Bad.Bad.Blogger

Sad, but true.  Life has changed now that I'm back at work, add in a busy holiday weekend, and now here we are.  I had many intentions of blogging about our Thanksgiving holiday, and all I am thankful for, however it seems silly now that Thanksgiving was so long ago. 

A quick summary of events:

• Ry celebrated thanks giving with both sets of Grandparents.  Breakfast with the Kobs, Lunch with the B's.  
• Ry convinced me to take her black Friday shopping.  We only went to one store, BuyBuyBaby looking for a swim diaper that would fit her in case she went swimming with her cousins.  Surprisingly, the store was empty.  Talk about amazing customer service, the sales clerk spent 10 minutes out back digging through boxes for a swim diaper in Ry's size, and also brought me up a box of bathing suits to dig through.  Ry is now the proud owner of a cloth swim diaper, hopefully she'll get to use it soon.  
• Spent Black Friday evening with my Dad's side of the family at our house.
• Saturday was my first "Girl's Night Out" since Ry was born.  We went to Met Bar, and to see whatever Twilight movie is currently out.  Maybe because I  haven't seen the others I couldn't get into this one?
• Sunday was spent visiting Ry's Great Gram in the hospital, visiting both sets of Grandparents, and prepping for the work week.  Any extras T&P's for a quick recovery fr Great Gram are appreciated.
• On Monday night Ry found out her first second cousin on the "A" side (my Mom's side) will be a LITTLE BOY!  
• Ry still isn't a huge fan of Tummy Time (see below).
• While Ry has always been a 'talker' this weekend she started talking all.the.time.  Of course whenever we pulled out a camera she stopped immediately.  On Monday we were able to capture a few of her stories. 

Now for the fun stuff.  A few videos and pictures of Ry lately:

 

9p to 6:30a

Yes!  That is how long Ry slept last night!   Apparently her lack of napping at daycare care is starting to wear her out resulting in this nice long stretch of sleep last night!  Last night was my first night of uninterrupted sleep probably since last March (given Ry's favorite spot in utero...jabbing her Momma's bladder).  Wow does it feel good!  I even had to wake her up at 6:30 this morning to eat before I had to head into work.  She was back asleep in her crib by the time I left for work!

One of Ry's new favorite things to do is situps. She likes to sit on your lap, or lay down and hold your hands and be pulled to a sitting up position... sometimes she even prefers to go right to the standing position. We always get big smiles when we play.

Ry is still not a huge fan of tummy time. Usually she starts crying a few minutes into the tummy time game. Sunday night after we rolled her from her back to her belly, her left arm stayed tucked underneath and she was able to push herself back over to her back. This was a fun game for her until I got the camera out, then she decided to call it quits! 

DIY Sunday

This weekend was a very busy one. For Dan it involved raking/bagging large quantities of leaves, dinner, and a local college hockey game with his nephews, and his nephew's Christening.

For Kipu it included a trip to visit Auntie Bayleigh, and saving our family from the large leaf piles that Dan hadn't had a chance to bag before leaving for the Christening.  Oh, the barking Kipu had to do to protect us.  Not just barking, like tail between the legs as far as it would go barking. 

For Ry it included shopping with Momma, dinner with her cousin's, grocery shopping, and her little cousin's Christening.

For Momma it included a mix of the above, and my first attempts at some DIY projects.  Like I said before, while we were in Joann's we picked up some materials for a Mommy project.  Well here it is Ry's first Christmas Tutu!

Turn's out tutu's are super easy, and a great stress reliever.  Also turns out next time I should use less tulle since Ry looks like she is being attacked by killer tulle.  I had nightmares about killer tulle before my wedding. My Mom was obsessed with tulle.  Turns out I am too.  Sorry Ry.

My other project this weekend was to make some treats for Ry to bring into school for Thanksgiving.  Dan will probably make some sort of comment about me "going overboard".  He usually does this for any/all entertaining I do.  Another trait I picked up from my Mom.  Unlike the killer tulle, I don't think this is a bad trait.  Here is my first attempt at the treat for Ry to bring to school:

While I had intended on making some for Ry to share with her older cousin's on Thanksgiving, Dan pointed out that we should bring all the leftover "material's" with us to his parents house and let the kids make their own. This works out because 1, I don't have to make as many, and 2, I will consume much fewer calories once the "materials" leave our house!  After all the materials were purchased I found a much healthier alternative using pears/apples/oranges.  Guess I'll just have to save that one for next year. 

Now here is where Dan will probably make his overboard comments.  On top of the Oreo Turkeys, I want to make marshmallow/shortbread Pilgrim hats.  We'll see how my motivation is at 9p tonight, after Ry goes to bed. 

Fall Days

After a week of being back at work Ry was having some shopping withdrawals. I promised her a trip to BuyBuyBaby to return her clear bottles for the pretty pink ones that she likes. They make it look like she's drinking strawberry milk. AK joined us for the trip and encouraged Ry to spend some money. But not too much money since a $500 heat repair bill was on the way! One of our purchases includes a Mommy project to be posted upon completion.

