Our 1st Adventure With Sippy Cups!

Today I decided to see if Bree would drink water out of a sippy. She enjoys water (including drinking it out of a water bottle if mommy holds it for her) but doesn't seem to like drinking it out of bottles, so at our most recent grocery trip we bought a sippy with handles for her to try. We also have a sippy at home for friends with kids visits (regular old sippy style) and decided to try both to see which works best!

Pictures below tell the basic tale, however be aware that the sippy with handles, bought thinking it was a training cup, is in fact a "stage three" sippy, not a beginners. Which makes sense that she had a difficult time with it. We will be buying a beginner's sippy soon!

Hey Mom! Let's do this!

We tried the sippy with handles first. Bree absolutely loved that she could hold it herself and stick the "straw" in her mouth on her own. She is quite independent and prefers to do things on her own. Points for the handled sippy! But upon discovering it was a sippy for older babies/kids, it made sense why it was so hard to draw up water.

This one was a bit frustrating for Bree. She got the water out more easily, but this was harder to grasp and put in her mouth. She definitely needed mommy's help.

Overall, after a lot of playing and DependenceOnMommy tears (who wants help?! I can do this myself!), the favorite seems to be the bright, colorful, handled sippy. It wins the award from an independent baby! The old-school sippy wins my vote simply because she could get more water from it.

We will be finding a middle-ground sippy soon, or Bree may surprise me and gain better skill with the big kid sippy!

Life Right Now

It's been a hard few days (weeks) in our house. My little darling is teething. Again. It isn't the most pleasant experience.

We are blessed to have an amber teething necklace, which has helped immensely. Bree has been teething since two months, broke two teeth in February/early March, and those two white stubs have grown in into full-on little kid teeth. You can see them when she grins! The mommy inside me who doesn't want her baby to grow up cries every time she sees them.

We think she's teething some top teeth now. She's been tugging at her ears, biting while nursing (yay me right?) and just kinda miserable unless I'm holding her 24/7 (yay dishes).

I'm going through a major trial missing my newborn right now. Sleeps for three hours, awake for half an hour, super cuddly, totally dependent, uber squishy newborn. I miss my pregnant belly, feeling her kicking, where she was so much easier to protect.  And yet, I totally love this stage in her life. True, the teething isn't the best. But oh her giggles! She could light up anyone's day with one of her sweet smiles. She's learning to sit up, playing on her own, going crazy in the bouncer (she can stand up and feels so proud of herself), and learning to wave! Granted, its her squeezing her outstretched hand at you for now, but she feels so accomplished.

I am reveling in this learning stage. She takes every thing in and wants to do everything she sees mommy and daddy do. She is refusing to nap unless I am with her, which warms my heart and neglects the last few boxes I've yet to unpack. She is sleeping through the night, which is fantastic! By bed time I am worn out and ready for alone time. And then half an hour later I miss her. Moms, oy.

This season of life is like a roller coaster, but not in a bad way. There are ups and downs throughout the day, but overall, I am so so happy and blessed. My husband has one more semester before graduating and hopefully finding a graphic design job with better hours and pay, and now that this semester is over, he'll be home more for the summer. We are ecstatic!

I told my husband earlier this week that all my teenage dreams have come true. My childhood was miserable, and all I wanted was a happy family of my own. I knew I was called to be a wife and stay at home mom. I wanted a sweet, cozy home where things matched and every thing had a place. And as I look at our new home, my life with my little family, every thing I ever wanted has come true. I am so thankful, and so happy. Happier than I have ever been! And I am sure to remind myself of that whenever I have a hard day.

This week has been hard to say the least. But it will be gone before I blink my eyes twice. Revel in the seasons of your life, enjoy the little things, those special moments. They pass all too quickly. I will enjoy my teething, biting, 7 month old. Before I know it she'll be graduating high school.

Parenting: The Hardest Best Job Ever

Motherhood can be hectic. It can be super hard, yet the most amazing thing ever. I've had days where I just want to go hide under the covers and not come out for three days (hey, I'd get caught up on sleep too). I've also had days that are so amazingly close to perfect, I'm in awe.

