aunt Ra Ra) and her husband Steve (uncle Seve). We headed up right after school on Friday. On the way up, we had a hankering for dinner, so we stopped in at a random Culvers to grab a quick bite and get back on the road. Thankfully, Steve was fine with driving and got us there safely despite the downpour of rain we faced the entire drive. 

Adly was so excited to have a crowd of onlookers around her, which she loves more than anything. She had a blast being the center of adoring attention from her family. I was excited to get away with the family and just relax. We all spent the first half of the weekend lounging around eating, and reading books, shopping, and relaxing. Unfortunately, the trip rounded out with a nasty, nasty case of food poisoning for Nora, Steve and I. Each of us spent a good share of 12-hour periods with marathon puking sessions. We now think it was from Culvers since we were the only three who got sick and we all had mayo in our food. Yuck. I hope I never have to experience that hell again. 

Despite that downside, we were all able to celebrate the engagement of my brother-in-law Mike and (soon to be) sister-in-law Jess! While we knew he was planning to propose (after 8 years!), we didn't know it was going to happen while we were up north until the last minute. Mike quietly told Nora and Steve (who were still working their way through the food poisoning) to come downstairs to the windows. He then quietly told the rest of us to make our way to the wall of windows facing the lake. 

Right after, Mike led Jess outside to check out the beach. This was her first time in all those years visiting the family cabin, which is an incredibly special place to Adams family. Soon after heading outside, Mike got down on one knee and said those special words. It was unbelievably special to be a part of their big day and we are SO happy for them!!!

We had a wonderful weekend with family, celebrations and just plain love. I sure did marry into one fantastic family! 

Adly and her adoring onlookers. 

Piggy tails!

Looking at pictures with uncle Seve. 

Snuggles with mama who was on her deathbed. 

Before she saw him on bended knee....

Engagement Paparazzi. 

YAY!!! The Future Mr. & Mrs. Michael Brockway!

Right after they got engaged. The sun was shining down on just the two of them. Beautiful. 

Checking out the waves. 

Playing with Aunt Jesse...with that new bling bling on her hand. 

Yep. That's my dear MIL. Chasing us down the street. 

The pickle queen herself. 

Tasty treats at the Yum Yum Tree. 

She is such a ham. 

Until next time, Door County!!

Car Seats: Baby Gear Blunders

When I registered for car seats, I had no idea what I was doing. Sure, I had my trusty Baby Bargains book that helped guide me with so many decisions. Btw, every new mom needs that book! But I don't know, blame it on the pregnancy brain, I did not register or buy correctly when it came to car seats. So let me try to help others from making my mistakes.

We found our infant car seat and stroller when Adam was shopping around for bargains. It was a steal and we couldn't pass it up. Was it the best or the coolest? No. But baby stuff is so expensive! It's made by Graco, was safe and I thought that was fine enough. 

An infant car seat is one that can be removed from a base and carried around. I still think it's a must-have when you have an infant because they sleep so often. Then you're not carrying them in and out of the seat. Infant car seats can also be sold as a set with a stroller they can snap into. This is handy to get your newbie to and fro without much movement, although the strollers tend to be more bulky.  

We also registered for a bigger Graco car seat because I did know that eventually she'd grow out of the infant seat and need a bigger one to move into. I don't know how I managed to do it, but I registered for a seat that is only forward facing. (The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends rear-facing until 2, however, many people turn their child forward around one. To each's own.) I didn't realize the next seat we received was only forward-facing until Adly was 8 months, I had thrown out the box, dragged it into the car and spent 20 minutes trying to figure out how to secure the seat in a rear-facing position. Apparently, despite recommendations by the AAP, manufacturers still sell front-facing only seats for baby 20 pounds and up (which happens between 8-12 months). At that point, I knew I couldn't return it, so we kept up with the infant seat and I figured I'd just switch to the other seat when Adly was older than one.

Since then, here I've been, tra-la-la-ing all around here and there with Adly in her infant carseat. I knew that the weight limit was 30 pounds, which she is no where near. But the height limit was 30 inches, which she has surpassed.

It wasn't until I actually thought about the fact that Adly was still in an "infant" seat and she is now a toddler that I started to do research about when to change seats and what kind to change to. This was all a lot of overwhelming and conflicting information. I spent weeks reading reviews and manufacturers recommendations and stressing over whether we just front-face her now. The reason for this was because I found myself at the crossroads of needing to buy yet another car seat to essentially last us for 10 more months until we can use the next one, or just flipping Adly front-facing and using the seat we already had.

In all of my research, the one piece of information that made me decide she needed to be out of the infant seat was this: when a child's head is less than an inch below the top of the car seat, they are too big to be held in properly in the event of a crash. I had no idea about any of this before I started reading.

Now, I have to start by saying that I think when to turn your child front-facing is a personal and individual decision. I based my decision on the fact that Adly is comfortable sitting rear-facing. There are numerous studies that wee ones are safer riding rear-facing until 2. That said, riding in a car has never been an issue for her. However, for many babies it is. I can say for a fact that if Adly was screaming every time we got in the car, I wouldn't have blinked an eye at flipping her as soon as she turned one. You cannot judge the safety of that until you've tried driving a car with a screaming child in the backseat. That alone will cause an accident faster than anything else.

