Frozen Peaches... YUMM-O!

Well, we tried putting frozen peaches in the anti-choking-teething-mesh-food-holder-bag-thingy. That was a LITTLE cleaner than the bananas, but she still made a mess. I'm learning very quickly that the messes are inevitable! Maya REALLY didn't know what to think of the peaches! She made the funniest bitter-beer face every time she tasted them, but they must not have been too bad because she kept going back for more! Silly girl!

My Shopping Cart Co-Pilot!

Maya and I went to Meijer today for some grocery shopping, and Maya rode in the cart "big-kid style" for the very first time! She had a blast! The whole time, she swung her feet back and forth, clicking her heels together. It was SO CUTE! She just chewed on her toys and checked out everything going on in her surroundings. She kept me on guard of my list throughout the entire trip. She tried to nab it any chance she got, and she was successful a couple of times!

We took some time out and visited the fish and the lobsters. The lobsters weren't moving much, so she didn't really care for them (good decision, neither do I). She LOVED the fish. She's always liked watching fish. I think when we move, Maya may need a fish tank of her own! What's that? Oh, I think I heard Maya say, "Please, Dada?" (insert pouty face here). Will, you know Maya would LOVE a fish tank!

Banana in a Bag

We tried an anti-choking-teething-mesh-food-holder-bag-thingy today. I put some banana in it and let Maya go to town. It wasn't as clean of a process as I had hoped, but it worked. As she chomped on the bag, banana squished out the little holes. I don't think it's a great thing for food that's not frozen. I can see how it would be a nice teether, but I don't think it's a real practical way to serve a snack.

Our Little Whippersnapper...

HERE'S THE FACE!! Since Maya's 2 top front teeth have come in, she is constantly sucking in her top lip against them, and this is the look the maneuver causes! She sucks her lip in as far as it will go, then "POP", the suction breaks, her lip comes back out, and her tongue makes a smacking noise. She does this over and over. I've tried to describe this face to people, but there are no words to describe this face! She looks like a little old man without any teeth! I've been trying to capture this look on camera for about a week now, and I finally got it! Even though I see this face several times a day, when I saw it frozen in time, I thought I was going to die laughing. I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt! Sorry, Maya, but this is only one of I'm sure what will be several embarrassing photos I have to share with our friends and family! You'll thank me someday, I think!

Baby-Pile!

Maya and I went to Baby Beloved for their Kozy Mei Tai party and to buy some shower presents for Miriam. Jill and Lauren were working, too, so we got to visit with them for a little bit. I had the opportunity to try out the Kozy, and I loved it! I put Maya in it and carried her around on my back, like a little backpack. Surprisingly, she was completely weightless in it! It was very comfortable (and would have come in real handy in Seattle). Maya just sat back there, content as could be! Once I let her down on the floor, she assisted in rearranging a few shelves. I don't know what the girls at the store were thinking... nicely folded piles of shirts and shirts in baskets don't belong on shelves! They're supposed to be on the floor! I was glad once Lauren finally joined Maya to play. She needed some distraction! As you can see, the girls spent some time wrestling for Lauren's doll. It's so fun to watch them interact. If they're not poking each other in the eye, grabbing clothes and hair, or chewing on each other's toys, Maya is crawling over Lauren like she's a little obstacle course! Maya, once Lauren is on the move, you better watch out because she may be coming to get you!

No Fun at Gymboree...

Maya's tooth was obviously bothering her today. Even at Gymboree, she just wanted to cling to me most of the time. I just wish that tooth would come in, so she could feel better. Between her new tooth killing her gums and the vicious butt rash, it's a wonder that she keeps smiling! Hopefully tomorrow will be a better play day!

Maya's First Boo-Boo!

Maya got a lesson on the harsh effects of gravity and balance today. I was standing in the kitchen, when I heard a loud "THUD!" I turned around and found Maya on her hands and knees right next to the table. She looked up at me, her face scrunched up, and the waterworks began! I picked her up and noticed that her right cheek was bright red. I can only imagine that she was using the table leg to pull herself up to stand, her grip slipped, and she took a header right into the table. Ouch! Poor baby. Within seconds, she was back on the floor, attempting to define gravity once again! She's has no fear, and that makes her one tough cookie!

Going Green!

Okay, so we're not a totally green household. We use disposable diapers and wipes, we don't drive hybrids, and we only recycle cardboard, but we have changed one habit that does make a BIG impact on our environment. After I read about the needless waste created during the production and disposal of plastic and paper grocery sacks, I made the decision to choose "neither" from now on. I bought some reusable grocery bags from http://www.baggubag.com/ and http://www.green-kits.com/, and I use them anytime I make a purchase at any store. When I use them, I feel like I'm doing something nice for our planet. The reusable bags hold a lot more than disposable grocery bags, too. In the picture, you're looking at a full cart of groceries packed into 4 regular canvas bags and 2 cotton produce bags. Each of the canvas bags hold up to 50 pounds! They have long straps, too, which make them much easier to carry because I can just sling them over my shoulders. I encourage you to consider getting some reusable bags. Using just ONE reusable bag will save 300-700 disposable bags in one year! I know that's true. We had 2-3 plastic bags FULL of more wadded up plastic bags hanging in a closet! Sometimes those bags would get so full, I'd throw away newer plastic bags because we didn't have room for them! If you're wondering about the cost, I have spotted some bags at Target for $1 each, and my mom told me that Walmart has them for the same price. For all the Michiganders, Meijer also carries them! It's a small step towards going green, and as a family, we have a long way to go. Watch for "green updates" after we move. I have BIG plans for recycling, and I'm REALLY excited about it!

