30 DaYs Of PoStInG cHaLlEnGe: Day Four

Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn't have

Today, I'm suppose to tell you all about a habit of mine I wish I did not have. Let me think about this for a second......hmmmmm, I'm really not sure about this one. I have many habits, all of which could be categorized as positive or negative depending on how you look at it. Here are a few of them, no one said I was perfect:

• Bite my nails (for the record, I rarely do this anymore).
• Throw my clothes on the floor and never pick them up. The worst part is that I have a laundry basket but I'm really too lazy to care.
• Allow the dishes to pile up in the sink and on the counter. Mainly, so my hubby will get sick of all the dirty dishes and install the dishwasher we bought months ago.
• And the list can go on...

Overall, I guess I'm lazy and I procrastinate. I would rather lay in bed all day than to work on a project due in two days or leave my shoes by the door then to open the closet and put them on the shoe rack. 

I wish I was motivated to be more organized but I am not that kind of person.  Don't get me wrong, I have an organized mess. People like me know what I mean. But for those who don't, it is simple...ask me where something is and I'll be able to tell you to look under the third t-shirt on the floor and magically you will find what you were looking for.  It is kinda funny when I think about it.

But now it is your turn. What is one habit that you wish you did not have?

30 DaYs Of PoStInG cHaLlEnGe: Day Three

Day 03- A picture of you and your friends

Some of my college friends from NJ

Some of my local PA friends

My sorority sisters-Friends bonded for life

Sorry, I couldn't pick one picture because I have lots of friends and the ones above are just a few of them.

30 DaYs Of PoStInG cHaLlEnGe: Day Two

Day 02- The meaning behind your blog name.

Unraveled Emotions, these words meant so many things to me when I started this blog. I will try to explain a few of them now.

We all realize that everyone goes through life changing events throughout their existence. It is how you cope through those events that make you who you are and how you react to those around you. That being said, I am always finding ways to enlighten myself and learn from either those around me or from my own reactions and experiences. Initially, starting a blog would allow me to document events in my life that may begin a transformation within my personality or allow others to witness my true thoughts and/or feelings regarding certain events.

I have always had a tendency to be blunt and raw with my thoughts with most people, while with others, I may shut down and never give them a reaction or response. Either way, the emotions are there, whether I show them or not. This tiny place within a network is where I thought I could just let them UNRAVEL. A place where I could be frustrated, scared, excited, depressed, or just be full of EMOTIONS.

So there you have it, unraveled emotions.

What comes to mind when you think of "unraveled emotions"?

30 DaYs Of PoStInG cHaLlEnGe: Day One

Day 01- A recent picture of you and 15 facts about yourself

(my daughter's 1st b-day party)

1. My name is Michele and I don't really have a nickname.
2. I am the third of four siblings.
3. I'm a sucker for...shh, don't tell anyone...teen drama shows (i.e. the secret life of an american teenager, teen mom, vampire diaries, etc.)
4. I LOVE chocolate especially if it has fruit or nuts in it or BOTH. YUM 
5. In high school, I was a cross country runner and I still pretend I'm one now.
6. Atlantic City is where I met and fell in love with my husband.
7. Flying from NJ to CA and driving back in a weekend...on my own dime... to rescue a friend is how much I value my friendships.   
8. Not a big soda drinker but I prefer Coke over Pepsi if I have to choose between them. Rootbeer is my favorite soda overall. 
9. In college, I joined a sorority my SENIOR year, Delta Delta Delta aka Tri-Delta, I'm so happy I did because those girls hold a special place in my heart.
10. One of my favorite colors is dark teal.
11. Needles don't scare me but spiders typically do, eek.
12. Whistling isn't a talent of mine. Not really sure how people can push their lips together and push through air to make a sound...maybe one day it will happen but I won't hold my breath. 
13. I'm allergic to all lip products (i.e. chapstick, lip gloss, lipstick, etc.), weird I know.
14. I have this very small pillow that I have slept with since I was a child. I tried giving it to my daughter but after two weeks of her not caring it was in her crib, I took it back because I still need it.
15. Traditions are something I'm jealous that other families have so I'm starting my own with my NEW forming family. I wanna pick pumpkins in the fall, build a snowman in the winter, plant flowers in the spring...you get my point all that boring stuff that seems like a given but just isn't for some people. 

