Bottles Up!

I am done with bottles. Just done.

I'm tired of the way they have cluttered up my counter top for the past year. They tip over easily. They have multiple parts that get scattered all over the kitchen.

I'm tired of washing them, first by hand back in the breastfeeding days when Violet only had one bottle a night. Now they hoard all the space in the top rack of my dishwasher, leaving us running the machine half empty because the sink is full of all the cups and glasses that won't fit.

Yes, that is a bottle of cheap champagne trying to camouflage itself with the baby bottles.

When we first started bottles, it was once a day. It gave me a break from breastfeeding. It gave Matt a chance to feed Violet and bond with her each evening. And it was one new skill for her to quickly master. One bottle to wash each night isn't so bad. Then I started working. And pumping got old real quick. My milk supply gradually dried up and we committed to bottles full time. Eventually we switched to the simpler Avent bottles versus the excellent but somewhat cumbersome Dr. Brown bottles. And Violet gradually decreased her bottle feedings down to four times a day.

But after a year of this, I'm done.

When I was a babe and it was time to get rid of my bottle, my mom had a unique approach. Our family was living on the OM Logos at the time, a missionary ship traveling the world. When she'd had enough of the bottle, we very ceremoniously filled them with rocks and tossed them overboard, giving them an appropriate burial at sea.

For obvious reasons, I can't take the same approach. But I really, really wish I could.

See, I think my Friend is ready to give up the bottle and be a big girl. A few weeks ago, Matt made her bottles for daycare but forgot to screw in the proper inserts. In short, the bottles weren't going to work. Undeterred, her teachers optimistically poured Violet's milk into a sippy cup and sat her down. And although she had previously shunned milk from a cup, apparently she was hungry enough to drink it all down. And her teachers didn't look back. Teaching the kids to drink from cups is one of the skills they work on at school, and it looked like Violet had just mastered it!

Well, for whatever reason, Violet wouldn't perform the same trick for me at home. Whenever I attempted to give her formula from the sippy cup, she'd let it pool in her mouth and then spit it all out, tossing the cup to the floor with a hoot of displeasure. If there was water or apple juice in the cup she'd eagerly suck it down, but not milk. I was wildly jealous of whatever secret tricks they used at daycare and frustrated that it wasn't carrying over at home.

But this weekend, we had a breakthrough. I waited to bring out the formula until Violet was extra hungry. I gently warmed it. I poured it into the same type of sippy that has had so much success at school. Then I plopped her on my lap and presented her the Nuby just like it was a bottle. And that child drank it all!

And so, I'm hoping we can be done with bottles. Maybe not today, maybe not next week. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

A completely unrelated picture that I couldn't help but share!

Will I miss the snuggly moments of feeding Violet her bottle as she grows full and drowsy on my lap? Of course, just like I miss the breastfeeding days when we could nestle up together and share that special moment together. But I'm excited about finding new ways to cuddle. And I'm oddly excited about my extra counter space.

Next up - ditching formula for real milk!

Healthy Dose of Reality

Health. Feeling good. It's one of those things we take for granted until we feel like crap. Then it's all moan and groan and Good Lord help me I'm never going to feel better again.

I have been more sick this year than I have in a long time. I was expecting it - they say your first year of teaching is the worst. At least I haven't contracted pink eye yet (knock on wood). But everything else, from sinus infections to stomach bugs, has come a'knocking multiple times.

Violet's first year in daycare has gone down pretty much like mine. Between the two of us and Matt (the only one yet to log a trip to the ER, again, knock on wood), someone is always sneezing, sniffling and complaining in our house.

So I'm trying to be more conscious of the times I do feel good (for the record, this is not really one of those times) so I can better appreciate what it is like to breath freely through both nostrils, or swallow without wincing, or speak without sounding like a sixty-year-old two-pack-a-day smoker.

But here's the deal - despite all the colds and viruses and general crud going around, on the whole we have been relatively healthy. This fact was brought home this week as I indulged in one of my favorite guilty pleasures, MTV's Teen Mom 2. One of the young moms happened to get pregnant with twins (don't even get me started) but if that wasn't stressful enough, now it seems like one of the baby girls might have something seriously wrong with her. While her sister is right on track with milestones like rolling over and putting weight on her legs, baby Ali is being left behind. Every time mom Leah takes her to a doctor, the visit ends in tears as the news is always inconclusive and frightening - potential problems with her spine, her brain. Just by looking at her, you can tell there is something wrong with this baby, especially when compared to her twin. And while generally I watch this series with an eye roll and a "you've got to be kidding me" at the stupid situations these moms insist on putting themselves in, this week I was tearing up watching the agony one young girl is going through as she deals with the potentially horrifying unknowns. The worst feeling in the world as a mom is when there is something wrong with your child and you can't control it, you can't fix it. And as much as I think these girls make stupid choices and continue to go back to bad relationships and willingly become the poster children for every teen mom stat on record, my heart can't help but break for Leah and her situation. And watching her story, it reminded me that a few runny noses are nothing. On the whole, we are so healthy and happy that I should be shouting my Thank Yous to the heavens every day.