Wicked Diaper Rash Rears its Ugly Head... Again

It was 26 days ago that we began the battle with diaper rash. Tonight, when I put Maya to bed at 7pm, I was sure that by 2 more diaper changes, her skin would be cleared up 100 percent. She still had two small spots of rash on her butt that I had been treating with Magic Butt Cream for the last 2 days. As soon as I started using it, the rash started to fade away. Tonight, it was all but gone. At 8:45pm, Maya woke up and started crying, which is definitely not normal. I thought that maybe she pooped, so I went up to change her. Sure enough, she was stinky. I laid her down on her changing table, and she was near hysterics. I thought it was odd until I pulled down her diaper and discovered the problem... the rash was back. Her ENTIRE diaper area was bright red and very raw looking. I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought, "you've GOT to be KIDDING me with this!" Maya screamed and screamed, and even when I was done changing her, she didn't stop crying. She was pretty much inconsolable, and I can't say that I blame her! Her butt looks VERY painful! I ended up having to take her downstairs, turn off all the lights, and cuddle with her in front of the TV for distraction. I had to do something to get her mind off of the pain! The poor girl. It was so hard for her to even get in a comfortable position to relax in. I feel SO SORRY for her! It's been almost a MONTH, and we're still battling this rash! When will it ever end?! Since discovering her 2nd top front tooth tonight (that's 6 teeth, total!), I'm sure that it has EVERYTHING to do with teething. I'm not sure what it is about teething that causes babies to have toxic diarrhea, but it's ridiculous. I'm kind of surprised that it's starting just now because her tooth is through her gum line. I would think it would get better once it has popped through, not worse. I guess we'll be going back to her doctor tomorrow, or maybe he can just call in a prescription. I hope so. I scraped the bottom of every last tube of medicine he gave us just to clear up the rash the first time, so we're going to need refills! It's supposed to snow a ton tonight, so I really don't want to drive across town to the doctor's office. We know what worked last time, so I'm hoping he will spare us the trip. I just can't understand why this is happening with these top teeth. She didn't have anything like this with her bottom teeth. I don't get it. I'm so tired of seeing her in pain and suffering through diaper changes. I thought those days were gone. Clearly I was wrong! TEETHING BITES!!

She can get down all by herself!!

She has officially mastered Part II of the two part trick! For the last few days she has been "practicing" how to get down from a standing position. It was a little shaky at first. She would just put her hand out and fall over sideways! It was not very smooth, but I guess it accomplished her goal. We kept trying to show her how to just bend her knees and plop down onto her butt. Well, eventually she married the two concepts and came up with her own trademark method (at least 3 patents pending worldwide...). While holding onto her support in one hand, she squats halfway down, then bends and reaches for the floor with her other hand. Once she has a hand on the floor, she lets go of the supporting object, and lands, sometimes gracefully, on the floor. It's her own thing, and it works for her. I think it takes her longer to get down from standing than to climb into a standing position! Today, I was sitting on the floor, and within probably 5 seconds, she went from a crawling position on the floor to climbing onto my lap, standing with her face against mine! She's fast!

We're just so glad that she has figured out how to get down all by herself. Her inability to do that was making the nighttime and nap time very difficult for us. Yesterday morning, I laid her down for a nap at 9am. I heard her get back up and rattle the crib rail. I thought I would wait until she started to fuss to lay her back down, so I just laid in bed and waited... well, I woke up 1 and 1/2 hours later! Apparently, she had figured out how to get down by herself, and that was the first time she had done it in her crib. I was thrilled! Again, last night, I laid her down and heard her get back up. I was just finishing up changing over some laundry, so I thought I would go help her lay down once I was done. Within a couple of minutes, I started to head upstairs, and I realized that she was totally silent. I sneaked up the stairs, peeked into her room, and found a baby sleeping peacefully in her crib! Yay!

Another funny thing she has been doing all day today and yesterday is feeling her new teeth with her tongue. I think it's that new top one that she just cannot get used to! She either sucks in her top lip until it just "pops" back out, or she sticks out her tongue while sucking it to the top of her mouth until her lips "smack" apart. When she's not doing one of those things, she moves her tongue around in her mouth, and it looks like she's trying to get something out of her teeth, followed by a "pop" or "smack". You all know exactly what I'm talking about. Just think of a eating corn on the cob. Now picture a 7 month old doing it. It's quite hilarious! I'm hoping to get it on film, but it's so random when she does it, it's going to be hard to catch! There's NEVER a dull moment around here! Maya has something new to share with us every day, it seems!

Maya's First Word Association!

Tonight, I was holding Maya when I grabbed her bottle out of the fridge. As soon as she saw it, she held out her hands and whispered, "Ba-ba." I couldn't believe it! If it was just a coincidence, the timing could not have been better, but I think she actually knows what "ba-ba" means! She's on her way to building a vocabulary! Yay!