Tell me an interesting fact about you!

30 DaYs Of PoStInG!

Yes!! I have let my blog just sit here, and I've decided to do something about it. 


Its called 30 days of Me! I know, I know, I'm not that interesting, or so... you THINK I'm not. Why don't you follow me for the next 30 days and find out!!

Here are the things I will be posting about! I'm undecided if I'll start today or tomorrow, but you'll know as soon as I do!

Day 01- A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself
Day 02- The meaning behind your blog name

Day 03- A picture of you and your friends

Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn’t have

Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to

Day 06- Favorite super hero and why

Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you

Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why

Day 09- Something you’re proud of in the past few days

Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad

Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends

Day 12- How you found out about blogs and why you made one

Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently

Day 14- A picture of you and your family

Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play

Day 16- Another picture of yourself

Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why

Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have

Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them

Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future

Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy

Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else

Day 23- Something you crave for a lot

Day 24- A letter to your parents

Day 25- What I would find in your bag

Day 26- What you think about your friends

Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge

Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?

Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned

Day 30- Who are you?

Hope you stick around or at least pop-in from time to time to listen to my rants and updates.

Do you think you would do a 30 days of posting challenge about yourself??

SnEaK pEaK: Gifts!

Just ordered one of Little Bird's 1st B-Day Gifts, take a look:

 

 

Deluxe Mini Play Cube by Anatex 

I ordered it off Zulily, (daily deals for moms, babies, and kids) because it was on SALE (I paid less than $60, it retails for so much more) and I know she will love it. If your not a member of this site, you should be! What's great about this site that the deals aren't just for one day so you don't have to be really impulsive like Groupon. It gives you a couple days so I can do some price comparisons first. Anyway, enough about Zulily. I'm so excited to start planning Little Bird's 1st B-day that I started with a gift. I know a little backwards but I really couldn't miss this sale opportunity for such a great gift.

So, readers what do you think of it?

Half A Year Old

*This letter is long past due and was sitting in my draft pile for a couple months*

Six Months

Dear Baby Bird: 

I can't believe your six months old. I'm amazed on how much you have grown. You are 27inches long (77th percentile) and 17.9 lbs. (65th percentile). Let's not talk about your head circumference, it's just big, that's your daddy's fault! However, you hide it with all your hair so it's not noticeable. You have so much hair for a baby your age and people mention it all the time. Strangers stop us wherever we go to admire your beauty and they always say you look older because of all the blond hair you have. Momma secretly hopes you hair will get a little darker so you will look a little more like me.

You are sitting up like a "big girl" and you are able to tolerate tummy time now. I was really worried that you were going to resist tummy time forever due to how you hated it with your harness. I really felt horrible having to put you on your tummy since you would cry the very second you knew it was going to happen. I'm so glad   we are past the tummy time torture and we can now play in either position (i.e sitting or on your tummy).

Within this last month, you have started eating solids. I started you on oatmeal cereal then sweet potatoes. Currently, you are eating oatmeal mixed with fruit/veggie twice a day. I want to make sure you have a gradual start to eating solids. I want it to be a pleasant experience so you are more willing to explore different foods rather than resisting and being a picky eater. I'm excited to introduce you to all the fun tastes and textures solids have to offer.

In just six short months you have changed my life in so many ways. From the instant our eyes met when you were born I knew I was reborn.You have challenged me (i.e patience, breast-feeding, sleepless nights, etc.) yet you have bought me so much joy.  I enjoy and continue to look forward to every laugh, smile, snuggle you give me.

I love watching you with your daddy. Anytime he enters the room your give him the biggest smile I've ever seen. You absolutely adore him and you have stolen his heart. You light up his life and everyone who meets you.

Keep growing little bird. I look forward to watching you grow the rest of your life, you will always be my little bird though.


