13 Months

So...I wasn't sure if I was going to keep doing this or not...

but then, I decided...what the heck!

I will still be taking pictures, and posting (and I will still be late, obviously). The only real difference is that I am going to be a little more free flow-y with what I write. It seems that the milestones come all at once now, and that there are breaks in between, unlike when Gemma was new baby and it seemed like she was a new person everyday.

So let's see...what do I want to remember about Gemma at 13 months old.

She has 6 teeth.

She say Mama suuuper clearly now. Too cute.

She says some other words too.

The cutest thing I have seen her do recently is when she started barking when the dogs were barking.

Literally, too freakin' cute.

Gemma has started to become a picky eater. Apparently cottage cheese and mashed cauliflower are a no-go, among other things.

Grilled cheese is the bomb though, as are crackers, yogurt, and bananas.

She is allergic to cinnamon.

(this is my favorite from this month's "shoot")

Gemma is incredibly loving...on her own terms. Just today she was holding me, hugging me, kissing me. I felt like my heart was going to explode.

In a good way.

To be completely honest though, most of her kisses are saved for the dogs and random inanimate objects.

Gemma took her first steps last Saturday night. Only a few, but they were steps. She was holding onto a book and I guess she didn't realize she was walking on her own. It was awesome.

Other things...

Her hair is long enough to put in a little pebbles do.

She lets me do that sometimes.

She hates socks.

Still loves pajanimals.

She STILL nurses a couple of times a day....even though I SWORE I would be done the second she turned 1.

This makes me happy and not so happy.

And for flashback purposes, here is a picture of Gemma a year ago.

and a little happier...

Holy Crap...what a difference a year has made.

For us both.

Gemma, I love you forever and always,

Mama

Today Is Monday

Last week, I said Happy Wednesday on Monday.

WTH?

Obviously, I need help.

And so does Gemma's hair.

Don't babies eat gross?

Here's to remembering what day it is for the rest of the week.

At least.

I'm Awesome

My sister went back to school. Almost 4 weeks ago actually. Now that she has gone back, Gemma and I are back to being by ourselves everyday.

This is both good and bad.

It is good because I am pushing myself to get out and find friends. Even though my sister and I fought like cats and dogs (yep, I'm mature...and awesome) being around her was still not being alone, ya know? So now that she is gone, and Gemma is becoming more and more her own little person every day, I have decided it is time for both Gemma and I to make friends. Just this week we have scheduled a Mommy & Me excercise class, a MOMS group open house, toddler story time at the library, AND a picnic. This is definitely progress for us. Definitely.

(just because she is cute, a picture from the library last week)

The bad part is...I'm slacking. With nobody to hold me accountable, I am not quite as strict about things as I used to be.

Recent offenses:

• 
  
  Feeding Gemma chicken nuggets. (From McDonald's).
• 
  
  Allowing Gemma to watch a DVR'd copy La La Lullaby (it is like 2 or 3 minutes long), with my dad, 5 times in a row so that I can eat dinner.
• 
  
  Turning the t.v. on Sprout for long enough to put her hair in a pony tail.
• 
  
  Forgetting to wash clothes the night before our exercise thing today and dressing Gemma in her birthday outfit and wearing a hard letter sorority shirt myself.
• 
  
  Not asking the sitter to stop when she tells me that she is letting Gemma drink juice at her house, even though all I give her is milk and water.

Yep...I suck...these are my confessions.

Oh, and yesterday I smoked a cigarette! Just one, and it was my first in almost 2 years.

Don't tell anyone, please!

Like I said...I'm awesome.

P.S. The nuggets were a one time thing, PROMISE!

My Life

In one picture...

and ten words...

Messy

Huggy

Girly

Silly

Funny

Sleepy

Dusty

Happy

Shoe-y

Lovely

Happy Wednesday Y'all!

Example 3,783 That I Have No Life or New Television Shows I Am Excited About For Fall

Once upon a time, I didn't watch T.V.. Ever. I was always busy, there was always something better to do, and really...what's worth watching anyway.

And then...

 I moved home. Had a baby. Got the most antisocial job ever.

