Twilight!

So, back in November I was talking to my friend Bill, who had just seen the movie Twilight, and he told me that I was the demographic in the theater (young moms) and if I didn't check it out I was missing the boat. I mentioned that to Julia over Thanksgiving and she read the book in two days then lent it to me. The rest is history. Twilight has become an obsession that I've been forcing upon all my friends. It's no surprise that once we found out a DVD release date we began planning a viewing party. I'm so glad I got to hold it at my house!

We had a potluck dinner, watched the DVD while giving play-by-play book-to-movie commentary every minute (except during the make-out scenes, when you could've heard a pin drop), then afterwards played Twilight BINGO for Twilight prizes! It just doesn't get any better.

Bailey came over a little early and had a chance to play with Aurora, which was the perfect way to start the evening. Aurora's the most funny, charming, sweet little girl, and right now she's going through a mimicking phase and learning new things everyday. This weekend she started shaking her head "No," and saying "Mmmmmm" when she eats. It cracks me up!!! Here's a little head nodding demonstration:

Milk Math

I’ve always said that my goal is to never purchase a canister of formula, which means I have to breastfeed and pump for Aurora’s first full year of life. When I put that in writing, it seems like a long time and a big commitment… and make no mistake, it is! It’s also almost over.

During maternity leave I was able to stockpile a pretty good supply of milk in the freezer, and once she started daycare we began cycling through it quickly, while (thankfully) replenishing whatever was used. Now that Rora's 11-months old, I’ve come to the conclusion that we may begin the weaning process. I did the math, and here’s where we stand:

+32: the number of 4-6 oz bags currently in the freezer
- 60: she’ll use 3 bags/day for the next 4 weeks (20 days)
+30: The number of bags I should produce between now and then if I wean down to pumping 2 bags per day for the next 2 weeks (20), then one bag per day for the following 2 weeks (10).

Of course, it’s not just a game of numbers; I do think Aurora’s ready. She's become very independent and trying to get her to face me, sit still and continually feed for even 5-minutes at a time is becoming increasingly difficult. Sometimes I feel like I’m chasing her around trying to force-feed her all weekend! I’ll keep breastfeeding morning and night for as long as she’ll put up with me, but once the freezer supply is gone Aurora will be switching to whole milk at daycare. Can you believe it!?!

Breastfeeding and pumping have definitely been the hardest and most rewarding part of motherhood. I couldn’t have predicted how much the feeding schedule and milk supply would run my life, or how much I’d enjoy the challenge! I felt that nursing would be more convenient, healthier, and cheaper than formula, but thought for sure I’d be counting the days until the pump was no more. Those things are all true, but in a way I think the last time I pump will be a bittersweet celebration. Breastfeeding has been such a loving and natural extension of giving birth… I mean, my body nourished this sweet little baby for 9-months before birth, and that connection has continued on through nursing. Once it’s over, she may as well get a job and move out.

Chuck thinks a blog just isn’t a blog without a photo, so here’s a sweet picture of us girls in Vegas…

More mug shots

It turns out the Children’s Center of Austin takes school pictures not once, but twice per year. As you may recall, her 6-month mug shots were just awesome. Five months ago Aurora was this sweet naive baby who loved flashing lights and couldn’t have been any cuter if she tried. Her 11-month pictures are very similar, but you can tell she’s a more mature, perhaps more skeptical toddler these days. It’s neat to compare her face shape, and you can definitely tell that she has more hair!

In case you didn’t catch that, Aurora is 11-months old today. She’s just reaching a point where I can put her down and let her walk around independently while I cook or do dishes (especially if I give her a sippy cup of juice). She also loves to play peek-a-boo by taking a blanket and pulling it over her face, then bringing her arms down and laughing hysterically. It’s just amazing to watch her go through these phases and stages - I can hardly believe how fast she’s growing and changing. But while I can honestly tell you that the last 11-months have flown by, I can also tell you that I truly can’t imagine the world without Aurora. Did I ever really smile before her? I guess I remember a time when I got more sleep than I do now, but honestly, what was the point? Sleep is overrated…

Playtime!

Yesterday we took Aurora way up to a mall in Cedar Park so that she could have a fun place to play. Can you believe our mall doesn’t have a play area? She was actually a little apprehensive at first, but soon started exploring, climbing, and having a great time.

The other mom's couldn't stop marveling about how cute and happy she was, and what a good little walker she is!

