Monday, June 29, 2009

One Fish, Two Fish, Pink Fish, Blue Fish

With temperatures in the 100s, there's little relief from the sweltering heat and the poor AC only gets a break between 3 and 5am until the sun comes up again. So, Nathan and I decided to do the responsible thing and do our part to conserve energy and keep our house cool by not drying any of our clothes. Well, not exactly. Our 19 year old dryer finally died. Thus, forcing us to invade a friend's house to complete a couple of loads for the work week.

This gave us a perfect opportunity to try out the new giraffe pool at the Anderson's. It was the first time for both Colt and Anna Jane to go swimming. Looks like we have a couple water babies! Which at least for Anna Jane is a good thing. The Bradshaw clan doesn't take water lightly. You practically have to ski by the age of 6. Okay, Okay, 8. But, still. Water is a requirement. Ask Nathan. He had to learn to float in the lake for a minimum of 5 hours at a time before we were permitted to say "I do". To this day, I still don't know why he puts up with us.

Our lil' fishies in action. Be sure to listen for Colt's Ewok giggle. And always the lady, Anna Jane has a more subtle chuckle to listen for when her swimmin' buddy gets excited.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

4 years!

Dear Nathan,

It's hard to believe that it has only been four years since we promised to be together forever. Most people wonder where the time went. When I look back, I wonder how we have crammed so much into the almost 10 years we've been together. On this, our fourth wedding anniversary, I want you to know that I love you more today than I thought imaginable standing at the altar staring up at you. You are my very best friend and honestly the most understanding person I know. And I know that I'm pretty hard to understand.

Thank you for following my every whim. Thank you for always supporting me when I start something and then quit and then start it again. Thank you for making so much effort to turning our house into the home that it is. Thank you for sticking with me in all of the hard, busy, and stressful times when I know I'm not easy to stick with. Thank you for leaving notes for me and writing poems for me and for switching cars with me so I don't have to put gas in mine. Thank you for always vacuuming and never making me clean the bathrooms. Thank you for making our yard the best on the block. Thank you for paying all of our bills and transferring money in our account since I never can remember our account number. Thank you for staying up late to study and for always calling me on your way home to see if I need anything. Thank you for loving my family. Thank you for giving me the most beautiful gift I could have ever asked for, Anna Jane. Thank you for loving her and talking to her every morning so I can hear her laugh while getting ready for work. Thank you for staying up to give her her last bottle so that I can go to sleep. Thank you being protective of her and researching ways to help her sleep better and eat better. Thank you for secretly planning special times that we can spend together even when we don't have much time. Thank you for my Chi.

Thank you for all of the other joys you have brought to my life over the years. I love you and look forward to another year of things to be thankful for.






Sunday, June 14, 2009

Big Girl Stroller

This is how I roll...

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

5 Dollar footlonnng...

No, this post isn't about cold cut combos. Although, it was one of the only things I craved while pregnant. That and Diet Coke with lime. No, I just get that dang Subway jingle in my head every time I think of what today is; Anna Jane's 5-month birthday. 5 months! Can you believe it? I sure can't. That's like 1 month away from 6 months, which is halfway to the 1 year mark , which is just 17 more years until I might actually get a full night of sleep again. Oh, how the time has flown.





5 month stats:



Formula:
*6 oz. Today marks when Anna is supposed to start having rice cereal twice a day. Sounds easy enough. However, she refuses to eat it even once a day. The poor teachers at her daycare have quite a time coercing her to even swallow a couple of bites. I just don't know where she gets her stubbornness from. (wink wink). And she definitely got her eating habits from her dad. That girl is the slowest eater. And don't event THINK of feeding her while the TV is on.

Likes:
*Grabbing for toys, necklaces, hair, hands.
*Chewing on the burp cloth.
*Doing crunches. ALL the time. (One reason I sometimes think we brought the wrong baby home. Nobody in this family exercises on a regular basis. If it weren't for her dad's chin and my pinkie toe, I would be convinced that she was switched at birth with the true Blais baby.
*Curling in a ball and grabbing her feet. Especially in the car seat and in her crib.
*Superbaby with Mommy.
*3-2-1 Blastoff with Daddy.
*Kissing noises. MMMMUah!
*Tummy Zerberts
*Sitting on your lap and lunging herself back and forth.

Dislikes:
*Tummy time. Still.
*Putting weight on her legs. I told the daycare teachers, "Homegirl ain't stupid. She knows how much she weighs."
*Anyone messing with her mouth in any way shape or form. (this includes medicine, orajel, showing off the teeth, using a spoon etc.)