(Y'all know that part.)

I run, run, run until I get home at about 9:30 every night. By 10:00 or so Gems is in bed.

Then I'm trapped.

Surprisingly (?) single motherhood ain't good for the social life. (And leaving baby at home in bed alone is frowned upon too.) So, I'm stuck. At home. Even worse, I am stuck IN BED because...well, I still co-sleep and I don't know how to stop.

Awesome.

All this buildup is basically just to say I WATCH A WHOLE LOTTA T.V. NOW!

A lot.

So much T.V. in fact, that the other day while I was bored at work, I came up with a D.V.R.  schedule for the upcoming fall season. Yes, seriously. I was bored at work though, gimme a break. While searching the premier dates of my old favorites, I found some new shows I am excited about, and thought I would share with you.

Here goes, finally!

Shows I will be checking out Fall 2010:

Mike & Molly-Monday 8:30, CBS

CBS Says:  "MIKE & MOLLY is a comedy about a working class Chicago couple who find love at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting."

I Say: Sounds cute, right? And hello Sookie! Gilmore Girls fans have missed you =)

Raising Hope and Running Wilde-Tuesday 9:00 and 9:30, FOX

FOX Says (of Raising Hope): "RAISING HOPE is a new single-camera family comedy from Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia that follows the Chance family as they find themselves adding an unexpected new member into their already terribly flawed household."

I Say (of Raising Hope): Admittedly, I will checking this one out for the whole unexpected baby factor. Hopefully the comedy doesn't get too...low brow...I'm all for a little white trash humor, but there is definitely a thing as too much!

FOX Says (of Running Wilde): A romantic comedy starring Will Arnett as Steve Wilde, a filthy-rich, immature playboy trying desperately to win (or buy) the heart of his childhood sweetheart Emmy Kadubic, the uber liberal humanitarian who got away-all told through the perspective of a 12-year old girl.

I Say (of Running Wilde): I have soft spot for romantic comedies, bad boys, and uber liberal humanitarians so this sounds like something I would totally like. I wasn't really a Keri Russell fan in her Felicity days, but maybe as an older, more sophisticated, and full of soft-spots viewer I might change my tune.

Last but not least...

My Generation-Thursday 8:00, ABC

ABC Says: "What a difference ten years can make. In 2000, a documentary crew follows a disparate group of high schoolers from Greenbelt High School in Austin, TX as they prepare for graduation, then revisits these former classmates ten years later as they return home to rediscover that just because they're not where they planned doesn't mean they're not right where they need to be."

I Say: I think that this is a really interesting concept, and with lots of character there are lots of possibilities for good t.v. drama. Also, I think shows with people who are close to your own age are instantly more relate-able. With this show, the relate-ability (is that a word?) might be the downfall. I'm not sure I can commiserate about  not being where I imagined myself to be in life for an entire season...unless the show manages to strike the balance between offering a true and accurate portrayal of post grad life while still offering some hope and inspiration.

So what shows are you going to be checking out this fall? Make sure you set your DVR's, as most television shows premier this week.

***Note, I am in the Eastern time zone, so check your local listings as times may vary***

Heaven

Thank goodness for it being almost fall...

unbearable heat, humidity, and daily thunderstorms have finally been replaced with warm breezy days.

Heaven.

And perfect for the park.

My baby is looking less baby and more toddler everyday.

If she isn't walking she can't officially be a toddler, right?

There are so many sweet things about Gemma right now. 

I'm a sucker for her hugs and kisses...

and her sweet little words.

She's been mimicking everything we say lately.

And I am finally starting to hear Mama more often than when she's upset.

She pulls up on the dogs' backs and tries to love on them too.

Like I said...she's a sweet girl.

When we go to the grocery store, or any store for that matter...

she giggles with anyone making eye contact with her,

and ya know...babies (toddlers?) get a whole lot of attention when they're out...

so there are LOTS of giggles.

Cashiers can't get over how HAPPY she is.

I can't get over how HAPPY she is.

Until I try to brush her hair.

And then...

Well...she's not that HAPPY.

But most of the time...