Because she's fine riding rear-facing, Adam and I ultimately decided to purchase a convertible car seat that can hold from 5-65 pounds and can rear-face until 40 pounds. This car seat could easily last Adly until she was ready to be out of a booster seat, however we still have our other car seat that she will be able to use when she's ready to front-face. Our reason for purchasing was also based on the fact we think we may have another child and in that event, we'll need another car seat anyways.

So, for a rundown, I recommend purchasing the following types of seats when you find yourself with child:

-Infant car seat/stroller set OR infant car seat (ensure it can click into strollers)

-Convertible car seat (which changes to front-facing, then booster seat)

While it was a very drawn out decision that took a lot of time and energy, I'm glad I spent so much time on it. It was ultimately the right decision for us and our family as of now. And the best part is, someone else seems to enjoy the new seat as well....

15 minutes into first car ride with the new seat:

Gimme some mo'!

As Adly's language continues to develop, we hear some pretty funny interpretations of words that process through a one year old's mind. But there is one word that stands out as my absolute favorite.

It is: more. 

In Adlys world, it is: "mo!"

No matter how many times she says it, it never gets old to me and I can't let it go by without giggling, despite her ever so serious attempts to get "more" of something. The worst part is it almost always revolves around food and she's usually frustrated when asking for more so she says it aggressively and it comes off pretty rude. Adam has tried to get her to say "mo please" to take the edge off her demands, but alas, saying please isn't where her mindset is just yet. Even our babysitter that just started laughed at the end of her first day, commenting how she thought it was so funny how she yells "mo!" 

Today I caught it on video as I was trying to show my dad just how much she loves hummus. In the process she yelled out an emphatic "mo!" Because well, she wanted more! (After she licked the container and discovered it was "all goooome")

The Walker

Last Thursday, out of nowhere, Adly took her first steps! It happened as my friend Nicole (Co-Co) was over. As usual, Adly teased us with her ability to stand up and then sat back down. I was in the kitchen cooking and after a few attempts of this, Nicole excitedly yelled for me to look and sure enough, Adly was inching her way over to Nicole, step by little bitty step.

Watching a baby learning to take their first steps is one of the most precious events I think you can ever witness. It is so slow and calculated, as well as unsteady, but yet so exciting! Thankfully, after I clumsily fumbled around to get my camera out and recording, Adly decided to try again and take a few more steps so I could get a video to Adam (who was working) and all of our family. I am so incredibly grateful that I was able to see her big first steps before I head back to work. Now comes the hard work of learning how to make those little feet move whenever she wants them to! She definitely has a way to go before she learns that walking is much faster and easier than crawling. For now, she still prefers cruising around on all fours.

I will say, for those that aren't there for the exact "first steps", you really aren't missing that much. Of course, I realize I'm stating this after I was able to be there, so it might be a little easier to say. However I can say in the week since it first happened, her steps have all looked exactly the same. She takes a few itty bitty cautious steps then tumbles to the ground. So if you aren't sure you were there for the first, or you're a working mom and have the same worries I had, take solace in that fact. Your first really will be their "first" and that's what really matters.

Here now, is little Adly's first steps into big girl-hood. To see the concentration and the wonder in her face as she realizes her legs and feet are making their way from under her to step is so unbelievably cute!

Field Of Dreams

As summer is rapidly winding down, I've suddenly found myself with a last minute bucket list of things I want to squeeze in before work starts again. One thing we talked about all summer long was going to a Cubs game. Adam grew up as a die-hard Cubs fan and he wants nothing more than to instill that love with his own daughter. This Tuesday, Adam found himself with two night game tickets and we decided we just had to go. All summer, we've hemmed and hawed about going to night games with Adly because they're past her bedtime. And while at this point in the sleep-training game I'm ok with her staying up later occasionally, she is so trained that it's rare she'll make it past 7:30.

With the weather looking so beautiful and the time before I go back to work tick-tocking away, we decided to pack up and head to the field. Living blocks from Wrigley is really something I've been so spoiled by. A short 10 minute walk from our house and there we are, amidst crowds of baseball fans, cheering, and very overpriced Old Style beers. It's really something we need to take advantage of far more often.

We weren't sure about strollers in the stadium, so we decided to heft Adly into the baby bjorn one last time. (She's on the verge of exceeding the weight limit for that sucker). We weren't sure about what to bring for her since they're always so strict about beverages and food. However I decided to tuck in a package of Mum-Mum crackers for her just in case. Turns out strollers are allowed in the stadium (they were everywhere!) and they don't seem too concerned with food or drinks in bottles, at least not in our case. Next time, I'll fill her bottle with water and avoid the $4 bottle of water at the park.