Can’t wait for your next opportunity to play with my sweet baby girl? Be sure to save the date for Aurora’s birthday garden party, April 18th at 3pm. We’ll have a little playhouse set up in the backyard as well as a plastic wading pool. Let's hope the weather cooperates!

Here are some other cute playful pics from the last few days... Rora trying on her new (used) swimsuit for the first time, sliding down the gym mat we use as a barrier to keep her away from the fireplace, and of course, playing with her daddy:

Do I have the silliest little daughter or WHAT!?

Mall Walking

Today I went to the mall with my friend Amelia. We spent most of the afternoon shopping for 12-18 month baby clothes, and Amelia was nice enough to hang out with Aurora while I got my hair cut and colored. Looks like Aurora slept for much of that time... Amelia sent me this picture from her cell phone:

And here's the haircut before and after. Maybe not the best pictures of my hair (I think you see the frazzled ponytail?), but silly pictures of my babe!

Yawwwwn! Oh, one more thing... Katie asked that I post a video of Aurora walking, so I took a bunch of funny videos tonight that I think are all cute, and settled on one very short one for your viewing pleasure. My favorite featured a totally naked Aurora walking from the nursery all the way to the bathtub carrying a huge box of wipes. But Chuck says no naked babies on the internet, so this will have to do!

Catching up

Not a lot has happened since returning from Vegas. I’ve been spending my evenings catching up on laundry, dishes, and sleep, and Chuck has (of course) been catching up on work. Luckily, daylight savings time has not affected Aurora in a negative way – in fact, after a few weeks of night waking (growth spurt? teething?), she’s back to sleeping through the night. Thank goodness, I needed that!

In the evenings when we get home, I’ve been doing pretty good at sticking to my “no TV or internet until Aurora’s asleep” rule, with one exception; Rora's starting to like Baby Einstein videos! She’ll just plop down with a snack and watch her show. She does prefer to sit on my lap, and if I get up and go into another room she’ll get up and follow me.

Aurora really has become quite the little walker! Her buddy Adelina recently moved up to the next class at daycare, and now Aurora’s the only walker in the Duck’s room. She's not the oldest in her class, in fact, Seth just turned one. But Aurora is walking and running around with confidence these days and no longer doing faceplants. Today it was cold out and I let her walk around with my scarf...

Speaking of turning one… Aurora’s first birthday is just over a month away! I’m starting to think about her birthday and I’m not quite sure what we should do to make it special. Grandma Nancy is considering coming for the party, and I want it to be a really fun weekend, so the question is… what do you think we should we do? The weather should be nice, so we could go to a nearby park, or we could just have cake at our house. Do you have any ideas for fun activities or themes?

Vegas Babies!

We're back from a fast and fun weekend in Vegas. On the flight there, we sat next to a woman about our parent's age who said it was only the second trip she's flown on an airplane. I told her it was Aurora's third, and she'd be fine! I know there will be tons of great pictures as everybody begins sending theirs along, but for now, a few highlights...

Aurora really had a good time getting to know the Cheezheads and enjoyed the view from their suite on the top floor of the Bellagio. She got to watch the fountain go off from above as well as in front of the Bellagio.

She also loved playing with Zeland. They both did great, especially considering all the traveling, time changes, and staying up waaaaay past their bedtimes in order to celebrate and experience Andrew & Julia exchange vows at the Graceland Wedding Chapel.

The wedding was awesome. Elvis started out by singing "Love Me Tender," and had all of us laughing, crying, and entertained throughout. The bride, groom, and wedding party looked amazing.

It was a wonderful opportunity to catch up with friends and family. Grandfather Wadey was even in attendance, which was really nice. I think he enjoyed spending time with his sons, meeting his new daughter-in-law, and of course seeing his grandchildren for the first time.

We also had the chance to see LOVE with Grandma Nancy, Grandfather Wadey, Robin & John and Andrew & Julia. That's right... we watched a show all about the Beatles and Love, then saw Elvis perform a wedding ceremony. Perfect!

Ohhhhhh Tater...

At Aurora's last weigh-in, I realized that our baby finally outweighs our cat. That's right, we have a 19 pound baby and an 18 pound Tater...

The two don't really get along as well as you might think from these pictures. Aurora likes to chase Tater and mess around with her food bowl, and Tater truly just wants to eat (and eat, and eat) in peace.