Favorite Songs:
Skinnamarinky Dinky Dink
The Good Morning song

Other Stuff:
*Anna Jane has almost (if not already) outgrown the 29 inch limit on her infant car seat, so Nathan and I are in the process of researching a new one. Thus bringing us to now having to put her in a highchair when eating out. And thus bringing us to never eating out again.
*Ever since she came to the age when she should be rolling over - she won't. It seems she thinks to herself, "It was only special when no one else my age could do it. And I'm an above average kind of girl, so there's no need for that anymore." *sigh*
*Anna Jane is not fond of laying on the floor. Tummy or back. She wants to constantly be sitting up, mostly in some one's lap, where she can see all the action.
*She is starting to realize the difference between someone being there and not being there. She knows when she's alone in the room and does NOT like it. And as a child related to me, she lets you know when she doesn't like something.

For your viewing pleasure and to torture her when she's older, here's a video of Anna Jane completing her daily exercises and one of her playing with Daddy. Ignore the commentary. I don't know who the two dorks that filmed it are:


No need for a trainer:



Anna playing with Daddy:



For the grandparents. Anna ate solids. Once.


Sunday, June 7, 2009

Pearly Whites

Or maybe I should say pearly nubs. Whatever you call them, Anna Jane's got 'em. Two of them in fact. Right in the center on the bottom.

She's been a little fussy lately, but Nathan and I figured it had to do with a lingering ear infection and the end of a bout with croup. But, as the fussiness continued and the never-ending gnawing began, teething was looking more and more like the culprit for a normally laid back baby. Sure enough, after a quick glance into her mouth, I discovered on Saturday morning that our nearly five month old has already started teething. Then tonight, after her bath, I was taking a look at her little white nub and realized that she has another little "toopher" poking out right next to it.

You would think that after being a mom for almost five months, that this would change, but it hasn't. I still think to myself, "Hmmm. Those other 5,647 moms that I've ever talked to in my life were right." Right on cue, Anna Jane has displayed all of the characteristic symptoms including drooling everywhere, chewing on everything, inconsolable crying, not eating and just simply not acting like herself. More than once during a screaming fit the past couple of days she has given me the saddest little face ever. Simply a look that says, "Mommy, help me." Ugh. It just breaks my heart.

I'm still pointing fingers at all of those moms in my life that neglected to tell me: "Hey. Liz. You should know that being a mom is the hardest darn thing I've done in my life. You will experience more ups and downs. You will cry more. You will smile more. You will never sleep again (this one I actually did hear. once). You will get over your fear of baby spit, throw-up and boogers and you will worry more than you ever thought possible." And for all of you other moms in my life that didn't neglect to tell me: "Liz, being a mom will be the absolute greatest thing you will ever experience."; I would have to say to you, I completely agree.

Now, I must end this and go apply a little pink glob of goo to the inside of my daughter's mouth. Glamorous.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

May Day! May Day!

It may be time to channel my inner Police and start sending out an S.O.S. For my blog.

I know I haven't blogged in almost a month, but to be honest, I had ABSOLUTELY nothing to say. Well, I take that back. I had ABSOLUTELY nothing to say the past month that didn't have something to do with:
*the five trips we took to the doctor
*the four medications Anna Jane has been on
*the three pairs of pants that I can no longer fit into
*the two plus twenty thank you cards I need to write and
*the one pan of brownies that I "made for my brother." (Hence the pants that don't fit.)

No. Actually the month of May was crazy busy for the Blais'. We had family in from Maine, a brother-in law graduation, Anna Jane's baptism, Mother's Day, Leave the baby with Liz while Nathan parties for three days weekend, family golf day, Nana's birthday, Sushi Club, Book Club, and a partridge in a pear treeeeeee. Throw in a couple big projects at work and a Human Resources conference and that about rounds out the past 31 days.

The biggest struggle of the month, though, would have to be the unending stream of viruses and other illnesses at our house. Poor Anna Jane has had a virus, an ear infection, the croup, the same ear infection again, and a month-long bout with congestion. Nathan and I expected a lot of illness the first year, but we had no idea that she would only attend daycare about half the time we were actually paying for it. I have to give props to my husband, though, who had to bear the brunt of nursing our little one to health. With no time off built up yet after maternity leave, I had to stick it out at my desk just wishing I could be at home snuggling with sick baby. I think Nathan and I figured up that we may have enough leave time to take a vacation in 2017. Although, if we ever consider having another one, it may be 2034.

We're coming up on Anna Jane's 5 month bday and as usual hope to have all of her stats for anyone interested; mainly her grandparents and the two girls at work who even still read this little blog. In the meantime, enjoy a few pics from the past month.

Because I'm a weirdo, I decided to challenge myself to making all of the picture descriptions start with "M" for May. Yes, I probably should be medicated.


"A Morning Montage"

"Muffin Top"



"Mugshot"

"Monday Night Must-Do"


"MMMMMuah!" (Ya know you wanna kiss my cheeks)


"My mom may never get me into this jacket again pic"

"Meteorology Buddies" (Yes, they are watching a tornado)


"Milestones!" (The first night Nathan & I saw Anna Jane reach for toys.)

"Meeting my Memere from Maine" (That's 3 Ms!)

"Mom and daughter Facebook time"



"My Pepere from Maine"


"My special times with Memere"