When Diana came home from school one day last week, she came home with an envelope with the words "Princess Diana Borchert" written on the front. Curious, I thought.
I opened it to find an invitation to a princess-themed birthday party for a girl who used to be in her same class at school. The girl has since moved to another classroom, but I think they play together every now and again when the classes join together.
Diana was obviously very excited and carried it around the house the rest of the night telling us which of her princess dresses she was going to wear to the party.
Sunday came and I finally got around to calling the mom to RSVP to the party. (I am way old-fashioned that way).
The mom informs me that this is a kid-only party (no parents allowed) because the little girl's grandmother has terminal cancer and can't have a lot of people around. The mom is videotaping the party as a keepsake for the little girl so she has something to remember her grandmother by.
Well, I don't know these people. I was flattered that they invited Diana but I can't send my four-year-old to someone's house that we don't know. Who knows if they are telling the truth about this grandmother? What kind of food are they going to serve my kid when I am not there?
The mom explained that she understood if we didn't want to send Diana to a stranger's house. Damn straight. I wish this would have been explained in the invite so we didn't get Diana's hopes up.
My plan was to explain about the party to Diana when she brought it up later in the week.
Well, she brought it up tonight. I explained to her about the parents not being able to be there and she said "Well, I guess I will just have to go by myself." She said it in the most serious voice ever. I said "Well, not quite D. I will talk to Daddy."
There's no way D can go to this party. I hate to be the party pooper but being a good mommy is way more important.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
A growing girl
Amy had her four-month well check and shots yesterday and despite spending 2 1/2 hours at the doctor's office yesterday, I left a very happy Momma!
Amy is now 12 pounds which is great because you can actually see the chubs on this girl. It's so fun to just kiss her big ole tummy and grab her big ole thighs. I know some babies are born at 12 pounds and mine is four months and 12 pounds, but a healthy, happy girl is all I need!
She's also a whopping 24 inches. The doctor said that if she was a term baby (meaning if she was born at 40 weeks) she would be in the 90th percentile for height. Well, that's awesome! He suggested that she might be out of point guard status and possibly might be a power forward. That's great!
Now, I am not naive. I am a realist. I know that all that "percentile" talk is all just silliness. A kid's weight and height can't be determined or predicted from the time they are a baby. It's just silly. But...BUT...it's exciting to know that Amy might have inherited the tall gene. Especially considering how early she was born. I mean, she was three pounds at birth, but still 16 inches so that's a pretty long preemie.
All that really matters is that she is healthy. Amy isn't quite holding her head up all by herself all the time and she's certainly no where close to sitting up on her own so we can't quite start rice cereal yet. That's OK. The doctor said that we are doing everything right by talking to her, giving her things to play with and having her do tummy time, etc. That was definitely good news because as a mom of two, sometimes I feel like the little one doesn't quite get the attention she needs except when it's time to eat.
I really do miss my cuddle time with Amy and as week two at work comes to an end, I look forward to four days with my girls all to myself!
On a side note: Go Falcons this weekend! Please come home with three wins and a trophy!
Amy is now 12 pounds which is great because you can actually see the chubs on this girl. It's so fun to just kiss her big ole tummy and grab her big ole thighs. I know some babies are born at 12 pounds and mine is four months and 12 pounds, but a healthy, happy girl is all I need!
She's also a whopping 24 inches. The doctor said that if she was a term baby (meaning if she was born at 40 weeks) she would be in the 90th percentile for height. Well, that's awesome! He suggested that she might be out of point guard status and possibly might be a power forward. That's great!
Now, I am not naive. I am a realist. I know that all that "percentile" talk is all just silliness. A kid's weight and height can't be determined or predicted from the time they are a baby. It's just silly. But...BUT...it's exciting to know that Amy might have inherited the tall gene. Especially considering how early she was born. I mean, she was three pounds at birth, but still 16 inches so that's a pretty long preemie.
All that really matters is that she is healthy. Amy isn't quite holding her head up all by herself all the time and she's certainly no where close to sitting up on her own so we can't quite start rice cereal yet. That's OK. The doctor said that we are doing everything right by talking to her, giving her things to play with and having her do tummy time, etc. That was definitely good news because as a mom of two, sometimes I feel like the little one doesn't quite get the attention she needs except when it's time to eat.
I really do miss my cuddle time with Amy and as week two at work comes to an end, I look forward to four days with my girls all to myself!
On a side note: Go Falcons this weekend! Please come home with three wins and a trophy!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
The no-cavity club
Diana had her third visit to the dentist today. I wasn't sure how she was going to do considering she threw a monster tantrum this morning. I actually walked into the dentist and told them that I didn't think she would be sitting for them today. I had accepted that it just wasn't going to happen. And this was after she had completely settled down and was playing in the lobby of the dentist office.
she sat and colored and played in my purse while I had my teeth cleaned and when it was her turn, she eagerly went with the hygenist, Eve, to her chair. She still had to sit on my lap, but she opened her mouth and let Eve clean her teeth with the same automatic toothbrush they use on adults (I later found out that they used cookie dough-flavored toothpaste on her..jealous!). Diana then let Eve floss her teeth. I was amazed!