Visiting Miriam and the Girls!

Maya and I went to see Miriam today! She's officially on bedrest now, so she spends most of her day camped out on the couch. There's still about 3 months until her due date, so she's hoping to buy as much time as she can for their baby girls. Keep them in your prayers! It's funny to hear her describe the babies' activity. I remember what it was like to have one baby tossing and turning around in there. I can't imagine what it would be like to have two fighting for space! From what she says, it sounds like they spend their days AND nights tag-teaming her. They each take turns taking naps and punching and kicking, so Miriam never gets a moment of rest. As difficult as it must be, I can tell that she wouldn't want it any other way (except for maybe the two of them syncing up their naps and awake times!). She looks radiant, and it's so obvious how excited she is about having these girls. So far, she's been such a trooper with this pregnancy. I know it hasn't been easy on her, and yet, she doesn't complain. She rolls with the punches, ready to do whatever it takes to keep the girls healthy! She's going to be such a great mom! I'm so excited for Maya to have even more girlfriends to grow up with! It's going to be so much fun!

Maya's First Big-Girl Bath!

Maya had her first big-girl bath tonight! After seeing how much she enjoyed crawling around in the water at the Y, I decided I could recreate that for her at home. We put away her baby bathtub, and now she can sit and splash, crawl around, or lay on her belly in the regular bathtub! I think she likes being able to chase her duckies around, instead of sitting still and playing with them in one spot (come on, that was SO one month ago!). She just too mobile to be cooped up in a little baby bath. This way, she can move more and experience the water in several different ways! Sometimes she lays on her belly and splashes with both hands while she froggy-kicks with her legs. The water flies everywhere and sloshes around in the tub. It's so cute! She's a wild one! I think we have a little fish on our hands!

A Day of Play!

Maya and I started our day with a trip to Gymboree. She LOVES going there and playing with all the kids and balls, crawling around and pulling herself up on the play equipment (and other kids and grown-ups), watching bubbles, kissing Gymbo (the clown), and basically going WILD! She just runs around there like she owns the place. All the parents and the teachers laugh at her because she's SO active! The second she sees Gymbo out for the welcome song, she takes off. Mind you, this song is supposed to be interactive between the parent and child, but I usually end up singing by myself while Maya is at the front of the class, trying to play with the 3 feet tall Gymbo doll. Meanwhile, I'm trying to decide if I should intervene and save the teacher or just let Maya explore. Usually, I just let her go. As long as she's not physically hurting someone, I don't intervene. How else is she supposed to learn? The funniest thing she does at Gymboree is anytime we are doing an activity that involves everyone being in a circle, Maya crawls right to the middle. It's as if the world is her stage, and we're just her audience. When we clap or cheer, I KNOW she thinks we're clapping for her. She gets all excited and screams or squeals. It's SO funny! Nobody can ever believe she's only 7 1/2 months old. She's so active, everyone always assumes she's older. At the same time, she's so small that it's somewhat shocking to see her getting around so well! She's just so stinkin' cute and FULL of personality! She's been described as "spunky", "scrappy", and energetic (we get that one all the time). That's Maya! She loves life!

After she woke up from her afternoon nap, we went to the YMCA to go swimming. We bobbed around in the water, splashed, played with a beach ball, practiced "jumping in", blew bubbles (well, I did, anyway), and crawled around in the beach entry. Maya purposely put her mouth in the water a couple of times. I was very happy about that! She sputtered a little bit once but didn't really act like it was a big deal. I think seeing my face in the water blowing bubbles gave her a little boost of confidence. She thought she might like to try that. While she didn't blow any bubbles, I thought she was very brave for trying! She had the most fun playing in the beach entry. She could crawl around all by herself, and she played a lot at the base of a fountain, where there were a lot of bubbles made from the water splashing into the pool. I still can't get over how tiny she looks crawling around in the water! She's still just a little baby, but she's really starting to practice her independence! It's so fun to watch her experience life and learn about her environment. I love to get down on her level and check things out from her perspective. Having a baby makes you view the world through fresh eyes all over again. The world's a nicer place when viewed through the eyes of a child. I'm so grateful to have been given the opportunity to share all these wonderful new experiences with her. Watching her experience life brings joy to me each and every day. She's amazing.

TLC

Tonight, after feeding Maya a bottle, I put her in bed right at 7pm. She seemed to be very sleepy, so I thought she would go to bed pretty easy. I waited for her to get up. She didn't, so I went downstairs. I was happy to finally get to eat dinner, and I started to get salad fixings out of the fridge. About 1 minute later, I could hear her crib rail banging, and she started to fuss. I went back up the stairs and found her standing in her crib, little hands gripping the rail, shaking it back and forth as her whole unsteady body used it for balance. I gently removed her hands, helped her to sit down, then lay down, and said, "time for sleeping". She continued to fuss, and I walked out of the room. This time, I waited in the hall, and sure enough, within seconds she was back up. I helped her back down a few more times, then I headed downstairs to make my salad. The monitor was silent for a few minutes, but just as I was adding the dried cherries to my Asian salad, she started fussing again. Then, the banging started. I trekked back up the stairs to find her standing in her crib. I helped her back down AGAIN, then AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN. Finally, I headed back downstairs, took about 2 bites of my salad (delicious, by the way!), then she started fussing again. This time, I headed upstairs armed with a tube of Orajel. I put some on my finger, then rubbed it all over her gums. THERE! That should fix it! HA! HA! HA! I think teething pain just laughs in the face of Orajel! That or the numb feeling scared Maya because she just started crying more! By now, I had had it, and I completely abandoned the idea that I would EVER eat my salad. I've never been one that could listen to her cry and not DO something about it. As tempting as it sounds, I could never let her "cry it out" in her bed for naps or nighttime sleep. I just can't do it.