Love you to the moon and back,

YOUR Mommy

PaReNt CoNcErNs: Milestones

When you have a baby you try not to compare yours to others but it just happens. Some parents worry more about milestones than others. I find myself being in the middle, I don't over worry and I don't under worry. I know little bird will grow up at her own pace and she will be the best at some things and not so much at other things. I won't be that parent who is obsessed to have the most "gifted" child in the world. "Average" is fine by me.


I understand as a  mother that when you hear about a baby who seems more advanced in one area or another, it's natural to worry or at least wonder whether your own child is "okay." But in the end, every baby grows and develops at his or her own pace. 


Little bird doesn't roll over but she sits like a pro, while her playmate army crawls all over the place but doesn't sit. Eventually,  they both will crawl and sit and it won't matter who did what first. Instead our concerns will shift to "did we baby-proof that room yet?". 


If you have concerns about your baby (as most parents do), it is better to learn about the normal timeline for development than to use other babies as a reference mark. Just keep in mind, that even milestone charts are a "general" guide. I always have to remind myself that little bird may be temporarily focusing on one skill rather than another right now or she just needs a little more time.  If I still feel uneasy about something, I make sure to ask my pediatrician since they are the REAL experts on baby milestones. 

Thoughts?

SoLiDs: starting oatmeal!

I decided to take the plunge with little bird and start solids. I wanted to wait till she turned 6 months since the latest research says "By six to seven months of age, the intestines of babies are more mature and are then able to filter out more of the offending allergens"... but I think she is ready to try something new. She has been showing some of the signs that signals she is ready for solids like being a supported sitter, constantly checking us out when we are eating, seems to be hungry a lot more often, and loves putting everything in her mouth.


I decided to skip rice cereal after hearing that a lot of mothers (specifically those in my playgroup) were having problems with their babies being constipated from it and thought we would try oatmeal cereal instead. I was so nervous to start solids because it is something new for us. I think any kind of change involving my little bird is scary since I don't want to mess anything up or do something wrong. After talking to my fellow "new moms" at playgroup about it, I was ready to do it.


One afternoon, after little bird woke up from her nap and would be due for a feeding, I decided it was time. I placed her in her exersaucer and prepared her oatmeal. I got all the things I needed before placing little bird in her high chair. Spoon, check. bib, check. oatmeal in bowl, check. disposable wipes for 'just in case' moments, check.  camera, check. Oh, and her bottle for when we're done her oatmeal to complete her normal feeding schedule, check.


After getting everything ready, I placed her in her highchair, put the bib on her, loaded the tip of the spoon with some oatmeal and watched as she began to shake with joy. Seemed like she knew this was her moment and she couldn't wait. As soon as the spoon was near her mouth, she opened her mouth and shut it before I could get the spoon in, lol. So, okay this was going to be a little tricky, I needed to time it right and quickly get this mixture in her mouth to be successful. 

This is a picture of her 1st time eating oatmeal, she wouldn't stop looking for the spoon.

Once, we both figured out this new technique...it was obvious that she LOVED it! These days, she gets so excited when I put her in her highchair and put on her bib.  

When I was a kid, I remember loving banana baby food the best. What was or is your favorite baby food flavor?

My HeArT

Happy Valentine's Day

<3 Little bird and I spent her 1st Valentine's Day cuddling around the house <3

How did you spend your Valentine's Day?

New Pediatrician: 4-month well visit

Little bird is growing everyday. I can't believe tomorrow she will already be 5 months old. In one more month, she will be half a year old. (Geez, seems like a blink of an eye ago that she was just a little pea.)

This week, I took her for her four-month well visit at her NEW pediatrician's office. We decided to change pediatricians because it just wasn't a good fit for our family. They weren't as open-minded as they let on to be so   I switched because I have no time to waste hoping that the care of my child will improve. Its the simple things that really make a difference. For example, the new place keeps her file electronically along with a hard copy and gives us a summary of our visit to keep. The old place was very old school in practice and technique, I just couldn't take it.

