Hamilton Pool Hike

Today's the first day of a 3-day weekend for the whole family. We headed out early for breakfast, but really didn't have anything planned. Chuck just decided to drive a direction we don't normally go, and we found ourselves headed to Hamilton Pool. Honestly, we were weren't really prepared for a nature hike, but it was too hot to play most places outdoors and kind of a perfect morning for a shady hike.

By not prepared, I mean Aurora and I were wearing sandals, and I hadn't brough the camera! Luckily, Chuck's iPhone made sure we didn't get lost and doubled as a camera. It actually took some pretty nice pics...

No big plans for the rest of the weekend, but who knows where we may end up!

Playtime

This weekend was just about perfect… nothing on the calendar, and plenty of time to just unwind and have fun. It was hot, but not quite as hot as the rest of the week so we ventured out a few times – went to Target, McDonald’s, and back to the “Goin’ Banana’s” bouncy castle playnasium, this time with Daniela!

Of course, we did spend a lot of time at home with daddy, playing with Aurora’s toys and pushing her on her cool little car…

This will be a short week due to the 4th of July, and I sincerely hope that daycare doesn’t find any reason to send Aurora home earlier. No big plans on the horizon, but I’m sure we’ll find something fun to do with our long weekend!

What do stay-at-home moms do?

Chuck and I just spent two days in a row staying home with Aurora. He’s been able to stay with her until lunchtime so that I can get my work done in the AM, then I come home and take care of her for the rest of the day. Truthfully, she doesn’t seem sick (loose stool one day, low grade fever the next, neither a big deal), so you’d think we could treat it like a weekend and have a good time. The problem is its 105 degrees outside, so we really can’t go ANYWHERE. Yesterday I took her to the library and the car was so hot afterwards that I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get her in the car seat to drive home – and by the time we got home, she was bright red. It was actually kind of scary! So today we stayed home. What to do, what to do… well, here’s what we did:

Splashed in the baby pool, tried on shoes, sat in chairs, scattered blocks around, scribbled, bounced on balls, unraveled dental floss, watched PBS, put things in bags and took them back out again, played with the water dispenser, and oh so much more. We have an exciting life, right!?

I also watched Oprah, which was all about overwhelmed moms and the horrible life threatening mistakes they can make – accidentally leaving the toddler in the car on a hot day being one of them. OH MY GOSH – as if I wasn’t already freaked out about driving anywhere with Aurora during this severe heat – that show was so very sad. There were all kinds of moms talking about mistakes they’d made while overwhelmed, sleep deprived, and distracted. I have to tell you, it made me stop and think and appreciate the long hours spent with Aurora today and yesterday. Staying at home may not be my thing, but I love that little daughter and know that we will do whatever we need to keep her safe and healthy.

Here’s hoping she’s well enough for daycare tomorrow. If not, I’m getting a babysitter this weekend!

Sidewalk Chalk

Here's one more picture that accidentally didn't make it into the album... truthfully, it's one of my favorites!

Aurora woke up fine this morning and had a normal day, but they said she had "loose stools" this afternoon and has to stay home tomorrow. Truthfully, babies are just irregular, but... perhaps it'll be good for us her to take a day off after such a busy weekend. Chuck will take the morning, I'll take the afternoon. It'll be great.

Seattle!!!

Aurora and I just got back from a great weekend trip to Seattle. It’s never easy traveling with a toddler, but it was such a wonderful opportunity to spend time with family while experiencing the first LIVESTRONG Challenge in my hometown.

We stayed the first two nights with Julian and his family, and headed out to Seattle both days to spend time at the LIVESTRONG Village – Saturday for packet pick up, and Sunday for the whole day. We arrived at 6:30am, Julian took off on his bike, and Aurora & I rode in the pedicabs for the 5K walk/run. Our pedicab driver was a father of 5 who was donating his time on Father’s Day morning to give back to his great city and a great organization – what a role model for his kids. One of the other kids riding a pedicab was a 12-year old who just finished cancer treatment 6 months ago. And all day long we saw families cheering for their dad at the finish line, volunteering in memory of their dad, and enjoying everything the event had to offer.