Another thing to note is that Wrigley does something cute for baseball game first-timers. You can walk up to a stand and get a certificate with your child's name on it and the date of the game. The certificate has a picture of Wrigley, and it's free! A cute little keepsake to have to remember your first visit with your wee one by.

Adly loved every second of being there and lasted a whole 3 innings! She even actually watched some of the game, but her favorite thing to do was turn around and stare at the older gentleman sitting behind us. Not sure what it was about him, but Adly couldn't stop staring at him. He tried making her smile or laugh, but in return she'd only give him a continuous, awkward stare. He seemed to not mind. I've really got to get working on her people watching skills. 

I'm so glad we got the chance to go. What a great way to add another memory to our first full summer as a family.

Posing on the chair recovering project that is *still* in progress. 

Hitching a ride with dada!

Family pics. 

My little sunshine. 

"For reals, mom? I don't have time to smile for selfies. There's baseball to watch."

Cheering for her Cubbies. 

Little girl in a big seat!

Ballpark snuggles. (I swear I wasn't pissed. I have perma-RBF.)

13 months

Adly's 13 month birthday quietly slipped by this week. I've been so bad about keeping this blog updated mainly because we're having too much fun this summer! Words can't express how incredibly lucky I feel to be able to get these few precious months of special mommy time with my little sweet pea.

Since her big first birthday bash, we've had numerous weddings and celebrations for Adam and I to attend, which has meant Adly has gotten in some one-on-one time with our family members too this summer. I know this means the world to them. I say it all the time, but we really are lucky to have such an amazing family to give us a helping hand in this journey. It also helps that we happened to have the first baby on both sides--the newness hasn't worn off yet. That, and there's the fact she's ridiculously cute. 

Being cute at aunt Ra-Ra and uncle Seve's house. 

At 13 months, Adly is continuing to grow, develop, and amaze me on a regular basis. She bursted into toddlerhood with gusto, realizing almost immediately that she has power over the foods she eats. My once foodie daughter has now turned into an ever-so-picky eater who regularly throws food on the floor, puts it in her mouth only to chew and spit it back out, or just immediately says an emphatic "noooo!" when she sees something of distaste. Her number one dislike is meat. It's frustrating, to say the least. However, based on our pediatricians recommendation, we're continuing to give her nutritious options at mealtimes and sticking to the "what you see is what you get" rule of thumb. Eventually, supposedly, she is going to understand that if she's hungry, she needs to eat then and there. Gosh that's hard. I stress constantly about whether I'm giving her enough of a balanced meal every single mealtime. Gone are the days of relying on  breast milk or formula to ensure she's got all the nutrients she needs. I know there will always be some sort of battle when it comes to this, I just selfishly wish I had a wee bit more time to enjoy my hungry child gobbling down all the delicious food I cooked for her.

Verbally, Adly continues to grow at a surprising rate. She will imitate almost anything you ask her to (when she's up for it and not in too much of a spotlight). I'm amazed at the number of words she knows how to use in context at this point. I have to say, the ability to communicate with each other is the best part. I can almost always figure out what she's trying to say or do. Although the key word there is almost. I can already see how those terrifying toddler tantrums come about when a little being just can't properly convey what they need or want. Some of Adly's latest sayings are: all done, all gone, no, more (mo!), go, mooooo (cows) up, dow (down), hewwo (hello) and bye-bye. She's also developed this "eh!" sound with a point to guide people to what she wants. 

Speaking of moo, a few months ago, Adly began to really take to a random bath book we had with farm animal pictures. Ever since then, she has loved all things animals and imitating their sounds. I've stocked up on some animal books for her and some also came from her birthday. All of these are her favorites and she loves to see the animals and then make the sounds. This weekend we had the opportunity to go to my aunts family farm and visit the cows and sheep. We were also able to get way up close and personal with them. I'm so glad my dad videoed this adventure because Adly cannot stop watching them! Her favorite animal sounds of the moment are: moooooo (cow), eh-eh-eh-eh (sheep), wooo! (elephant, motions trunk with hand), bawk (chicken/duck), tee-tee (any bird), sssss (snake) and my favorite mooooow (cat).

At 13 months, she is still as stubborn as ever when it comes to walking. She loves to tease everyone by standing up all on her own. This has been happening for the last month. Every time an outsider sees it, they emphatically tell me "she's going to be walking any day now!" And inside I tell myself, "but, this is my daughter and she's different....she is one stubborn little being". Sure enough, we've got nothing yet. I will say, she has started walking along with me as I hold her armpits (NOT by my hands mama!). Truthfully, I'm ok with her taking her time. In some ways, I think it might be easier, but in a lot of ways, it's going to make for a whole lot more work. There's a part of me that REALLY wants to see it before I go back to work. These milestones still give me that pull of anxiety that I have to be there to witness every first or I'm always going to be sad about missing it. But then the rational me knows that my first time seeing it will always be my first time. Either way, walking may or may not be in the next month...and of course the only one who holds the answer to that is my darling little Adly. 

My superstar!

Bath time!

Hangin' at the zoo with our buds. 

My smiley, happy girl.