I had so many questions for our new pediatrician since her last visit to our old pediatrician was at her two month mark. Since then, little bird had developed a mild case of cradle cap, a skin rash on her elbows, and I wanted to know about sleep training. Truth be told, I was also concerned that little bird wasn't meeting certain milestones like rolling over.

For the cradle cap, we were told to wash and brush her hair everyday, if it didn't clear up we should apply some baby oil, brush her hair, and wash it out.

For the skin rash, it turns out it was just a mild form of eczema which most babies develop. To treat, use a mild soap during bathing and apply Aquaphor or a lotion to treat eczema 2-3 times daily especially to dry patches.

Sleep training: It was suggested that we try to avoid her afternoon/evening naps, start a consistent bedtime routine starting around 8pm, and try giving her formula as her last meal (even though little bird still is receiving breast milk, the thought is that she will sleep longer because formula is digests slower than breast milk).

Milestones: Little bird just started tolerating tummy time and her head control while on her tummy had never been great until recently. The pediatrician said that due to her wearing the pavilk harness for two months it could have delayed her a bit on this milestone, which is understandable. They assured me she is doing well for her age and that I shouldn't be concerned about her not rolling over just yet. On the other hand she is doing all of the following:

• Sits when propped with pillows or assisted (Physical)
• Transfers toys/objects from hand to hand/mouth, uses 'mitten like' grasp (Physical)
• Babbles to get attention, watches mouth movements, showing interest in solids (Language/Social)
• Blows bubbles, flaps arms to be picked up, laughs when tickled, tracks accurately (Language/Social)
• Changes hand positions to touch certain objects (Cognitive)
• Is aware that people/things have labels like "mommy" (Cognitive)

They also suggested I switch her bottles to Dr. Brown bottles since they will help with little bird's gas issue which keeps her from sleeping through the night along with mylicon gas drops. (Just got them today, so it's worth a try.)

Here are little bird's latest stats:

Weight: 15 lbs. 11.9 oz.          (74.32 percentile for age)

Length:  2' 2.5''                       (94.99 percentile for age)

Head circumference: 17.52"    (98.01 percentile for age)

At the end of the visit, little bird got her vaccinations (2 total, one of which was a combined vaccine). She's such a little trooper. She got her first one and was fine. Then came the second one, she stared at me with those big blue eyes with a look of shock on her face and started to whimper. I had a bottle ready for her so I stuck it in her mouth and she quickly stopped to eat and was fine. 

I'm glad I changed doctors and look forward to this new partnership. 

Can you believe how tall little bird is getting? 

LaTeR

Wow.

Everyday I tell myself I'll update my blog, call this person, do this chore, begin this workout, and so on. As the day goes on, I realize I will not call that person, do that chore or begin that workout. I spend all day playing, talking, cuddling, laughing, smiling with little bird...oh, and I can't forget wiping her drool, changing her diapers, and feeding her.

One must realize these are moments I will never get back since she's only a little bird once. These are OUR moments. Thus, I'm sorry if I don't get to update my blog as often as I would like, make that phone call, complete that chore (so my house will remain a mess and I will continue to be in my pjs, lol), or shed those post-preggo pounds.

I will get to it LATER, if time allows.

How do you balance your time?

NoT tHe SaMe

Sleep...Life will never be the same for me.

Before little bird, I slept 8+ hours. I enjoyed my weekends when I could lay in bed and watch movies all day long. I went to bed when I wanted and I was on my own schedule. Life was soooo much easier, as I now realize.

These days, sleeping three hours in a row is a luxury. Little bird isn't "sleep trained" and she co-sleeps with me. Which means she is up until I go to bed which is around 10pm each night. She use to wake up once a night around 3:30am but that has changed. Lately, she wakes up three or more times a night either due to gas or hunger. I'm exhausted everyday but as a mother you get up and take care of your duties.

Other mothers report their children (around her same age) go to bed around 7 or 8pm and sleep through the night to about 6-8am. I would never want little bird to sleep that long but if she could just sleep through the night I would be happy.