The dentist then came over and Eve explained that he wanted to count her teeth. I said, "Diana, you know how many teeth you have!" Last time we were at the dentist, he told her how many and my kid has this great memory.
"Twenty," she said confidently.
The dentist just about fell out of his chair. He stopped what he was doing and just looked at me in a state of shock. He couldn't believe that a four-year-old would remember such a thing.
I was so proud!
He looked at her teeth, praised her for taking such great care of them and rewarded her with a purple toothbrush, stickers and a ribbon that inducted her into the No Cavity Club. Me proud once again!
Later in the day, Diana told me: "Mommy, I had so much fun at the dentist!"
Yeah, if I got four stickers, a ribbon, a new purple toothbrush and all the attention in the world...I would be loving it too!
All I got was a stinkin' box of travel-sized toothpaste and a reminder to go visit the periodonist!
she sat and colored and played in my purse while I had my teeth cleaned and when it was her turn, she eagerly went with the hygenist, Eve, to her chair. She still had to sit on my lap, but she opened her mouth and let Eve clean her teeth with the same automatic toothbrush they use on adults (I later found out that they used cookie dough-flavored toothpaste on her..jealous!). Diana then let Eve floss her teeth. I was amazed!
The dentist then came over and Eve explained that he wanted to count her teeth. I said, "Diana, you know how many teeth you have!" Last time we were at the dentist, he told her how many and my kid has this great memory.
"Twenty," she said confidently.
The dentist just about fell out of his chair. He stopped what he was doing and just looked at me in a state of shock. He couldn't believe that a four-year-old would remember such a thing.
I was so proud!
He looked at her teeth, praised her for taking such great care of them and rewarded her with a purple toothbrush, stickers and a ribbon that inducted her into the No Cavity Club. Me proud once again!
Later in the day, Diana told me: "Mommy, I had so much fun at the dentist!"
Yeah, if I got four stickers, a ribbon, a new purple toothbrush and all the attention in the world...I would be loving it too!
All I got was a stinkin' box of travel-sized toothpaste and a reminder to go visit the periodonist!
First week is almost over
Re-entry is not easy. It's difficult to take four months off work - four months away from adult conversation, four months away from friends, four months away from a rewarding job that is really fun.
But this week, I had to go back. I was looking forward to it though. I enjoyed the last three and a half months though. I accomplished a lot. I bonded with with Amy and gave her a great start in life. I experimented in the kitchen and became a more confident chef. I began to teach Diana how to read and she's very confident now with her sight words and feels that no book is too hard to read.
It was a great four months.
Monday was hard though. Diana spent Sunday night at Gramma V's in order to give Matt and me a chance to get a routine down with Amy. I woke up and fed her a bottle at around 5 a.m., brought her upstairs and took a shower while she chilled in her chair, packed up all her goodies for the day and we were out of the house by 6:30 a.m.
I learned that pre-planning is crucial. Sunday afternoon I made scones (thanks, Mama Parker for the recipe)and planned on making fresh fruit smoothies for breakfast this week with our Magic Bullet. I put the scones in Ziploc baggies so they were easy to grab on the way out of the house. I also packed my lunch the night before. All that I had to do each morning was take a shower, do my hair and makeup and the rest of the morning was dedicated to getting Amy ready for her day at daycare.
The pre-planning definitely cut down on any stress that could've happened and made the mornings much more pleasant. I arrived at work at 7:30 a.m. each morning a very happy momma.
It wasn't totally easy leaving Amy at daycare, but since Diana has been at the same place for over two years now, I totally trust the people there. I know my girls are taken care of every day and will be happy all day.
And they were. When I called to check on Amy, she was happy, eating well and sleeping in her crib. When I picked her up in the afternoon, she was smiling and happy.
She even has her own "happy place" as we discovered after the first day on Monday - they have swings. She sat in that thing wrapped up in her fluffy blanket and fell right asleep. She did so well that I sent Matt to Target Monday night to go get a swing. Though we still haven't put it together (I didn't say that nights were easy) I know that Amy's going to be swinging away in the living room in no time.
Nights this week were another story. I was not naive to the fact that my needs for the rest of my life will come third to Diana and Amy's. But the craziness of mornings, work, picking the girls up, coming home and fixing dinner, feeding Amy, doing bathtime and bedtime and cleaning up around the house leave me in my work clothes until about 7:30 or 8. That's a long time. I fell asleep on the chair downstairs twice this week before 9 p.m. I know that once I start working out and not neglecting my treadmill anymore I will have more energy so I can't wait for that day.