This weekend Tater will have her wish. We're heading to Las Vegas for Andrew & Julia's wedding, and Tater will have the house to herself. That's right, she'll be able to enjoy peace and quiet as her automatic pet feeder (aka Robot Mommy) takes care of all her eating needs.

We'll be in Vegas Saturday through Monday, along with Zeland, Robin & John, Grandma Nancy, and even Grandfather Wadey! I doubt I'll be blogging while I'm there, but I know there will be plenty of great pictures and stories to share when we return.

Clear!

This morning I took Aurora back to Dr. Sood for yet another follow-up visit, and I am pleased to report that her ear infection is GONE!!! She was so happy to know that she doesn't have to take more medicine and come back again in two more weeks...

Now if only she'd stop falling over and hitting her head on things, we could keep her this happy all the time!

Before & After: Part II

I’m sure our yard looked nice when we moved in, but even pre-baby the most we could do was mow the lawn and try to pull out weeds before they took over. Not easy tasks pre-baby; nearly impossible post-baby.

The main challenge with our yard is that it’s just so darn big! And it’s segmented into all these different areas, each with their own issues.

The pathway leading to the front door had several overgrown shrubs that were impossible to maintain. I’d prune them, then it would rain and all the places I’d cut would sprout an extra foot of thick green growth! Not only were they were multiplying out of control, but they had caused the siding to rot behind them. Now they’re gone, replaced with lovely well-spaced pineapple guava plants which may not look perfect yet (they definitely have some growing to do), but will be much slower growing and should even flower in the Spring. Here you can see the new siding too...

The small side-yard next to the driveway had become totally overrun with weeds, and now has a new layer of mulch and a lovely array of shrubs. This is one of the first things people will notice as they drive by.

That same side in the backyard is what I see out my kitchen window and dining room glass doors, and basically was just dirt and weeds. While visitors and passers by may never notice this area, it’s truly my favorite improvement. Okay, so the before isn't the EXACT same area, but it's a continuation of the same area (it was the closest I could find)...

As you can see, Aurora loves getting strapped into her Snuggli to help water the new plants!

We’ve made a lot of progress, but there’s a lot more to be done. There are several other areas that we haven’t even touched, and I’d love to beautify them all. For now, we’re just trying to get everything to the point where monthly maintenance is the only yard work we’ll need.

Before & After: Part I

We’ve done a lot of home improvements in the nearly 3-years that we’ve lived in Austin; from new floors, paint, and fixtures, to siding, windows, and even a new roof. This month it felt pretty good to finally get around to working on the landscaping. I'm planning to post a Before & After blog with pictures of the changes, but I have to get some better "after" shots this weekend. Until then, I thought I'd give you a little teaser, even though it has nothing to do with mulch, plants or shrubs! I took this "after" photo while our lawn guy was working, and just searched around to find an appropriate "before" pic.

What a difference 10-months makes!!! Aurora might be my favorite home improvement of all time...

Mother’s Room

When plans for our new office were first presented, all we heard was that it would be a totally open floor plan with no closed door offices, and conference rooms with glass walls. At the time, I was the only nursing mother at the LAF and I was a little concerned about where I would pump! Not just for me – four of my coworkers were pregnant.

I wrote up a report outlining the need for a private room, and what it should include: a locking door, mini-fridge, electrical outlet, table and chair. As it turns out, the ladies restroom was being designed with two showers, and I'm pleased to report that one of those showers ended up being converted into a “Mother’s Room.”

Now, it’s not PERFECT. We didn’t get a locking door. In fact, we didn’t get a door at all – we got a curtain. After using the space for a few days, I can tell you that it’s not as scary as I feared it may be. The furniture and layout are also different than what I'd hoped for, but again – it’s working out! Here’s a picture of our cute little lounge:

My favorite feature is definitely the mini-fridge. No longer do us girls have to put our milk in the refrigerator with everybody’s leftovers. We also use it to display pictures of our babies! I was concerned about what it would be like to pump in the bathroom – being in such a public space with echoing acoustics – and it’s actually fine! Only women know when we’re in there, and we can rinse our pump accessories in the bathroom sink. We also have lockers in there to keep all of our supplies.

Pumping is not my favorite thing, but I feel confident I’ll reach my goal of a full year without purchasing one canister of formula. That takes a lot of dedication! It certainly helps to have an employer that supports it's working mothers...