Of course, the dad we spent Father’s Day with was my brother – a dedicated father of three who spent the entire day completing his first century! Julian started at 7am and finished at exactly 4pm. Yes, that’s 9 hours of riding 100 miles through the brutal hills and weather of Seattle and surrounding areas. Talk about commitment!

Sunday night we headed over to Mel & Court’s and spend some time with Jack & Avery. It was toddler central for sure! They live in a beautiful area and were so welcoming to us. If you’ve been keeping up with everybody else’s blog (which I have yet to do), you’ve probably already seen pics and heard stories from Melanie, Julian, and you can read about it on the LIVESTRONG blog… all in all, Aurora and I had a great time. She was a trooper – staying up late, waking up early, spending the whole time over-tired and over-stimulated, but never melting down. Here’s hoping she just bounces back into her normal routine like nothing happened!!!

Of course, the pictures probably tell the story better than I can… click here to see them all. Thanks to Julian, Maren, Lillie, Hansen, Mel, Court, and the Lance Armstrong Foundation for a great weekend. I’m so fortunate to be part of such a great organization and family! Oh, and Happy Father's Day to my dad, and to Chuck - we love you both!!!

Yuck.

Yesterday I got a call from daycare saying that Aurora wasn't feeling very well - wasn't eating and was sort of just sitting in the corner by herself. Next thing they knew, she had thrown up. I took her home and tried to feed her, but no... that definitely wasn't happening. Then she threw up again and this time it was a lot. I mean, maybe I should've warned you ahead of time not to read this part if you're squeamish or eating, but it was a LOT!!! I almost didn't tell you about it at all, but I have to say - I think I seriously earned a badge of motherhood yesterday. I kept my cool, grabbed the paper towels and started cleaning up while comforting and holding her. Washed both of our hands, swiffered the floor, changed her clothes, and suddenly it was as if nothing ever happened.

Seriously. Aurora looked up at me and smiled, then started eating everything in sight! I knew she could sign "all done," but I didn't realize how well she could sign for "more." I started with juice and crackers, moved on to milk and graham crackers, and just kept bringing her more and more. It was a good thing.

This morning I stayed with her for longer than usual, but then brought her into daycare, knowing they didn't really want her there. Honestly, I'm sure it was something she ate and it was out of her system. They reluctantly took her, and said that I had to come get her right away if she was giving any signs of being sick. I kept my cell phone on me all day, and I did feel bad about leaving her - I mean, I felt bad in the sense that I don't want other mom's bringing their sick kids into daycare. But I knew she was fine - and she was. In fact, here's a picture her teacher took of her today! She's so cute...

The first thought I had when they called me was "uh oh, I just booked tickets to Seattle, and now she's sick!" That's right... we're going to Seattle THIS WEEKEND! It's true, Sunday is Father's Day - but it's also the first ever LIVESTRONG Challenge Seattle, and my brother's riding 100 miles!!! We're leaving Friday afternoon and coming back Monday night. Aurora will get to play with Jack, Avery, Lillie and Hansen, and we'll get to ride in the pedicabs during the 5K. I can't wait!

Chuck... well, let's just say his Father's Day present will be freedom. The freedom to sleep in, play video games, go see Terminator in the theater, and work (or not work) as much as he wants. I actually think it's the perfect gift.

Places to play

It may technically be a week or two early, but here in Austin summer has officially begun. Our temps have been in the high 90’s, which is fine on a weekday when we’re all safely tucked away in our air conditioned offices and cars. But once it’s the weekend, we need fun places to play, and almost all of our previous finds have been outdoors!

Austin is SUCH a family friendly city, yet our main mall doesn’t have a playscape. We’ve managed to find a few indoor places to hang out, including a couple of stores at the mall (The Children's Place and Pottery Barn Kids in particular). Best Buy or HEB can be fun thanks to toddler shopping carts. This photo's a little old, but honestly - what’s more fun than steering and honking your way down the isle?

Today we hit the jackpot and found a cool place called the “Goin’ Bananas Playnasium.” And guess what – it was FREE! Free for adults and babies, $7 for slightly older kids. It seems they make their $$ off families and birthday parties, but today it wasn't very crowded and Aurora had a blast!

Okay, so Aurora and I BOTH had a blast... bouncy castles rock!