Diana's teacher did make an observation on Tuesday that made me laugh. She asked me if I was glad to be back at work and I said, "Yes, I really like my job." She said, "You just seem so much more energized now!" It may sound bad written here, but she meant it as a compliment.
It's very rewarding to be a working mother. I feel a huge sense of pride knowing that I am being such a great role model for my girls and doing something so important to contribute to my household. I hated being on bed rest for three weeks. I really felt like I couldn't contribute to my family's well being during that time and to be able to be back to a normal routine is wonderful!
But this week, I had to go back. I was looking forward to it though. I enjoyed the last three and a half months though. I accomplished a lot. I bonded with with Amy and gave her a great start in life. I experimented in the kitchen and became a more confident chef. I began to teach Diana how to read and she's very confident now with her sight words and feels that no book is too hard to read.
It was a great four months.
Monday was hard though. Diana spent Sunday night at Gramma V's in order to give Matt and me a chance to get a routine down with Amy. I woke up and fed her a bottle at around 5 a.m., brought her upstairs and took a shower while she chilled in her chair, packed up all her goodies for the day and we were out of the house by 6:30 a.m.
I learned that pre-planning is crucial. Sunday afternoon I made scones (thanks, Mama Parker for the recipe)and planned on making fresh fruit smoothies for breakfast this week with our Magic Bullet. I put the scones in Ziploc baggies so they were easy to grab on the way out of the house. I also packed my lunch the night before. All that I had to do each morning was take a shower, do my hair and makeup and the rest of the morning was dedicated to getting Amy ready for her day at daycare.
The pre-planning definitely cut down on any stress that could've happened and made the mornings much more pleasant. I arrived at work at 7:30 a.m. each morning a very happy momma.
It wasn't totally easy leaving Amy at daycare, but since Diana has been at the same place for over two years now, I totally trust the people there. I know my girls are taken care of every day and will be happy all day.
And they were. When I called to check on Amy, she was happy, eating well and sleeping in her crib. When I picked her up in the afternoon, she was smiling and happy.
She even has her own "happy place" as we discovered after the first day on Monday - they have swings. She sat in that thing wrapped up in her fluffy blanket and fell right asleep. She did so well that I sent Matt to Target Monday night to go get a swing. Though we still haven't put it together (I didn't say that nights were easy) I know that Amy's going to be swinging away in the living room in no time.
Nights this week were another story. I was not naive to the fact that my needs for the rest of my life will come third to Diana and Amy's. But the craziness of mornings, work, picking the girls up, coming home and fixing dinner, feeding Amy, doing bathtime and bedtime and cleaning up around the house leave me in my work clothes until about 7:30 or 8. That's a long time. I fell asleep on the chair downstairs twice this week before 9 p.m. I know that once I start working out and not neglecting my treadmill anymore I will have more energy so I can't wait for that day.
Diana's teacher did make an observation on Tuesday that made me laugh. She asked me if I was glad to be back at work and I said, "Yes, I really like my job." She said, "You just seem so much more energized now!" It may sound bad written here, but she meant it as a compliment.
It's very rewarding to be a working mother. I feel a huge sense of pride knowing that I am being such a great role model for my girls and doing something so important to contribute to my household. I hated being on bed rest for three weeks. I really felt like I couldn't contribute to my family's well being during that time and to be able to be back to a normal routine is wonderful!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
General Mills is the devil
Who does General Mills (you know, the cereal company) think they are fooling? They try to tell us parents that by eating Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and their other line of sugary cereals that my kid will be getting a ton of fiber and Vitamin D. Well, they fail to mention the high amounts of sugar in all those cereals. It infuriates me!
Cheerios and Kix are the only cereals my kid eats and she's getting plenty of healthy intake. We give her Special K with strawberries every now and then and Miss D also likes the cereals that Fiber One makes so she's getting all the good taste and fiber she needs.
General Mills isn't going to suck me into their sugary trap!
Cheerios and Kix are the only cereals my kid eats and she's getting plenty of healthy intake. We give her Special K with strawberries every now and then and Miss D also likes the cereals that Fiber One makes so she's getting all the good taste and fiber she needs.
General Mills isn't going to suck me into their sugary trap!
So close, yet so far away
Amy has been sleeping in her crib at night for about a week now. She does pretty well and even if she wakes up and fusses, we stumble across the hallway, give her Soothie and she falls back asleep. I have only had to pick her up and snuggle with her twice in the last week.
The first night she was in there, I think I checked on her five times during the night. And last night, she slept from 12:30 a.m. till her next feeding at 5 a.m. I woke up a couple times during the night and didn't hear a peep from her on the monitor and nearly freaked out.