Heaven.

This and That

Because I want to, here is some of the randomness that is on my mind right now...

Last night, while I was driving home from work, there was a bad car accident...all that I could gather was that one car was flipped over (well, I saw that,) and that a passenger from one of the vehicles had been ejected. I work on old country roads, so there are only two lanes, and I was stuck for a little over an hour waiting for them to clear things up. I couldn't let myself be frustrated over the wait, because I was staring straight at the reality of having it so much worse.

I'm starting to get excited for Halloween. Just a little bit. Yes, it is almost 2 months away, but with the birthday party being over and done I need something to look forward too, right? I bought this dress for Gemma yesterday, while I was at work:

Cute right? Here's the link if you are interested.

Have you signed up for Swagbucks yet? Swagbucks is a neat-o site, that gives you "bucks" for things like using their search engine, and taking daily polls. You can then use these "bucks" for neat prizes. I have only been doing it a month or so, and I have already earned a gift card! If you are interested, leave a comment or email me for more questions. If you are ready to sign up, use my referral link, and help a sista out! (By using my referral, I will get points when you search too! However, I can't like track what you are doing or anything, so no worries!)

I finally took Gemma to story time today! I also met up with an old friend from high school there who has a little boy, and afterwards we all went and got lunch and ice creams together. I think Gemma had fun. She was crawling around during story time though, trying to kiss the other little kiddos. Adorable but distracting. I felt like I was the mama of the wild child!

And my big news for the day...

I think I might know what I want to do with my life...

Social Work.

I've finally decided that I would rather be happy and poor than...well, sad and poor because I couldn't figure out anything else I can really see myself doing for the rest of  my life anyway. I have it narrowed down to two schools that I will be applying to, and hopefully I can get the ball rolling soon. I am so, so, so happy to have a little direction. Finally. The crazy part, is I have sort have known this is what I wanted to do all along. The moral of the story is don't fight it.

I feel like that is a good, postitive note to end on. Plus, I'm at work so I should be working, right?

Ohhh....

Big P.S.  (Does that sound a little dirty to you too?)

America's Next Top Model starts tonight. I'm a little excited.

Small P.S. (He He)

I promise, I wasn't purposefully trying to not write segues from one paragraph to the next. I was trying to make a list of bullet points, and I didn't like the way the formatting was looking...so, yeah...

Bad Pictures/Good Party

I finally got the motivation to get the birthday pictures off of my almost dead camera. After seeing these pictures, I am pretty sure my camera got pissed at its own life and just decided to quit working. Jerk. I mean, the pictures aren't great, but c'mon.

This is what I've got:

These are the ONLY two shots I got for her monthly "photo shoot." Usually, I get about 50 ;). With all of the craziness of party planning, it got late, she got grumpy, and I got this:

and this:

The next day, the day of her party, was equally crazy. I swear, I was so exhausted I was in a haze the entire time. I am hoping someone else got pictures because the following are pretty much the best of what I got.

This was a banner that I made with printables that came with her invitation package, and then her monthly pictures, each printed out and hung with a hot pink clothes pin. The pictures I used were mostly ones that I shared on this blog! Above it, are the little favor buckets (I think only one of which I ended up giving out...I kept forgetting as people left!) This was snapped before the guests started arriving, so the gifts are just those from my parents/grandparents and I. (and yes, those are cigs. They're my dad's. Ick!)

Here is a strange picture of my cake table. I added a few extra little bowls of candy and treats as well. In the back, I have baggies filled with baby Goldfish, and party blowers in the plastic cups. You can also kind of see a picture of Gemma on the table. Her newborn picture was there. For the tables where guests sat (which I didn't get a picture of!) I had alternating pink and blue table cloths and each had a picture taken from a different month, and then I scattered painted seashells on the table. It was cute, and the guests took all of the pictures as party favors.

(I guess that makes up for the buckets!)

Here is a close up of the cake. Confession #1: I didn't love it. Someone else made it though, and I didn't see it until the day of the party. Oh well I guess. Confession #2: I didn't even get to try one bite! I did hear it was delicious though...