Just me…

As of today, Aurora is completely weaned. The week she turned one I stopped pumping, but kept nursing in the mornings and evenings. Last week I decided I didn’t want to do the evening feedings anymore, for several reasons… first, I’ve never had as much supply at night, and I knew I was running low; second, Aurora has a lot of big teeth now, so it was getting a little uncomfortable; and third, I wanted to be able to switch off with Chuck so that I can more easily participate in evening activities.

The first night I didn’t breastfeed, she cried for 30 minutes straight before falling asleep.

The second night I revised the routine, warmed up the bottle, and she did great. Then suddenly this morning, she cried and cried when I tried feeding her. I don’t think she cried like "yuck, I don't want this." I think she cried like "nothing’s coming out!" TMI, I know, but the point is, we’re done. Aurora is more independent, and I am just me. I am still mommy, but now I drink coffee and margaritas whenever I want, I switch evenings with Chuck, and I pour a lot more bottles and sippy cups in the process.

Today’s photo is just me, too. Last month Amelia posted her awesome air-brushed picture from the day her employer scheduled a professional photo shoot for their staff. The LAF recently did the same thing, and I think mine turned out pretty nice!

Where’s the baby?

Yesterday my friend Amelia came over to watch “The Bachelorette," and arrived early enough to play with Aurora before she went off to bed. You already know that Aurora loves having books read to her, and she also likes to pretend she’s reading (which usually involves holding a book upside down and making gurgling noises). Yesterday she pulled out a big book of activities to do with your baby, full of photos of parents doing each activity with their baby. She flipped it open and pointed to a baby… sort of said the word “baby” (though, it kind of sounded more like a cross between “daddy” and “diaper” at first), then turned to the next page and did it again… and again… and again!

Amelia caught on right away and started asking “Where’s the baby?”, and Aurora loved identifying the little kiddos on each page. I can’t tell if she likes babies, or if she realizes she’s a baby, but it was an awfully cute game. Once she got it wrong and actually pointed to a daddy. But honestly… do I have the smartest daughter or what!?

Monday might be our favorite night of the week now.

Rooster Retreat

Hi everyone—this is not Amber reporting on the weekend’s activities, she has graciously opened up her blog to a guest—ME! My name is Bailey and I am Amber’s co-worker, cube-mate and, let’s be serious, BWF (Best Work Friend)—sorry, Kim!

I was welcomed by the Wadey’s to spend the weekend with their wonderful family and babysit Aurora so Amber and Chuck could have a much-needed “date night.”

Saturday afternoon I arrived and was greeted by my most favorite little girl in Texas. We spent about an hour playing with Aurora’s new squishy blocks that she (within minutes) figured out how to expertly stack. She also wowed me with a demonstration of where her belly button was...

We didn’t spend too much time playing as Amber and I were on a serious shopping mission. We headed to the Hill Country Galleria for some girl time and bra shopping. It’s been almost two years since Amber has invested in undergarments due to pre-and post-baby considerations, so I decided it was time to re-stock the unmentionables. Victoria’s Secret was the obvious destination, and Aurora was an agreeable bra assistant. She enjoyed pulling open the drawers on all the display shelves and once in the dressing room-well, here's a glimpse of Baby’s First Bra Fitting:

Once we found the right bras we headed to the counter to checkout. Aurora familiarized herself with the credit card machine and was very comfortable swiping an expired gift card over and over (be afraid, Chuck, be very afraid). In true Amber fashion, she picked out two bras that were both 40% off and had a $10 off coupon, so she walked away with some great deals.

Next it was time for dinner at BJ’s—Aurora was really dragging at this point (shopping for bras can really take a lot out of a girl), but she never failed in entertaining all of us. She didn’t quite have an appetite—for food. But she was happy to munch on her shoes, a coaster, Amber, and eventually she used a long spoon covered in chocolate from our dessert and pretended to scoop something off the table and eat it. All in all, the whole experience was adorable and YUMMY!!! We all split a shrimp lettuce wrap appetizer, thick crust pizza, and the infamous Pizzookie.

By the time we got to the car, Aurora had had enough. This was the first time I’ve seen her anything but cheerful, but can I just say that even through the tears and shrieks, she was still completely adorable. Amber helped her get ready for bed and I picked out her jammies—a 9 month onesie which was a bit too short in the leg region. I got the standard babysitting operating procedures of the TV, lights, kitchen, bottle, and Tater. Then they were off to see UP! In 3D.

