10 Month Checkup

We have been trying to take Claire for her 9 month checkup, but she has been sick for the last month.  They don't like to do well baby checks and vaccinations when they're sick, so on the day she turned 10 months, Ranger was finally able to take her.  Here's the report:

Height: 27 1/2 in (30th percentile)
Head: 43 cm (14th percentile)
Weight: 15 lbs, 4 oz (1.3 percentile - not on the charts)

The doctors rounded her percentiles, but I used this calculator below to find the exact numbers.  When they said she was off the charts, I wanted to know exactly where she fell in weight.  Change the unit to pounds and enter 15.25 and see for yourself!  (Her bday is 12-7-10 and change to female)


By infantchart.com

So the instructions are to fatten her up.  Add butter to her foods, but not go overboard.  Give her formula, since nursing will not provide enough fat.  We started adding formula to her diet a month ago.  She likes it, but she doesn't usually take more than 4 oz.  She wants the real thing, and there are just too many more fun things to do than eat!  Last night we asked for a bowl of shredded cheese at On the Border and she liked that.  Any other fattening recommendations, appropriate for a baby?

Other than that, she got her flu shot and some other shot that I have no idea what it's for.  And she's already sick with a cold.  Poor baybay.

Uh oh!

Claire said her first "word" yesterday...



... and ate her toes for dessert today.



Sorry you have to turn your computer sideways.

Reasons I Want to Quit Pinterest (Well, not really)

I love wasting time on Pinterest.  However, due to the following annoyances, I may have to quit.

1. The pressure I feel when I see all the cute crafts and treats that I will never have time to make.
2. The fact that any gift idea I could use, I won't, because everyone will know I got it from Pinterest (embarrassing!).
3. Pins of crafts made with the most obscure materials one could find.
4. Anchor charts.
5. I am so overwhelmed by the things I have pinned to try, it feels like I am just making my to-do list longer.
6. Burlap.
7. Cutesy maternity photography.
8. Mantel decorating ideas that make me want to buy a mantel to decorate.
9. Printable tags.  Sure I can print the design, but how do you get it to be that shape?  I don't cut that straight.
10. Owls.

However... you will still see me pinning things because, just like Claire's baby book, the scrapbook from our first year of marriage, and the material scraps I plan to learn to sew with, I am a sucker for unrealistic project ideas.  :)

Things I Have Done Lately That Have Caused Me To Wonder When I Will Get Better At Life

1. Shook up Claire's strawberry-flavored (and COLORED) amoxycillin... without the lid.

2. Gotten thrown up on by a baby who is apparently sensitive to oatmeal.  In my hair, her hair, my clothes, her ears, my legs, and the floor.  Sticking to rice cereal from now on.

3. Spilled my whole grande peppermint mocha (which means dark syrup) alllll ovveeerrrrr the inside of my car.  First thing this morning.  Did that stop me from getting another one though?  Nope.  Thankfully the nice people at Starbucks felt sorry enough for me to not make me pay for the second one.  This is probably what kept the tears from coming.

4. Forgotten Claire's milk at school and remembered at 10 at night, and had to go get it when the custodians were waxing the floor.  They probably wonder when I will ever leave that place.

5. When teaching my kindergartners how to write what is real to them, I used the non-example of a fairy princess.  There go their dreams of visiting Disney World and seeing the castle.  It's just a building now.  And there go my plans for having the Book Fairy bring us a new book to read.  That's what happens when you move from teaching the big kids in fourth grade to the sweet babies in kindergarten who haven't even gotten a visit from the Tooth Fairy yet.

6. Left Claire at home with no diapers.  Ranger and I couldn't leave work, and MG (who was so sweet to stay with us for my first week of work) didn't have the carseat, so the little biddle had to wear the same wet diaper all day.

Good thing I can't think of enough to make this a top ten.  I'm sure there are enough, just can't think of them now.  Probably from lack of sleep after the dog gate I put in our bathroom caused my husband to fall and bust his elbows in the middle of the night.  Yep.  Good thing I can only think of six things.

Tuesday Top Ten - Necessary Evils

You know, the things that are very annoying to have to do, but you kinda can't live without them.  This has been my list in my head lately because of number 1...

1. Pumping.  I only did this at night (some nights) in the summer to keep my supply up, but now I have to do it three times a day since I'm back at work.  Oh well.  My goal is four more months!

2. Velcro.  If so many baby items need it (swaddles in particular, which are used when the baby is sleeping), why does it have to be so LOUD?