But Matt and I have taken back our room! No more tip-toeing around the room avoiding the creaky spots on the floor, no more brushing our teeth in another bathroom in the house. I don't have to worry about Amy waking up because Matt is snoring. :)
It's kinda weird though when I peep in on Amy and she's all swaddled, just her little head popping out of the blanket. We also have two blankets on top of her so all you see is a little teeny tiny head lying on this huge mattress.
Then I go next door and check on Miss D and there she is in her big ole bed snoring away. My girls, though four years apart, are getting older every day!
The first night she was in there, I think I checked on her five times during the night. And last night, she slept from 12:30 a.m. till her next feeding at 5 a.m. I woke up a couple times during the night and didn't hear a peep from her on the monitor and nearly freaked out.
But Matt and I have taken back our room! No more tip-toeing around the room avoiding the creaky spots on the floor, no more brushing our teeth in another bathroom in the house. I don't have to worry about Amy waking up because Matt is snoring. :)
It's kinda weird though when I peep in on Amy and she's all swaddled, just her little head popping out of the blanket. We also have two blankets on top of her so all you see is a little teeny tiny head lying on this huge mattress.
Then I go next door and check on Miss D and there she is in her big ole bed snoring away. My girls, though four years apart, are getting older every day!
Monday, November 02, 2009
Halloween 2009
This may have been the best Halloween yet. I was very excited when our neighbors, Heather, Clint and their kids Kezia, 2 1/2, and Keegan, 2 weeks, accepted our offer to come over for pizza and trick or treating. They usually go to their church and participate in the festival there, but opted out this year because of the H1N1 scare. With a new baby, I can understand their fears.
Our Halloween actually started with the construction of Diana's costume. Aunt Debbie got the ball rolling by making the dress and ears but I had to put the finishing touches on:
Next, we spent Halloween Eve at Diana's school at the Fall Festival. It made for a late night, but it's something we like to do. Diana made a cookie and participated in some games the teachers had set up:
Halloween was so much fun! The day started out with the Borchert girls traveling up the road to Dixon to visit the Daggetts as they moved into their new home. Of course, Diana had to wear her costume and trick or treat at their house.
And Amy even had a good time at the Daggetts!
Diana was a big help to me as we made all kinds of goodies in preparation for our Halloween party!
Once Matt got home from the Solano football game, we all carved pumpkins!
Diana drew a face on Amy's:
We had a great time trick or treating in our neighborhood and it looked as though Heather and Clint weren't the only ones with fears of festivals. Our neighborhood was packed with kids and families - in years past, our neighborhood has been like a ghost town on Halloween...very scary!
And, as is tradition, the Borcherts got dressed up. Contrary to popular belief, I did not lose a bet and have to wear the ridiculously oversized costume....it was chosen for me by Diana. I was actually quite popular in the neighborhood and became somewhat of a celebrity. Gramma V even offered to buy the costume off me so she could wear it to school next Halloween. Gramma V, you can have it!
Diana scored big time on the candy, even though she only got to keep one bag of M&Ms.
I personally think that Diana was the cutest Minnie Mouse ever...thanks to Aunt Debbie!
And of course, our newest little pumpkin did quite well despite sleeping through most of Halloween!
Our Halloween actually started with the construction of Diana's costume. Aunt Debbie got the ball rolling by making the dress and ears but I had to put the finishing touches on:
Next, we spent Halloween Eve at Diana's school at the Fall Festival. It made for a late night, but it's something we like to do. Diana made a cookie and participated in some games the teachers had set up:
Halloween was so much fun! The day started out with the Borchert girls traveling up the road to Dixon to visit the Daggetts as they moved into their new home. Of course, Diana had to wear her costume and trick or treat at their house.
And Amy even had a good time at the Daggetts!
Diana was a big help to me as we made all kinds of goodies in preparation for our Halloween party!
Once Matt got home from the Solano football game, we all carved pumpkins!
Diana drew a face on Amy's:
We had a great time trick or treating in our neighborhood and it looked as though Heather and Clint weren't the only ones with fears of festivals. Our neighborhood was packed with kids and families - in years past, our neighborhood has been like a ghost town on Halloween...very scary!
And, as is tradition, the Borcherts got dressed up. Contrary to popular belief, I did not lose a bet and have to wear the ridiculously oversized costume....it was chosen for me by Diana. I was actually quite popular in the neighborhood and became somewhat of a celebrity. Gramma V even offered to buy the costume off me so she could wear it to school next Halloween. Gramma V, you can have it!
Diana scored big time on the candy, even though she only got to keep one bag of M&Ms.
I personally think that Diana was the cutest Minnie Mouse ever...thanks to Aunt Debbie!
And of course, our newest little pumpkin did quite well despite sleeping through most of Halloween!
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