When we got home Ry helped Dan rake the leaves!

 

 

Head of the Household

There is a new sheriff in town. Turns out Ry has taken over as head of the household at our kitchen table! Before going back to work I decided to set up Ry's highchair so that she can join us at the table for dinner, and she can help me cook. The highchair is on wheels and allows for easy maneuvering between the stove/table. She wasn't so sure about sitting in it the first time we put her in it (see below) but she is starting to warm up to it, and I love that she doesn't have to hide away in her swing or on the floor somewhere while I cook. 

 

 

 

 

And well because I love showing off my little girl... here are some of her new moves.  She loves her kickin coaster, and tries it out once a night.  The other day she was able to grab the rattle from the kickin coaster all by her self.  Once she got it she wasn't too sure what to do with it though.

Daddy is a big fan of "Superman" and making Ry do sit ups.  Usually by situp number 3 Ry has a huge grin on her face.  I'm willing to bet that one of these times "Superman" will end with spit-up or drool on Dan, and the game will get the ax.

Last night Ry also decided to show some love for the Bruin's.  She is a bit of a fair-weather fan and hasn't put on her onsie since the first home game.  But since they have now won seven in a row (six at the time) she decided to sport her B's onsie and B's slippers.  She also insisted on a bow.  Oh how I love my girl!

Wordless Wednesdays!

 

Happy Birthday Kipu!!

Sunday was Kipu's 2nd Birthday! She had a great day! She started out sleeping in late in the big bed before heading out for a run with Dan. When she got to Grammy and Grampy's house she had a great surprise. Her little cousin Naughty Dottie was visiting too!! Meet Naughty Dottie After an afternoon of playing with Naughty, and Auntie Bayleigh she headed out for a visit to Grammy & PapaRonSki's before getting to go to PetSmart to pick out her Birthday Presents.  Ry and Dan headed home, and I headed to PetSmart where Kipu picked out a stuffed snowman, a rubber ball type toy, a rubber pacifier (although I think she still prefers Ryann's), 2 tennis balls, and some new treats to get while Ry is in the tubby.

 When we got home Kipu got her favorite treat.  Whipped cream.  Straight from the can!

Ry was so excited for Kipu's birthday that she only napped for 1.5 hours all day.  She was up from 9am to around 10:30.  Dan and I attempted to put her down at 9, and this is what we got:

3 Months

Happy 3 Month Birthday to my beautiful baby girl!!  Here are a few highlights of Ry's life right now:

• Ry sleeps for 5-7 hour stretches.  Usually from 11p-6a.  
• Mommy is still in the bad habit of letting Ry snuggle in the big bed after she eats in the morning.  (It will stop when Momma goes back to work in 2 days.
• Ry still wears a size 1 pamper and 0-3 clothes.  A few of her one pieces are starting to get a bit short.
• At Ry's 10 Week (2 month) appointment she weighed 10lbs1oz, and 24 inches long.  These were the 10th and 96th percentiles.  Her head circumference was 67%.  She gets her big noggin from her Dad!
• At 13 Weeks Ry weighed 11lbs5oz.
• Kipu ate 4 pacis this month.
• Ry loves to be held in a standing position.
• Ry waits an average of 4 days between poops.  When she goes - it's a blowout.  Every.Single.Time.
• She is starting to hold things like rattles and her chain links.
• She has a huge bald spot on the back of her head from constantly shaking it from side to side.  She has been doing this since we brought her home from the hospital.  
• We love her like crazy.

 

Long Day

Today was a long day.  It started with a trip to Ry's Pediatrician (who I really like) to get Ry's case of the sniffles checked out.  I think the main diagnosis was a case of over dramatic Momma Syndrome.  When we were getting ready to go to the doctor Ry gently reminded me that today was our last day for an adventure before I went back to work.  It was also brought to my attention that I had never taken her to the Pheasant Lane Mall even though I promised I would, so Ry and I spent the better part of the afternoon walking the mall.

We also stopped by  BuyBuyBaby to replace the 9th paci that Kipu ate.


Feeling a little blue about this being the last of our shopping extravaganzas I decided to splurge and pick up The First Years Kick 'n Coaster I had been eyeing for weeks now. (All was good on the splurging front cause Daddy came home from work with a raise and a promotion! Yay Daddy!!!) Ry is really starting to enjoy her toys... here are a few videos of her favorites including her new Coaster!

Ry's swing has been a life saver. Lately she has taken quite an interest in her "friends" on the mobile.

First time in her exersaucer

Still a little too short

Today stinks.

Today is Ry's second trial day at daycare. We skipped sending her for a day last week due to the fact that her Mom hates sending her the storm . I never thought I would want to stay home full time, and while there is still a part of me that wants to get back to work and challenge my mind, there is also a huge part of me that dreads being away from my Little Bug every.single.weekday. Unfortunately in this economy accounting jobs are just not available part time.