3. Eating.  I go through seasons when I actually enjoy eating, but when it's 105 degrees outside, I'm trying to set up a Kindergarten classroom, and I have a baby on my hip most of the day, I do not feel like or have time to eat.

4. Using the restroom.  Too many other things to do!

5. Brushing, flossing, washing my face.  I put these together because I have to do all three before going to bed.  I've tried to be a rebel and go to bed with my makeup on a few times, but I'm up within three minutes because I can't stand the thought of waking up in shame.  :)

6. Going to the post office.  This has to be one of my least favorite errands.  I just want to ship a package that should take 30 seconds, and if it were smaller, I could just stick it in the mailbox.  But since it's a box, I have to go stand in line for 20 minutes with, you guessed it, a baby on my hip.

7. Paying utility bills.  Ours last month was the highest it's ever been, and the highest I've heard of out of  my friends in the area.  However, our a/c runs nonstop just to keep it 75 degrees.  I can't see where we could cut back.  Ready for fall and winter!

8. Sweeping and mopping!  We have too much dog hair not too, and since the biddle is crawling everywhere, we have to be even more diligent.

9. Keys.  I have keyless entry to my car, so I never know where they are when I get to the door holding my purse, diaper bag, and a baby on my hip (in a van down by the river).

10. Baby carseat.  I wish wish wish I could hold her in my lap while driving or riding and that this were the safest place for her.  But it's not.  So on long trips we can either listen to her cry the saddest cry in the world, or I can ride in the back and get carsick from trying to make her happy, which doesn't work anyway because she really just wants to be held.

Anything you can't live with, can't live without??

A Couple of Northgate Vintage Lists to Get You Through the Weekend

Top Questions We Get at Northgate Vintage:

1. Where do you get your stuff?  Garage sales?
2. How long have y'all been here?
3. Are you the girl who makes the dresses?
4. Are these clothes used?
5. Is my car gonna get towed?
6. Are these all the TOMS you have?
7. When will y'all get more TOMS?
8. Are there any other vintage shops in this town?
9. Do y'all take credit cards?
10. Are y'all hiring?
11. Are those all your records on the walls?
12. Do y'all buy used clothes?
13. So do people just donate all this?

Top Comments About Northgate Vintage:

1. I feel like I'm in Austin!
2 and 3 (after coming up the stairs).
- Uuuuhhhh.  That was my workout for the day!
- I'm dizzy!
4. I didn't know this store existed!
5. Oh my gosh, ______ would LOVE this place!
6. I've always heard about this place, now I'm finally getting to stop by!
7. I have so many pairs of TOMS.  They're all I wear.  This is my ___th pair!
8. I need to clean out my grandpa's closet.  I bet he has some things you could sell!

Tuesday Top Ten - Summer Munchies

Since having Claire (well really, since getting married), I haven't been the healthiest eater.  This summer, it's been so much easier to run through the drive-thru at Chic-fil-a than to make something at home.  It's just hard to go to the grocery store with the biddle now because if I put her in the cart she cries, and if I put her in the Baby Bjorn, she eats my grocery lists out of my hand (really - it's happened numerous times.  Sneaky little thing!)  But no more excuses.  I am taking baby steps to add more veggies to my diet, eat at home to save money, and have three meals a day (instead of one meal of chicken tenders and waffle fries).  These are my typical meals this summer:

1. Southwestern Egg Beaters with spinach, oatmeal, and decaf HEB Houston Blend coffee.
2. Turkey sandwich on 15 Grain bread with spinach.
3. Crackers and cheese and brussels sprouts.
4. Fully-cooked frozen chicken breast and mixed veggies.
5. Lean Cuisine and asparagus.
6. California Club Pita.

And for dessert.  I can't be healthy all the time.

7. Cookies and Cream ice cream.
8. Amaretto chocolate syrup ice cream soup.
9. Lindor truffles.
10. Sea Salt Soiree Ghirardelli Chocolate.

Any other quick/healthy/economical/yummy suggestions??

Tuesday Top Ten - Lifesaving Baby Items

* These aren't necessarily recommendations, just what has been helpful for us specifically.

1. Miracle Blanket. Claire lived in this, day and night, the first two to three months. It was the only swaddle she couldn't break out of. We still use it when our current swaddle needs to be washed.

1/31/11

2. Rock 'N Play Sleeper. This is where she slept until she moved into our bed at 2 1/2 months old. It's so light and easy to move into any room.

1/24/11

3. Snap n' go stroller. Our first outing with Claire was to the mall on New Year's Eve. We didn't have to wake her to take her out of her car seat, and the lull of pushing her around in it (and mall noise) helped her stay asleep.