I went into her room and lifted her out of her crib. She was on the verge of a meltdown. As soon as I picked her up and engulfed her in my arms, I could feel her entire body relax. She laid her head down on my shoulder, which is not typical of her... she's really not a cuddle-bug. I sat down in the rocking chair and just held her and rocked. She was sound asleep within 45 seconds. I continued to hold her and rock. All of a sudden having dinner didn't seem all that important. Maya needed me. She needed comfort that she could only get from me. I'm sure her teeth were probably killing her, but I was so hesitant to pick her up out of fear of starting a "bad" habit. I was more concerned with asserting authority over her than giving her the love and comfort she desired. I felt awful. She's not going to be a baby for much longer. I'm not always going to be able to hold her like that. It takes moments like that to snap me back to reality, to what's REALLY important. I find myself so wrapped up in finding the best method to get her to sleep, to go to sleep on her own, to start good habits early, to make my own life easier... so on and so on. Sadly, in trying to establish "good parenting", I forget the basics. What Maya needs is someone to recognize the moments that good parenting means just slowing down, throwing out all the damn books and advice, and just BE there for her. Just hold her. Just comfort her. Just make it better. While I feel bad for "fighting" with her for about 40 minutes, I'm so grateful for this experience. I'm glad that I finally just listened to my heart and did what was right. Sometimes I feel like I can't make the right decision to save my life. I never knew that parenting would be this hard. I never knew that my heart and my head wouldn't always be in agreement. One thing I have learned from this experience is if I always parent from my heart, I won't be wrong. I've also learned that even though I may make the wrong decision and upset Maya, she will forgive me. I beat myself up a lot over situations like this. I'm trying to get better at just learning from experiences and moving on. We're both continually changing and learning as we go along. She's starting to test boundaries, and I'm gradually figuring out when to set limits and when to just let her slide. I'm learning to pick my battles. I'm also learning how to lose battles without feeling like a failure. Tonight, I lost the initial battle that I set out to fight, but in the end, Maya and I both won. She got out of the confines of her crib and into the comfort of her mommy's warm arms, and I got valuable lesson about remembering the little things. It's the little snuggles, Maya's breath on my neck, and the tears of joy and love that REALLY matter.

Play Date with New Friends!

We had some new friends over today! We met Melissa and Ashley while shopping in Target before the holidays. After a lengthy conversation about our babies and motherhood, Melissa and I exchanged phone numbers in hopes of getting the babies (and mommies) together for a playdate sometime in the future. Me, being the smart cookie that I am, wrote her name and phone number on the back of my shopping list. We all know how busy the holidays are, so amongst all the chaos of Christmas, house hunting, and shopping, I didn't think about calling our new friends. Once the holiday craziness settled down, I thought I should give Melissa a call to see if she wanted to get together... now where did I put that number?? After remembering that I wrote it down on a list, I was absolutely 100 percent for sure that I had lost the number. I was pretty bummed because we had hit it off quite well at the store! All I could do was hope that she felt the same about me (... does this sound like the end of a first date to anyone but me??) and that she would call. I kid you not, the very next day, I got a call on my cell phone... it was Melissa! Yay! We chatted for a while on the phone, then set up a playdate.

Today was the day they came over and spent a few hours with us. We let the babies socialize, and since Ashley is a couple of months younger than Maya and not yet mobile, we basically spent that time trying to keep Maya from attacking poor Ashley. Even though Maya was a little aggressive at times, she never brought Ashley to tears (whew!). Melissa and I dished about all things motherhood... from our experiences so far to our hopes, dreams, and fears about the future for our daughters. The conversation flowed easily, and we found that we shared some similar interests (like we're both total picture-freaks). The funny thing is, she lived in Grand Haven for a very long time and just recently moved to Grand Rapids, while we are just getting ready to move out to the lake shore! She still has family out there, so she offered to show me the ropes around town once we move. That will be SO HELPFUL! I can't wait! The playdate was lots of fun, and we made tentative plans for playdates every Wednesday. Yay! Oh, also, after she found out how many dates Will and I have been on since having Maya (one, and that was five months ago), she offered to babysit Maya, so Will and I could go out! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

You just never know where you'll find a new friend. Next time you happen to be shopping and see a mom who looks friendly, strike up a conversation! What do you have to lose, except the possibility of some great future playdates?!

Swimming Lessons, Lost Pants, and New Teeth!