But that's what happens when you feel good. You forget, you take it for granted. Until the next bug invades your body and leaves you a shivering, pathetic mess clutching your kleenex. So while I may be battling allergies, a sinus infection and laryngitis, you know what? I'm still so, so grateful for a healthy, happy family, including a certain baby girl who is so eager to laugh and give kisses and share her sweetness.

Hanging with the Boys

Checking out the toy...

Having a little taste...

And... bliss!

Puzzled

Check out the awesome new puzzle I got from Fairy Godmother Emily!

Now, how do you work this thing?

The box said "2+ years" but I'm pretty advanced...

Ooooh! Thanks, Daddy!

One Year

One Year

 

Dear Violet,

One whole year has come and gone since you came into our lives.

One year...

I knew my world had changed the minute you came into it. In the blink of an eye, you became the most important thing in my life. You have brought us more joy than I ever imagined.

One day...

It seems hard to believe that you were ever that tiny newborn, helpless in my arms. I cried when we brought you home; I was so overwhelmed with emotion. You were so small! And completely dependent on us for everything! The responsibility of it all was enormous. We spent long nights awake together. There were days when you did nothing much but eat, sleep and poop.

One week...

Then you gave us that first smile. You held your head up. As soon as one milestone was conquered, you were off to the next one. You love keeping us on our toes! You learned to sit, to eat cereal, you started school, protested your way through tummy time, learned to roll over.

First smile...

Suddenly it was hard to remember the days when all you did was cuddle in our arms day and night.

You experienced your first trip to the pool, the first ride on an airplane, we shared our first Mother's Day. I have been amazed at how much you have learned. You understand what I'm saying. You can point to things when I ask you. You are so eager to follow directions. Your smile is beautiful, your expressions are priceless. Every day you do something that makes me smile, burst out laughing, makes me stop and take a breath to thank God for you. You are such a good girl. I am a better, stronger, more patient, more loving person because of you. I am so lucky to be your Mommy.

I love you.

Mommy

My birthday girl...

PS Although I tried mightily and failed miserably to capture it on camera, guess what my little girl did today, on her first birthday... she took her first steps!

Monday's Child

52 Weeks

I can't believe this is the last of the Monday's Child series. Since the day Violet was born, I've been taking a picture of her every Monday, and the change has been unbelieveable. My Monday's Child truly is fair of face. Here she is, sporting some new clothes she got from the ever-generous Heather - just look at that fur-lined vest! (Ignore the snot, please.)

I'm a little sad to end the picture series, although good grief it has become a lot of work now that Violet doesn't care to sit still anymore. It's been fun to go back and review the transformation, however. We had a slideshow running on the tv of all her Monday pictures during the birthday party and it was amazing to remember how little she started out.

Anyway, I wax nostalgic. It's hard not to feel sentimental at milestones like this. Plus it's late and I'm exhausted (and facing another batch of cupcakes that need frosting). I'll sign off for now.

Tomorrow's the big day! My little girl turns one!

It's My Party...

Okay, here come the last of the birthday party pictures, I promise. You saw the decor and cake, here are the presents. And can I just say, Violet was a rock star throughout the event. She helped open every present (only slightly distracted by the colorful tissue paper) and proceeded to play with everything she got. Not a single gift got ignored. She got so many compliments from all the guests on how well behaved she was - no melt downs, she didn't refuse her cake, she let everyone hold her and fuss over her - she was a champ. Of course, Violet does love the spotlight, so I was not surprised.

An embarrassment of riches.

Mimi's gift - a walker stroller!

A little mommy already!

The tunnel! Violet didn't  hesitate to dive into this one!

Here she comes!

Grandma's present - a rockin', ridin' push-me-mobile!

But of course, all good things must come to an end. Violet did not want her big day to be over and had a colossal meltdown when Daddy innocently tried to help her with one of her toys. I was a bad Mommy and decided to snap pictures instead of rushing over to pick her up. Even beside herself, she's still adorable.

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to!

 

It really was too funny - the girl was so good all day long, it was only a matter of time. Rest assured, she went to bed content. As did I. But boy am I glad we only have to do this once a year! I am exhausted! (And I just baked another batch of cupcakes for Violet to take to school tomorrow on her actual birthday.) I am ready to close the book on this year and start the next one!