I'm also super jealous that my hubby gets to sleep normally. Sometimes, I find myself so angry at him just because he continues to "sleep in" on the weekends while I'm up with a crying little bird. I understand he works during the week, pays the bills, and keeps us fed. However, do they (our husbands) realize we work 24/7. Being a SAHM (stay at home mom) is great but it certainly isn't easy. Don't get me wrong, I get to wake up to little bird, I get to witness all her milestones, and I just LOVE her to pieces but there are those days that I feel alone entirely.

Most days, the only other person I talk to all day is little bird. Hubby gets home from work late most nights so when he gets home he wants to play video games, check his emails, make music, or check out the stars for the whole night. Yes, he has been working hard all day and should be able to have "his" time but where's MY time?

I hate the days...

• I don't get time to myself. 
• I can't take a shower (and yes, there are many of those). 
• I don't get to eat three meals a day.
• I can't sleep in when I desperately NEED to.
• I don't get invited to social outings with friends.
• I can't go shopping whenever I want.

Although, there are days that I could live without. I would never live without little bird, she is MY world. Having little bird is such a blessing and being a SAHM is amazing. I am the same person as BEFORE baby just a lot more STRONGER because of her.

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, It's about learning to dance in the rain"

Does anyone have any advise regarding "baby sleep training"?

WoRdLeSs WeDnEsDaY: Daddy's Girl

She already has him wrapped around her cute little finger.

DiApErS: Cloth vs. Disposables

When I got pregnant with little bird, I started thinking about diapering options. A majority of people don't realize they have a choice. Usually people just register for disposables and call it a day. I, on the other hand, had a lot of time on my hands and researched all sorts of things while pregnant from home births, baby food making, baby wearing techniques to cloth diapers.

After talking to a few people about cloth diapers, I decided that was something I was going to TRY. I registered for chlorine-free disposable diapers and a few cloth diapers. I even noted on my registry that I was going to cloth diaper. THEN the questions and comments started pouring in from everywhere.

Why are you cloth diapering?

What is a cloth diaper and how does it work?

Are you using a diapering service? No. Are you crazy? Do you realize you have to clean them?

Blah, Blah, Blah...

I sounded like a broken record. Why, did I have to defend MY decision to TRY cloth diapering? At first, I got defensive but then I educated others on their lack of knowledge of the topic. I'm by no means an expert on cloth diapering but these were a few of my reasons:

• It's better for the environment ("it can take several hundred years for the decomposition of disposables to take place, with some of the plastic material never decomposing.")
• It's better for my hubby's wallet (since it's cheaper in the long run because you are reusing them instead of buying more and more diaposables)
• Babies who wear cloth tend to get diaper rash less often.
• They look cooler (they come in all different colors and prints).

When little bird was born, she wore her disposables for the first week or so, then I started her on newborn cloth prefolds with cute covers. She looked so cute! But truth be told, I didn't really like the prefolds because she seemed to pee right through them. I was still new to using them so maybe I didn't pre-wash them enough.

Either way, I started shopping around for All In Ones (AIO). But at 5 weeks old, little bird was put in a pavlik harness for her hips and it seemed that she wouldn't be able to use cloth diapers because they would be hard to get through her leg straps. So, we decided to use disposables till she got the harness off a few weeks ago. Everyone assumed I gave up on cloth diapers but that was hardly the case. I couldn't wait to TRY them again. 

Yesterday, was the first time I put little bird in her first AIO cloth diaper. I was hesitant, as with anything new to try...but I just jumped right in. I have always liked a challenge and diapering is no different. Why are so many people scared to TRY it? It wasn't bad at all. She pooped in it, I took it off, cleaned her and put another cloth diaper on. Then I put her in her crib and took the cloth diaper to the sink and washed off what I could and threw it in her wet bag to clean later. It was easy and today I washed them. 

At the end of the day, I think I'm going to use both and figure out what works for our family along the way. 

  Doesn't she look cute?

Do you cloth diaper? If so, which brand do you like the most?