12/31/10

4. Soothie pacifier. When Claire was almost two weeks old, she started crying for an hour every night and sometimes during the day. She hadn't taken a paci up to this point, but one night, I tried the Soothie, and it worked like a dream! This led to us being able to take her in public, sleep, and just enjoy her without having to jump up and down on the couch to soothe her.

1/5/11

5. Baby Bjorn. We started putting her in it when she was 8 lbs. (smallest they can be in it) and haven't stopped! We use it almost every day. She's so happy in it, and we can have use of both hands!

3/30/11

6. Medela Pump in Style Breast Pump.

(Sorry, no pic ;) )

7. Graco Pack 'n Play. At first, we just used this as our changing station and storage for the millions of items we needed to have access to. Then we moved it next to our bed and attempted to have her sleep in it, but somehow she always ended up in our bed. We still use it for a changing station, but we're about to have to take the bassinet section down so our little monkey doesn't climb over the edge.

5/10/11

8. Exersaucer. Leah let us borrow this. This is the first time she used it, at three months, and she was in it every day for the next two months.  This was the only way we could shower, eat, or clean for awhile!

3/18/11

9. Halo SleepSack Swaddle. This is what we use now. The pics are from when she was smaller, so this is the newborn size. We now use the small, and I think she'll fit in it at least another month or two. I know most babies aren't swaddled when they're seven months old, but she sleeps so much better = we sleep so much better! :)

4/13/11

10. Summer Infant Video Baby Monitor. We didn't use this until Claire was 5 1/2 months old. This is when she moved upstairs to her crib, instead of sleeping in our bed and napping in the pack n' play in our room. Here's a pic Ranger sent me when he was home with Claire:

6/25/11

Tuesday Top Ten - Skills I Think It Would Be Cool To Have (But Not Magic Tricks)

1. Speak other languages fluently, preferably German and Spanish
2. Talk people into telling the truth (ahem, Casey Anthony)
3. Interior decorating
4. Cut and style hair
5. Throw ingredients into a pot/pan/dish and make a delectable treat, without following a recipe
6. Singing
7. Dancing.  I have more fun with choreographed routines than just going out dancing, so I would love to be able to see a routine one time and do it well like some of the contestants on So You Think You Can Dance.
8. Tumbling.  Even in my cheerleading days, this wasn't my strong point.  I would LOVE to run outside and do a roundoff backhandspring whipback backhandspring backhandspring layout!  :)
9. Be a great Kindergarten teacher
10. Be a great mom to Claire and wife to Ranger.  I know that is really two things but I want a top ten list.

What skills would YOU love to have??

First List of the Week

Oh how I love lists!  To do lists, favorites lists, etc. etc. etc.!  They are constantly running through my head about various topics.  So maybe I'll start a list of the week.  But, given my blogging track record, I will probably say it will be every week, and this may be the only one.  We shall see.  Here we go!

This list has been in my head today.  Over the last couple of years, as we have moved into a home and had a baby, we've (happily) had to prioritize and make some adjustments.  Sometimes I wish I could go back and make these changes earlier and put all the money we would have saved into a big jar!  :)

Things I Used to Splurge On (And How it is Today):

1. Then: Veritas, complete with appetizers, bottle of wine, and dessert
- Now: If we really wanna live it up - Dominos Pizza and Cinnastix

2. Then: Mach 3 Turbo razor blades
- Now: Schick Extreme3 Disposable Razor Blades - 8 for around $10 instead of $24.  They work just as well, but you do have to be more careful to avoid nicks and cuts.

3. Then: Monthly pedicures
- Now: Salon pedicures every other month or so in the Spring and Summer (a girl's gotta live a little!), home self-pedicures in between and during Fall and Winter

4. Then: Weekly bottles of wine, and only the best (well, up to $30 and an accidental $50 purchase on our honeymoon)
- Now: Maybe every other week, and $10 max.  Probably even less than that, mainly because I'm so tired these days after the babygirl goes to bed, and I don't want to make myself even more drowsy!

5. Then: Anthropologie home decor
- Now: Clearing out all that home decor to simplify.  Speaking of, Ranger showed me this helpful blog this morning.

6. Then: Technology convenience items (av and electric adapters for car, extra phone chargers, wireless internet...)
- Now: Nope.

7. Then: Anything medical or dental that was recommended
- Now: Only if it's life or death, or covered 100% by insurance... or I guess if a tooth were to fall out, but I probably wouldn't pay for the temporary fix.  I could be snaggletooth for a few weeks while waiting for the real thing.  :) However, Claire is an exception - whatever is recommended for our little biddle.