Aurora had two crying incidents. One she worked through on her own. The second was a bit stronger and longer so I decided to go upstairs and help her out. I was really nervous—I knew she would be confused and disappointed not to see Amber come through the door. She was sitting up in her crib crying and groggy. I tried to get her wubby back in action, but she was beyond wubby-consoling, so I picked her up and rocked her. She was crying and squirming and her little body was baby-sweaty and warm. Panic was setting in—it was only 8:12pm and the rents wouldn’t be back until after 9pm! But then just like magic, the wubby was working and she was snuggling into me and resting her cute little head into my shoulder and breathing heavily. I kept rocking her and turned to look at her in the mirror to see if she was asleep. She was!! I laid her into bed carefully, terrified she’d wake up again, but she was down for the count. She sprawled out onto her back, wubby going a mile a minute. I crept back downstairs and felt the biggest sense of accomplishment! I did it!! It was smooth sailing after that—a little more TV and the parents returned as scheduled (didn’t have to charge overtime).

I woke up Sunday morning to the sounds of Amber coaxing Aurora to wake me up. When I opened my eyes, mommy and daughter were smiling and clearly ready for some breakfast. At promptly 8:00am (earlier than I’ve been up on a weekend in a LONG time) we headed to McD’s for some hotcakes and iced coffee. We were expecting the Rooster to devour her breakfast burrito, but she was more interested in watching other people enjoy their fast food. We headed to the playplace outside where she just wanted to investigate the debris on the ground and drink mom and dad’s iced coffee. Next stop was the playground and suddenly Aurora came alive! Climbing up steps, bounding down slides, and laughing and smiling—it was the most fun ever!

On our way home we browsed a local yard sale and picked up 4 Beanie Babies for $1, not too shabby. When we got home, the little girl was finally ready to eat: grapes, crackers and cookies. Next we started our art project. Watercolor postcards! Amber tried to guide Aurora’s little hand, but Miss Independent wanted none of it. She preferred to hold as many pencils as she could and dunk her hands in the cup of water. Then we moved outside to water the plants. Little did we know Aurora was still holding onto one of the watercolor pencils in her mouth, and our smiley baby now had a purple smile and drool. Oh, Aurora.

I’m about to head home now and end my Rooster Retreat. I have to say it was a fun experience. I highly recommend this weekend getaway to anyone who wants to get some free meals, watch movies on a really nice TV, and hang with the coolest one-year-old in Texas. Book now, as weekends are filling up fast! Thanks so much to The Wadey’s for having me, and thank you Aurora for being so much fun!!!

--Bailey*

Building Blocks

Everybody wants to rule the world...

Apparently Aurora is no exception! Yesterday her teacher told me that Aurora has a "take over the world" mentality, and is so diplomatic that she always gets her way without making the other kids cry in the process.

The only example of this I've seen was actually the thing that spurred the conversation. I came to pick her up right as Miss Alice was telling the kids that they were going outside next. Aurora came over to me, gave me a hug, then lead the group outside. She definitely knows what she wants and is a budding leader.

First thing when we get home everyday, she goes up to her highchair and tells me she wants in, which means she's ready for dinner. After food, playtime, and a bath, she knows it's bedtime and wants to go to sleep. Between 6-6:30pm she's reaching for her wubby, then easily communicates that she's ready to for bed. Not only is she smart - she's a very good girl and makes it easy. I will enjoy that for as long as it lasts!

She's definitely grasping language. She knows what I'm saying all the time now, and usually does what I say while trying her best to repeat me. Right now she's all about "B" words; ball, book, boo, and bellybutton are her favorites, and she knows exactly what each of them mean. We're kind of into animal noises right now too - if I howl, she'll make the funniest little baby-howl noise back!!!

So, that's what's going on with the little Rora Rooster. The only photo I have to share with you is the ceramic tile she decorated at school last month. It was fired and returned today, and it's pretty impressive! I mean, great coverage, nice colors, and you can make out some colorful hand prints...

Perhaps the title of this blog should've been "My daughter's a genius and I'm not biased at all."