P.S. If you have any cloth diapers that you would like to donate, please do...always looking for some to try on my little bird.

TiS tHe SeAsOn to GiVe: Cookies for Haiti

It's the holiday season and everyone knows that means it's really the season to GIVE. So, my dear friend, Val, is giving her time to bake home-made chocolate chip cookies to raise funds for a cause she believes in called I Run For His Glory. 


I Run For His Glory is a running team put together by Alan and Jackie. Alan and Jackie are full-time missionaries living in the Dominican Republic.  Alan is a part of the Sports Ministry Team that teaches kids how to be a part of a team & trains adult men to be Christian leaders in their communities. Jackie is the Director of the Short-term teams overseeing nearly 50 teams a year that come to the Dominican Republic and Haiti to serve. 


Val is selling her cookies via her blog: Homemade Jack.

Picture of Val's cookies she baked last winter and I won't be missing out this season!

Cookies for Haiti cost $20 per order (One batch is at least 50 cookies) and 50% of every order is going to I Run For His Glory - which all ends up in Haiti for the work Alan and Jackie Perez are doing there. Please place an order to aid in their efforts...doesn't it sound good to help others while sitting on your couch eating some home-made cookies???

It did to me...I just placed my order!! Can't wait to get my yummy cookies!

If you do not want to order cookies, but would like to make a donation you can do that on the running team blog... safely through Paypal. 

Tis the Season for HoLiDaY cArDs!

The Holidays are approaching much to quickly and one of my favorite parts of the holidays are all the cards I get from family and friends. This year I can't wait to send my own since little bird is here to share in the holiday cheer. 


One of my favorite places to get cards is Shutterfly.com and  the best part is they have great prices and quality. They also have great service and amazing products such as their unique birthday cards and personalized calendars. It is so nice to customize the calendar with photos that the recipient will love like below: 

 
Have you picked out your holiday cards yet? What will your cards look like? If not, I suggest you head over to Shutterfly today to make your selection ! Good luck as there are lots to choose from. In fact, I posted a few of my favorites below...

Sisterly Love

Simple and Sweet

Family Focus

Right now... Shutterfly is are doing a wonderful promotion for bloggers... 50 free cards! Click (here) to learn more about the 50 free cards for bloggers. At more than $1 per card that is such a phenomenal deal. In fact, I am headed to Shutterfly now to start on my holiday card!

Update (12/14): Below is the holiday card I created! 

Family Wall Blue Christmas Card

Create modern Christmas cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

BiG nEwS for little bird...

Today was little bird's follow-up ultrasound appointment for her hips. She's been wearing the pavilk harness for two months (for her hip dysplasia) and today we were going to find out if she gets to finally take it off.

The ultrasound went well and the doctor informed me that her hips have developed has we had hoped. So, she was able to be harness-free! I was super excited for her and didn't even hesitate. I stripped that harness right off of her and just watched her kick away. She seemed so happy with her newly free legs. Her legs are still in the same position that the harness had them in but she will position them normally in due time.

She will have to be seen in three months for an x-ray to make sure everything is developing as they should but for now I will enjoy this day! This was great news, just in time for the holidays.

I couldn't wait to get home and put her in all her different outfits. This whole time she has been wearing sleep sacks for outfits, that's not acceptable. When I got home, I ran straight up to her nursery and opened the drawer that is filled with all her 3+ month clothing. YAY!!! I was a kid in a candy store. What outfit do I pick?? How about that one (a onsie with strawberries on it) or that one (a pajama with footies!). Oh!! This is soooo exciting! In all honesty, I ended up trying both on her and decided to go with the jammies for the comfort factor since she was due for her nap. 

She's purrrfect! (kitty-themed jammies)

On my way home, I had called hubby and told him the wonderful news, he was ecstatic. Wen he got home from work, he picked up his little bird from her swing...they both smiled at each other as she kicked her legs FREELY in the air.

Little bird has gotten her wings back!!

RaNdOm WeDnEsDaY

Random Thoughts of the Day

Why are Avelina's naps so unpredictable? Sometimes, she naps for 10 min. and other times she can go for 2 hours. I still have loads of thank you cards to complete, birth announcements to send , and would love to get holiday cards out but never have the time. 