Today was a big, big day for Maya! It started early this morning, around 4:30am. I went into Maya's room to change her diaper after Will finished feeding her a bottle. I noticed that her sweatpants were off and laying in her crib. Hmmm.... weird. Will takes bottle detail, and I have diaper detail. I couldn't figure out why Will would have taken off Maya's pants. Maybe she felt hot or something. I didn't know. So, I asked, "Did you take off Maya's jammie pants?" To which he replied, "No, I thought you took them off the last time you changed her diaper." NOPE. That left only one explanation... the little Houdini wriggled herself right out of her pajama pants! Oh, my goodness, we both cracked up laughing. She's an active little bugger, but I never thought she would be able to take her own pants off! Oh, boy, just wait until she REALLY figures out how to take off her clothes!

She FINALLY went back to sleep, only to wake up again around 7:00am. I actually thought that would be great because we had her first swimming lesson at 10:30am, so that would give her enough time to be up for a little while, then go back to bed for a nap before we had to leave for the Y. Apparently, Maya had other plans. I laid her back down in her crib at 8:20am, and at 9:25am, Will brought her back downstairs. She had played in her crib for the entire hour. I hoped she wouldn't be a bear during swimming lessons!

We got to the Y and went to the family changing room, so I could change Maya into her swim diaper and swimsuit. She wore a little blue reusable swim diaper with bright pink flamingos on it, and over that, she sported a bright red suit with white anchors all over it. She looked adorable!! We headed to the pool and sat in a chair, waiting for the lessons to begin. Maya was looking around, and I could see the excitement and anticipation growing on her face. She was in a new place with new smells and new kids, wearing new weird clothes. She knew something was going on, even if she wasn't exactly sure what that something was just yet. It wasn't long before the teacher arrived, and we were instructed to get in the pool. We walked down the stairs, into the lukewarm/warm water. I started to bob up and down in the water, holding tight to Maya, so she wouldn't be scared. It only took one look at her face to know that fear was not a feeling she was experiencing at the moment. She had a look of pure joy on her face. She was lit up like a Christmas tree! Within seconds, she was screaming and squealing with delight. She smiled big and splashed wildly with both of her hands, sending drops of water, both big and small, flying through the air and onto our faces. She LOVED it!

The whole goal of the class is to get Maya comfortable with being in the water. We were supposed to use toy boats to pour water out of like little waterfalls, which would have been a great idea if I could have pried the little boat out of Maya's hand! She was completely convinced that it was a chew toy. I floated her around in the water on her belly while she gnawed away at the plastic boat. We were also given inflated beach balls to push around in the water. This worked really well because the ball was so big that Maya couldn't really grab onto it. Every time she touched it, it would float farther out of her reach. Next, we spent some time evaluating Maya's comfort level while laying on her back in the water. I reclined her back, so that her head was resting on my shoulder while I held up the rest of her little body. She was a little hesitant at first, but in no time, she settled right back and played with the little boat that I had placed on her belly. What a brave little munchkin! I used to teach swimming lessons, and most kids are very uncomfortable on their backs. I was so proud of her! It really meant a lot to me that she would relax like that because it takes a great deal of trust to be comfortable in such a vulnerable position. Our next assignment was to blow bubbles. Since Maya was a bit too little for this task, I blew bubbles in the water while she watched. I was shocked and amazed at one point when she put her mouth in the water! Of course, no bubbles were blown, but putting her mouth in the water was a big step! Then we had one big group activity that included singing several different songs with actions like "If You're Happy and You Know It..." and two other ones that I had never heard before. We also played a game that involved fetching small plastic balls that were floating in the middle of the pool. Maya liked these balls because they were just the right size for her to hang onto very easily.

The last activity we did in class was "jumping in" from the wall. I placed Maya up on the wall, where she stood, dripping wet, with her little bare toes gripping the bumpy plastic grate. I held under her arms to help her maintain balance to stand. Her eyes were wide with excitement as I began to count, "One, two,... three!" On "three", I picked her up and flew her high into the air, then back down into the water. She screamed with delight! I lifted her out, put her back on the wall, and began to count again. While I counted, she started to "bounce" with her legs. Those little legs looked like they were about 6 inches long. They were so tiny, with one little roll at the top of each thigh, peaking out of the bottom of her little bitty swimsuit. She bent her knees and prepared to "jump", bouncing with uncoordinated shaky little leg movements. We "jumped" in again and again. It seemed like each jump solicited an even bigger response than the last. At the end of class, we ventured over to the beach entry area of the pool, where Maya could crawl around in the water all by herself. She had a blast! There were lots of kids and moms from class there, and she made her way around to visit each of them. The being in the water, essentially by herself, didn't seem to phase her one bit. I had to direct her crawling a little because she would start to get in too deep. Once she got in to a certain level, her butt would start to float, just like Ruby's used to at the lake! It was so funny. She just didn't have quite enough weight to keep her grounded. Everyone was amazed at her crawling. I think every mom there asked me her age. They were all shocked when I told them she's only 7 months. It's so funny to see people's responses to her. She's so tiny that people just don't expect her to be so active and mobile. I finally had to take her out of the water to get dried off and into some warm clothes. I think she would have stayed in all day!