Moms (and dads) have the best job ever. Parenting is also the most challenging job ever. You are raising a human. A soul that will one day be a functioning part of society. The morals you instill in them, the example you lead, the things you say, mold and form them. Your words of encouragement or discouragement become a part of who they are. That's a pretty big deal.

And this child, is so so wonderful.  They are a part of you, whether they grew in your belly or they grew in your heart til they could come to you. You have more connection to this "job" than any other you could work for.

I look at my daughter this morning and I have so much love for her. My heart swells and aches inside me with the love I have for her. She is so sweet and lovely. Her huge grins, her baby giggles. I love being her mom.

In the morning she is the happiest baby ever. Well, she is usually pretty smiley and happy, but when she's well rested more-so than ever. On the days that are especially long, or the days she just refuses to nap, but supper time I am totally frazzled. I cannot wait for her to go to bed. And then when she is, I miss her wrinkly eyes and toothy grins, and her adorable smell, and I feel crazy cause I miss her and want to squeeze her.

Internally, Exhausted Alyssa is saying "What's wrong with you?! Go have some tea and go to bed! Or read a book, you never get to do that anymore."

And then Crazy-In-Love Mom Alyssa says back "But she smells so good, and I want to cuddle."

It's an inner battle haha. Cause moms are just crazy about their kids.

Right now, Bree is in her Bumbo seat  playing with a stuffed pig, periodically looking up to see if I'm paying attention; whining if I'm not, grinning if she catches my eye.

It's been a good day so far. She has watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (second favorite after Tangled) while I brewed some coffee. I listened to her squeals as I poured my creamer into my mug, which soon turned to a cry when she realized I wasn't enjoying Mickey with her.

So, I enjoyed my coffee with a nursing baby who was extremely happy her mommy was holding her, with Mickey Mouse in the background.

I loved it.

A few days ago, I had a fussy teether who wouldn't let me put her down to pee, let alone unpack the tons of boxes we still have around the house. I didn't get to eat til my husband came home from work, she didn't nap, cried all day, the house was a mess, and I wanted to pull my hair out. I tried going on the computer and she ripped the space bar off the keyboard (Justin, if you read this, I promptly fixed it!)

I yelled in exasperation. I felt like a horrible mom. But, that happens sometimes, and it's okay. We can't beat ourselves up for mistakes or frustration. When Bree looked at me in shock I immediately picked her up (I was crying this time) and we cuddled in bed with boobie milk and Once Upon A Time til Daddy came home.

I am a new mom, but what I am learning in my current season of parenthood, is this. The house will not always be perfect. The house will rarely be perfect. Or never, you know. And it is OKAY.

I get extremely frustrated with myself when I don't get enough done at home. But in retrospect, I'd rather have held my baby when she needed me, than folded all the laundry in one sitting with a screaming infant who is wondering why mommy isn't helping her.

Being a mommy is really hard some days, easier on others, but is always wonderful. Even on days when the baby won't stop crying, or you didn't get anything done, all that matters is the baby knew her/his mommy was there to comfort him. (for more on my take on Cry It Out click here).

When I was pregnant everyone told me their horror stories of birth and parenting. Why do people do that?! So frustrating. Let me say this, and can be hard. Some days are the hardest you'll know, but... it's totally worth it, because it's for this tiny being you love more than words can express.

I gave birth, at home, without drugs. Hardest thing I have ever done, but so rewarding. I was determined to breastfeed; it was hard not going to lie. But we pressed on, got through it, and now it's a breeze, we love it, and its a totally blessing (health wise, emotion wise, bond wise) for both of us. The days before "sleeping through the night" (which ps, they'll do in their own time, every baby is different, don't rush!) were super hard. But so worth it.

As our children get older, we teach them about the world, how to love others, how to love themselves. It starts early. I'm definitely still working on that. I need to lead by example. And it is a definite challenge. But I do it for her. This amazing sweetheart I love more than myself.

When I hear 14 year olds say how much they want to have a baby, I totally am that person that tells them how hard it is. It changes your lifestyle, and it's a delusion to think it won't. I want kids to be able to enjoy their childhood/teen years. Yet, if a 14 year old came to me telling me she was pregnant, I'd support her, inform her, and tell her the challenges are worth it. Just love, educate yourself, don't be yourself up if you've done something wrong. Make it right, do better next time. And remember, you can NEVER hold them too much.