My mommy-milk supply is is also something that varies. It feels like I'm at war with my own boobies and their winning. When I want them to produce more, they produce less. When I want them to produce less (cause they feel like they are going to explode), they produce more. Never a win-win situation.

I take a moment to look at my living room for a second while writing this post and notice that my home is being taken over by little birds things! We have teethers, baby rings, rattles, and baby bottles (when I pump milk) on the coffee table and her baby swing, pack n play, and play mat/activity gym all in the living room. The couch has her bib and a baby rag for random purposes. Her carseat and diaper bag is next to the door for any moment I NEED to get out of the house. Just shake my head in amazement!

I LoVe waking up to my daughter every morning (we co-sleep). She is absolutely beautiful. When she smiles in her sleep it melts my heart. Sometimes I catch her peeking through her eyes to make sure I am there (or at least that is what I tell myself). 

I'm really excited about the "BOB Stroller Strides Fitness Stroller" hubby just got me!! I've been wanting a jogging stroller and hubby surprised me with it the other day. I can't wait to take it for a test walk with Avelina. I really want to get back into running again and I think this will help.

Hubby and I were sick this week, boo! Luckily, little bird didn't get sick, I think mommy's milk has been keeping her safe. For some reason when I'm are sick, I always make Jell-o, but only one flavor: ORANGE. That is my favorite flavor and only one I ever buy. Hubby likes exotic ones like melon fusion, etc. but those never get picked up when I'm shopping (he's probably sick of that flavor, who cares!)

Do you have random thoughts like mine??

ClOsEt FrUsTrAtIoN

I wanna kill my closet!

Hubby and I are having our first date night since baby bird was born. I've been looking forward to a date night for what feels like forever. Just me and hubby time. Time for us to update each other on what has happened in our new everyday lives that we don't get to tell each other due to factors that prevent us from really communicating (i.e. diaper changes, bathes, etc.). Pre-baby, I think I took that time for granted.

Thus, date night was something I was excited about. I enjoyed thinking about the new restaurants we could try or movies we could go watch. I wanted time for ourselves. I wanted to be romanced. I wanted to laugh at the random things he says. I wanted to time for us to pause co-parenting and focus on "us". Wish granted.

We decided that we are going to try a new sushi place that many of our friends have raved about. We love sushi so much!! All day I thought about our date night and couldn't wait. My mother came to babysit little bird so we didn't have to worry about her all night. We have no curfew which feels great, not that we plan all going on an all night binge drinking rampage (although, I would like to, lol).

Dinner time was approaching, so I needed to get ready. Going to dinner in my pajamas was out of the question right? Well, after my shower I stood in front of my closet and realized I have nothing to wear that fits. Ugh!

I have lost some of my baby weight but not all of it, which bothers me. I know it will take time but I can't help to feel frustrated right now. I want to feel sexy and I don't. As I rummage through my closet, I feel more and more hopeless. I tried on a dress, no that won't work...my legs are not what they use to look like. Jeans it is... since everyone looks good in jeans, right? Now to decide on a shirt, wait, what about under garments? A nursing bra is sexy, right? hahaha, just kidding. Let's go with a black bra that always looks great. Now I'm looking in the closet again, hoping it will magically provide me with an outfit that will conceal the changes to my body motherhood as done to me that I'm not so proud of...wish not granted.

Okay, time to give myself a pep-talk. "You will look better in due time. Don't worry. Your husband loves you and will be blinded by your beautiful smile and brown eyes to even notice the rest. Enjoy your dinner, oh, but don't forget to put on a shirt before you head out. Try the black shirt over there and don't forget your heels."


(Deep breath) I am dressed and after doing my hair I am ready for dinner (and a drink). Of course, I had to blog about this before heading out. Now it's time to kiss little bird good night and out the door we go for our date night :)

Mothers out there, what have you done to overcome closet frustration or better yet your body image after child-birth?