Our biggest challenge with the trip was getting her and I showered and back into dry clothes. Thank goodness, Will was there to help this week. By the time we got to the changing room, Maya was getting cold. She started crying as soon as she was out of the shower and didn't stop until she was fully dressed and playing with Will. I don't know what I'm going to do next week because Will's not going to be there to help us. I guess we'll just skip the showers, hurry up, and get dry and dressed. We'll worry about washing off the pool water after we get home. Hopefully that will make a difference. Even with the post-swimming lesson issues, I can't wait to go back next week! Maya and I had so much fun. I'm SO thankful that she likes the water. My hopes are that she'll be a natural water-bug. Will and I love swimming, boating, and being in water, so we are hope she will love those things, too. Since we will be living by the lake shore, we'll be spending LOTS of time in the lake and at the beach! I think it's important to expose her to water early. It's never too early to learn to love and respect the water!

While at the pool today, I noticed a little shiny white speck in Maya's mouth, along her bottom gum line. When we got home, I put my finger in her mouth to feel her gums where I suspected there to be a new tooth about to pop through. Sure enough, there was a sharp little point. The edge of her tooth had already erupted. While I was feeling around on that tooth, Maya closed her mouth and bit down on my finger. I didn't expect it to hurt, since one-sided bites generally don't cause too much pain, but what I didn't know was that I was about to make another discovery. She bit down, and OUCH!!! I found a new TOP tooth! She had sprouted not one, but TWO teeth! Now she has 4 teeth on the bottom and 1 on the top! Everyone had asked me if she was teething because of all this pooping/butt rash business. I had checked SEVERAL times, and I never felt anything that caused me to be suspicious of her teething! I guess I was wrong! Maybe that was the cause of these last 2 weeks of torture. If that's true, I sure hope the next tooth doesn't cause the same reaction! We can only take so much of that business!

Maya and the Big-Girl Highchair

Maya had her first experience sitting in a big-girl highchair at a restaurant today! We went out to eat at Uno's, and for the first time, we ordered a highchair for our table. It was pretty exciting! Isn't it funny what thrills new parents?! She sat in her chair and played with toys and a Baby Einstein book, while Will and I enjoyed our pizzas. We did have to wrangle her toys quite a bit, so they wouldn't end up on the floor. She was pretty patient and hung in there very well. It wasn't until the very end of dinner that she started to get restless. At that point, we took turns holding her while we finished our dinner. It will probably be better for all of us once she starts eating finger foods because then she'll have something to eat, too! For the most part, she did very well! She never cried, and really, isn't that the ultimate goal when you take a baby to a restaurant?

Midnight Calisthenics...

Maya has officially mastered Part I of a two part trick. She can stand up in her crib, but she cannot get back down. Tonight she woke up around 3:00am to be changed and fed. At 3:25am, I kissed her goodnight (again), laid her down in her crib, and headed back to bed. I hadn't quite reached her doorway when I heard her crib rail shake. What the...? Maya was using the rail as support as made her way into a standing position. OH NO. I decided right then and there that I would have to use a technique that I read about in the "Baby Whisperer". It's called "pick up/put down". It's used to console a crying baby. You pick them up, calm them down, and then put them back down in their crib as soon as they stop crying. You do this as many times as it takes until they understand that they are not going to be rocked, carried, etc... in order to fall asleep. I idea is that gradually it will take less attempts to correct the behavior until eventually you won't have to intervene at all. Clearly I wouldn't be using the "pick up" part of the method, but instead, as soon as she stood up, I would sit her down, then lay her down and say, "time for sleeping", and repeat these steps until she stopped getting up. For those of you who know Maya, you are realizing that I was setting myself up for one fierce battle of wills. I thought to myself, "I'm bigger than her, and I will not give up. She'll wear out before me...". Quite the battle cry, huh? Give me a break, people, it was 3:25 in the middle of the night!!

And so it began... stand up, sit down, lay down, "time for sleeping". Roll over, crawl to rail, stand up, sit down, lay down, "time for sleeping". Roll over, repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. It was 3:52am when Maya FINALLY conceded. I WON!! I DID IT!! I OUTLASTED THE ENERGIZER BUNNY! It was nothing short of a miracle! I had picked my battle, and I was victorious. It felt good... actually by that time, I didn't really feel anything but exhaustion setting in. I slowly made my way back to bed. I laid there for probably 10 minutes, just waiting for the sound of a shaking crib rail. Nothing. She was finally asleep! I let out a sigh of relief, rolled over, and fell asleep... for another 3 hours.

For those of you who are curious just how many times I laid Maya down... I figured that I must have laid her down approximately 3 times per minute (which I seriously think is an underestimation...), we played this game for 27 minutes, so I laid her down a minimum of 81 times (but I would guess that over 100 would be more accurate... she's a fast climber!).

Maya's Doctor's Appointment

We took Maya in for her follow-up flu shot today, and we had her doctor evaluate her butt rash. It's been 2 solid weeks now, and it just keeps getting worse. The whole area is red and raw with several areas of broken skin. It looks more like a burn than a rash, and I don't know what to do anymore! Upon seeing her rash, the doctor said, "Wow. That's REALLY severe." Really?? Hmmm... so, WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT????? He gave us steriod cream and instructed us to alternate the steriod cream with the nystatin cream until the rash goes away. I was slightly (okay, EXTREMELY) annoyed that we hadn't been given BOTH of these meds on Saturday, 5 days ago! The rash could be gone by now! Anyway... that's that, and we're going to give it a try. Wish us luck!