So, we ate lunch first. I had a taco bar with chicken, beef, and 2 types of bean tacos. Yum.

Next was presents. There are lots of pictures of my backside handing Gemma gifts. This one isn't one of those:

Next, was cake! I was excited/nervous for this part. Gemma was already tired and cranky, (she had napped too early) but I think she had fun...for a little bit at least.

Here, she wasn't really sure what to do...or what she was allowed to do...

But, eventually, she got the hang of it:

After she had done her dirty work on part of the cake, I figured she had done enough damage. I think she was pretty wired/exhausted/done too.

Overall, it was an awesome experience.

Next year, we're going out for pizza!

Getting to Know ME!...Under the Sea?

It's Sunday...blah blah blah...

I'm working...blah blah blah...

Let's have fun with the MannLand5...blah blah blah...

1. Do you like seafood?

Yes ma'am. Shrimp, scallops, oysters, crabs...yum! The only thing I don't really like is mussels, or clams that are not fried. Being raised not too far from Maryland my very favorite is:

With lots of:

and:

2. Are mermaids hot?

Umm, no. I think they are cute though. Really cute actually. The theme for Gemma's birthday party was Mermaids!

3. Have you swam in the ocean?

Yep. I did one of those "swim with the stingrays" excursions once, when I was on a cruise. When I am at the beach though, I sort of splash by the shore more than swim in the ocean.

4. If you got stung by a jellyfish, would you let a stranger pee on you?

Ugh. I don't know what the pain is like, so I can't really say! Either way, I am sure I would try to...umm... take care of it myself, first.

5. Have you ever pee'd in the ocean?

Not that I can recall.

6. Can you make a cute fish face? (Show a pic..if you want)

I can make a fish face. I don't think it is very cute though. I look more like this:

Now if you want to see a cute fish face:

7. When you see the lobster tank at the grocery store do you just have this overwhelming urge to set them free or cook them up?

Neither. I usually walk past the tank without any thoughts of them at all. Where is my humanity? (Or lobsterity?)

8. Are you afraid of sharks?
 
Short answer, yes. Yes I am.

Happy 12 Months and 1 Week Gemma!

So, I took 2 whole pictures of Gemma at 12 months old.

But my camera is broken.

Seriously. It broke the day after her big shindig.

At some point (soon) I will get the pictures off of the memory stick on the desktop. Until then, I want to at least get my monthly post done before she is 13 months old!

This month has been nuts. I mentioned recently (in my 11 months post maybe?) that my baby was becoming a toddler...

ain't that the truth!

This month Gemma has learned all kinds of sweet toddler things. She climbs things. Like tables and stairs and clothes baskets. She gives me sweet baby kisses, often more slobbery than I want them to be. She feeds her breakfast to the dog, sings along to her favorite song, and rocks out to the radio. She's no big girl, but she's close(r).

As far as the sleeping stuff this month...eh. You sleep. With me. You are down to only one nap some days, which I actually kind of like because it will free up more of our days together.

At your 1 year appointment you weighed 18 pounds and 9 ounces and you were 29.65" long.  Your head circumference was like 17 maybe? You wear size 12 months clothes and size 3 diapers.

I get comments on your coloring pretty often. You have blonde curls and big brown eyes. Today (9/2) was actually the very first day I put your hair in a ponytail. It is finally getting long again!!!

We are 100 percent off of baby food and formula now! I can't believe it. I have started sending dinner for you to the sitter that doesn't come in a jar. I fed you chicken nuggets the other day when I was busy, and French fries the day before yesterday. I am usually so good about feeding you good things, so I felt the need to confess...and let you know I am sorry about that!

Let's see...what else...you have 6 teeth!

Gosh baby, this year has been a whirlwind. I can remember one year seeming so far away, and now we're here and...well, its been a year. Ups and downs, hugs and kisses, tears and giggles. With every ounce you've gained or milestone you have reached, I have gained something too. You have such a sweet little personality and I am really looking forward to see how that blossoms in the coming year.

It's been hard but worth it.

Totally worth it.

Love ya Snooks.

Forever and always...

Mama