My current position is very flexible and leaving early/getting in late isn't much of a problem as long as I am putting in my 40 hours during the work week. My current position requires 30-40% overnight travel, which is not possible (nor am I willing to do) anymore. For the last six years I spent over 10 weeks a year in hotel rooms. The first few years I really enjoyed traveling, but it really wears you out.

That being said, I am able to return to my current position for a short period of time, however finding a new position (internally or externally) is a must. This unknown scares me. It scares me to not know where I will be working, what my hours will be, how close to Ry I will be, and how my relationship with Ry will change.

Being without her today is hard. I have fought back tears for the better part of the morning. Knowing this is my last week with her stinks. I miss her like crazy. The unknown scares me.

What I do know is that being away from her will make me cherish my time with her. I love her like crazy. She will spend two days with her Grandmas who love her like crazy. She will spend three days with a daycare provider I really like. This is our life right now. It will work. We will adjust.

One more thing... For a few nights we heated up Ry's towel in the drier. Now she doesn't scream every time we take her out of her tubby!

Baby it's cold outside...

The late October snow storm that left us without power for 5 days, also caused me to search for a winter hat for Ry.  Even though her head is in the 67th percentile it is surprisingly difficult to find a hat small enough to fit her head.  While I am very much a "dog girl" and anti-cat, I just couldn't pass up this super cute hat which her Grammy & Grampy ended up buying for her:

 

And now that I am looking at these pictures I can't believe I failed to document the fact that Kipu ate her 8th paci the night we lost power.  Since it stays warmer downstairs in our house we decided that we would sleep on the pullout couch and let Ry sleep in her swing (still her favorite place to sleep).  Well wouldn't you know we woke up to Kipu eating Ry's paci during the middle of the night.  Usually when Ry is in her swing we know if Kipu is near because it starts to click bringing the swing up to speed, but since she was going to be in it all night we had stopped the swinging motion, and therefore did not hear Kipu stealing the paci.  

Kipu also has had a stuff nose lately.  But no worries, she took care of it:

Ry also had wanted me to pass on this message:

Two Became One.. Now there are Four

Two years ago today I married my best friend. It is amazing to think how our lives have changed since then. For the past three years we have gone away (somewhere tropical) this week. First a cruise, then our honeymoon in Hawaii, and last year a short trip to Atalantis in the Bahamas. While I enjoyed all three of those trips in the nice warm tropical sun, it is nothing compared to the warmth of snuggling up with Ry.  Now my "vacation week" is my last week of maternity leave, and I plan on soaking up every minute of it before I return to work.

Dan and I went out to celebrate our Anniversary on Saturday night, and spent the entire night trying to recall what we did when we were in Milwaukee a few years ago for Memorial Day. We still don't agree on what nights we did what. We both have AWFUL memories. My goal is for the next two weeks to take a few minutes each day and try and recall what we did that day while we were in Hawaii. Together. My guess is we still won't always agree but at least we have picutres to look back on to help us remember. Unfortunately I don't think we took a single picture in Milwaukee, so no help there. (And yes in crazy Kaitlin style I logged into my credit card account to see if I could 'figure things out', but my statements didn't date that far back... another win for Dan who believes in retaining all records in paper versus the electronic approach I prefer.)

Dan.Kate.Kipu.Ryann.  This is my life, and I can't even begin to imagine my family without them.  Happy Anniversary to my amazing husband.   This day I married my best friend, the one I laugh with, live for, love!   Who would have thought two years ago this is where we would be today??

Halloween Take - 2

Tonight was our town's Trick Or Treating. It's already over. We only got 7 Trick or Treaters. We had 8 BAGS of candy. I have one week of Maternity Leave left, therefore Dan will be bringing all the left overs to his office. Sorry coworkers!

We put Ry and Kipu in their Skeleton costumes for a quick photo shoot, then took Ry across the street in her SeaHorse costume to meet the neighbors. We have lived here for over two years now, and still have yet to become friendly with many people in our neighborhood. Hopefully as Ry grows older we will begin to as I know there are quite a few kids in our neighborhood.

We are home!!!

After approximately 112 hours without power we are finally home! Ryann has now officially survived two major storms. Hurricane Irene swept through Massachusetts when Ryann was just over two weeks old. I remember being terrified of losing power during that storm and going to bed praying that we wouldn't lose it. While I did the same this storm I was more concerned with losing my "stash" of food for Ry than I was about actually being without power and potentially displaced. It's amazing how 10 weeks has changed Dan and I.  We have become so much more confident with Ry and being able to read her cues/plan our lives around her schedule - wow life has become so much easier.  Having more energy helps I'm sure too, but I guess that is what happens when you have to recover from surgery.

While this past week has felt like a bit of a blur, last night we did manage to squeeze in a trip to go Trick 'o Treating as it was the "make up date" for the town we were staying in.  Dan and I debated over whether it would be silly to bring Ryann Trick O' Treating this year given how young she is, so it was nice to have some of her big cousins going so she could tag along.  Here are a few pictures from our trip out as well as a few more from Pumpkin Carving!