For those of you who are wondering... Maya handled her shot like a champ. She always does. She cried for about 10 seconds, then she was smiling again! It never really phases her!

Notes from the Sidelines...

Because Maya's butt rash is SO BAD right now, I decided she should sit out of her first day of swimming lessons. Bummer! Since her skin is broken, I just didn't think it was very sanitary to put her butt in the pool water. We went to the class anyway, just to see what all goes on and to scope out the other babies. We sat on the edge of the pool during the class. Maya seemed VERY excited to be there! The class is full of babies, much older than Maya. I think the youngest one is 18 months, so she'll be the youngest in the class, by far. The instruction consisted of several activities designed to get the babies comfortable with the water. They bobbed up and down, played with boats and balls, and sang songs with actions that require splashing. They ended with some "jumping" off the side of the pool. Maya LOVED this! She clapped and watched the kids with a huge smile on her face. I can't wait to bring her back next week! I hope her butt rash is healed, so we can get in! She's going to love this class!!

Gymboree and Home Inspections...Yay!

We started out the day by trying a new Gymboree music class. It was fun, but boy, was it a workout! We would sit down, stand up, march in a circle, reverse, sit down, stand up, sit down, stand up, fly the baby around, turn around, etc, etc... NON-STOP! Awhile back, we had tried out the Mommy and Baby Fitness class, too, and it didn't hold a candle to this music class! I think I broke a sweat! It was a great class, but I didn't feel like Maya got to move around and explore enough. For now, we'll stick to our Level 2 Gymboree class. It fulfills Maya's needs for freedom and movement! We have tons of fun!

This afternoon we headed over to Spring Lake for our home inspection. It was so nice to get back into our house again! There's SO MUCH ROOM! Seriously, every time we're there, I want to lay down on the living room floor, stretch out, and make snow angels in the carpet! The space is unbelievable. I can't wait to move in!! Inspections went well. There were 2 issues that will have to be addressed. The first is one of the zones for the zoned heating is not working, so we're hoping the current owners will bring in a heating/cooling guy to fix that problem. The second issue is a vent pipe from one of the upstairs bathrooms vents into the attic instead of out the roof. The inspector said it was probably just an oversight by the builders. Luckily, the home is still new enough, it may still be covered under the builder's warranty. I don't think we'll have any problems getting these issues fixed, so the next step will be to sign some paperwork and rent a UHaul! I guess I better start packing! I know we still have awhile to wait, but there's no since in waiting until the very last minute! (Yes, mom, I feel fine!)

Diaper rash be gone!

Right this moment, I am thanking God and the makers of A & D ointment. I just changed Maya's diaper, and for the first time in more than 24 hours (and what seemed like a billion diaper changes), she didn't scream bloody murder and shake during the whole process.

She woke up with a diaper rash 2 mornings ago, and despite my best efforts to remedy the problem, it continued to worsen. I have been changing her diaper every couple of hours or as soon as I know it's dirty, whichever comes first, giving her naked butt time on the floor while praying that she doesn't pee on the carpet, letting her soak her little butt in the bathtub, and applying "Magic Butt Cream" with EVERY diaper change. Tonight before I put her to bed, I ditched the "Magic Butt Cream", which I was finding to be less than magic, and resorted to good 'ole A & D ointment. I figured that it couldn't be any worse. I put it on her butt (while she screamed and shook, and I cried) and prayed for a miracle. I couldn't stand putting her through anymore diaper changing torture. I knew it couldn't get any worse when I let her run around naked tonight, and she crawled around crying. Just earlier in the day, she was happy to be without a diaper. Then, I tried to put her in the bath for a soak, which had worked like a charm just yesterday, and she screamed out in pain the second that her butt touched the water. By the end of the night, I was feeling like the worst mother that ever walked the face of the earth. I just felt so helpless, and I hoped she knew that I was REALLY trying to help her, that I would have taken the pain on myself and away from her if I could. It's very hard to see your baby suffer and know there isn't a darn thing you can do to ease her pain. That is torture within itself. Sometimes being a mom is completely emotionally draining. Oh, how I hope her rash continues to get better. I dread the next diaper change, but I'm anxious to see if her skin is continuing to heal. Wish her (and I) luck!

(ps... I did not take this pic when she was crying over her diaper rash. My dad took this shot when we were back in Iowa.)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Can you believe that 2008 is already here?! I must say that 2007 was an awesome year for our family. It was about one year ago that Will and I found out the shock of all shockers... we were expecting a GIRL! Soon after that, we packed up and went to Riviera Maya, Mexico for a celebratory-babymoon-vacation, sort of a last get-away before baby. As I recall, the water was a bit chilly to swim in, but we spent 5 glorious days basking in the sun, dreaming of how our life would change once Maya arrived. The rest of the winter and early spring was filled with baby showers, decorating the nursery, and spending tons of money on lots of unnecessary baby equipment that we thought we wouldn't be able to survive without (then ended up not using). It was fun, none the less. We couldn't wait for our baby to arrive.

Ironically, the low point and high point of our year occurred on the exact same day. On May 30th, while I was in the hospital and in labor, we found out that Nanny, Will's grandma, had died. She had been quite sick and in the hospital, not expected to live much longer. We were praying that she would hold on long enough to hear Maya's first cries, but she passed away about 7 hours before she was born. The day before she died, she told everyone, "Maya has a beautiful smile." If Nanny saw her smile, I know she got to witness more than just her first cries. It deeply saddens me that Nanny never got to hold Maya in her arms, but it comforts me to think that their souls may have crossed paths. I think it's possible that Maya was kissed by an angel; a promise from Nanny to always be her guardian angel. We really miss Nanny, always will.

However sad we were that day, we couldn't have been happier than at 10:01pm, when WE WELCOMED MAYA INTO THE WORLD! Our prayers had been answered. She arrived safely (and miraculously, I had survived 21.5 hours of labor and 2.5 hours of pushing...wow, hadn't anticipated that!). Measuring 7 lb. 13 oz. and 18 inches long, she was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen, perfect in every way. It was the most amazing thing to hold her in my arms, yet at the same time, it was a little strange not to be pregnant anymore. All the anticipation was over. She was finally here! It was the beginning of our new family, and we were so proud! We spent one more day in the hospital, then we were on our own, to learn about our new baby. What an awesome responsibility! I remember fumbling through breastfeeding, diaper changes, and trying to lay Maya in a bassinet to sleep (what a joke that was!), and all the while, I thought, "I'll never sleep again." It was difficult, to say the least, but I wouldn't change a single thing about those days. I've never felt so blessed in my life. I couldn't believe she was ours to keep. Everyone says to cherish the baby days because they fly by, and they're right! It wasn't long and she was smiling, cooing, rolling over, tripod-sitting, inch-worm crawling, and now she's crawling and pulling herself up on stuff! My, how quickly she's changed! It's so fun to watch her go through all these stages. It really doesn't take much practice for her to master each skill! She's a quick study!!

Another big change this year was finding a new home for Ruby. That was quite sad. She had lived with us for 6+ years and had basically been "our baby" before our REAL baby arrived. Surprisingly, she seemed to harbor some hostility toward Maya, and we felt it was in her best interest to live somewhere else. Lucky for us, my dad in Springfield volunteered to give her a home. Thank you, dad! It's nice because we can keep in touch and find out how she's doing. I must say that she's adjusted quite well and seems to be more independent than she ever was with us. Dad says she's getting a little chunky. I think it has something to do with all the table-scrap snacks that he gives her, and I'm sure she's loving every bite of it!! We're so thankful that she's in a loving home with people who will put up with her crazy antics. They must be saints.

We travelled quite a bit this year... to Detroit to see the Collier's; Riviera Maya, Mexico for our babymoon; Iowa to watch my brother, Coley, wrestle; Streator, IL for our first baby shower; took the Amtrak to Chicago for a day with my friend, Diane; Iowa for baby shower #2; back to Chicago together for a day at the Museum of Science and Industry; Saugatuck, MI for a day-trip with friends, Diane and Cindy; Springfield, IL to spend a few days with dad and Alex and drop off Ruby; "up north" to spend a weekend with the Collier's; Iowa for Will's sister's double wedding; Detroit to visit the Collier's; then to St. Charles for the "Scarecrow Tea Party"; flew Seattle for the ACEP conference; back to Detroit to see the Collier's; took the Amtrak to Streator, IL to see my grandma; Chicago for the "Wicked" musical with 3 girls that Will works with in Muskegon (that was a trip just for me!); back to Iowa for holiday festivities; and "up north" for snowmobiling with the Collier's (that was a trip just for Will). In addition to our travelling, we've had tons of visitors! It seems like there's been SOMETHING going on just about every weekend!

More big news this year... WILL LANDED HIS FIRST JOB AS AN ATTENDING!! He will be working for the group who runs the ER that he is currently moonlighting in. He loves the job and the people he works with there. He couldn't be happier to have found such a great job. He sees himself working there for a VERY,VERY long time. He's so excited to actually start. It's been difficult for him to stay in "resident-mode" after having a taste of what it is like to be an attending. Only 6 more months, and he's done! We can't wait!!!

We signed on our first "real" house! We will be closing on March 31st, and we're looking forward to getting into a nice neighborhood and spacious home. We outgrew our current house about 5 minutes after we moved in, so we're ready for some bigger territory! Anyone available to help move during the first week in April, please sign up here ___________________!

After having a baby, finding a job for Will, and signing on our dream house, the year 2007 set some pretty high precedents for 2008 to follow. 2007 was our best year ever, and we can only pray that 2008 treats us just as good!

Ah, yes, New Year's Resolutions... there are a few:

1. LOSE THE BABY WEIGHT - 45 pounds to be exact. (I'm pretty sure I lost the privilege of calling it "baby weight" about 4 months ago)

2. WORK OUT AT LEAST 4 TIMES PER WEEK

3. BLOG AT LEAST 4 TIMES PER WEEK (It's something I really enjoy, so I really need to make time for it)

4. STAY HOME MORE OFTEN

5. HAVE A DAY JUST FOR MYSELF AT LEAST ONCE PER MONTH (I think I deserve it... being a mom 24/7/365 is hard work!)

6. FINISH MAYA'S SCRAPBOOK AND BABY BOOK BY HER FIRST BIRTHDAY

There you have it... I'll try to remember to keep you posted on how my goals are progressing!