8. Then: Almost daily Starbucks drinks and oatmeal
- Now: This and this.

9. Then: Bimonthly massages
- Now: "Scree" (as in Ranger "screes" my back at night or I "scree" his head when we watch TV).

10. Then: Prescriptives or Lancome Mascara
- Now: CoverGirl Lash Blast Fusion

What are some creative ways you have cut back?  Any recommendations for other quality, yet inexpensive items or services that you have used to replace former "splurges"?

Happy 1/2 Birthday Claire!

I can't believe our little biddle is six months old!  Time really does fly.  Everyone tells us that, and we have seen that it's so true.  It feels like only yesterday that we were taking her home from the hospital, trying to figure out how to change a diaper!

Here are some pics taken by an awesome photographer in McAllen.  Look at other posts on her blog - she's fabulous!

Also, she had her six month check-up today.  She's in the 5th percentile for height and weight.  She was in the 10th, but the doctor said she looks great and healthy, and that it's not uncommon for breastfed babies to drop down a little in percentile at this age.  Time for solid foods!  She's tried a few and loves rice cereal, carrots, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash.  Those are all orange foods though so we have to watch out because if we feed her too much, she'll turn orange.  :)  She hates pears, bananas, and prunes.  So weird because I love sweets and ate them all the time when I was pregnant.

Speaking of foods, since I've been home and need to feel productive while she's napping, I've been making her food.  A friend gave me a great cookbook that gives simple recipes that involve steaming or baking veggies and fruits and pureeing them.  Oxo makes great baby food freezer trays.  Just freeze the puree and pop them out of the ice trays and store in containers or freezer baggies.

And finally, Ranger and I are getting to sleep at night!  She is now on a schedule.  It was impossible before because she was somewhere different every other day during the school year.  Now, she takes two to three naps a day and sleeps 12 hours at night.  And in her own room!  So Ranger and I are sleeping in the guest room upstairs so we can be next to her.  More for us than her!  :)

I'll leave you with a few pics from our visit to McAllen last week.  She went swimming for the first time and LOVED it!  Can't wait for more fun in the sun with her.

Another Reason I Don't Blog

My last post was titled "Mother's Day Part 1 - ...," which implied that Part 2 would soon follow.  Well, I started to write Part 2 about how wonderful my mom, stepmom, mom-in-law, and grandmom are, but then Claire needed me, I had to go to sleep, I had to work, etc.  Normally, blog posts don't take too long, but since it was going to be dedicated to my wonderful "moms," I wanted it to be perfect, and I wanted each "mom" to have the same amount written for her.  I think this pressure I put on myself is why I don't like to update.  It becomes a chore hanging over my head that I avoid.  Which is why I quit doing the birthday posts.  Not that anyone in my family is a chore, it's just that I'm having a hard time finding time to devote to giving you the BEST birthday/mother's day/etc. post you deserve.  If it's not perfect, why even do it?  That attitude carries over into other areas of my life, and since Claire has come along, I've realized that something's gotta give.  So Mom, Micah, MG, and Nanny - I love you so very much.  I am SO thankful for all of you wonderful moms in my life, and so thankful that Claire has a GiGi, Mimi, Migi, and Nanny in her life to love her.  I can't wait to see you all again!

Mother's Day Part 1 - Thoughts and Prayers

Normally on Mother's Day, I'm finishing up a school year, getting excited about this cute new boy that I just had my first date with (my husband, duh!  Our first date was May 7, 2008), and rushing out to get the perfect card or gift and get it in the mail by Wednesday.  But this year, due to my blog addiction and people around me going through different situations, I've also been thinking about those whose Mother's Days are completely different from mine.

Some are bittersweet, the first after the loss of a mother or wife, filled with sadness and sweet memories.  Some are a miracle, due to having baby who has a congenital medical condition, or after a long battle with fertility issues.  And some are incredibily painful, after the loss of a child, or because they are currently walking through infertility.  (Sidenote: I do not personally know either of the authors of these blogs, but I know people who know them, and I keep up with them and think about them and pray for them often.  Is that creepy?  Hope they don't mind! :) )

Also, I am usually a bit more sensitive about these kinds of things, but Friday was a busy and crazy day at school.  With only 20 minutes left in our day before our Spring Singalong, I remembered that we should probably do something for Mother's Day!  So as I hurriedly grabbed construction paper and told the class that we're going to make cards for Mother's Day, one of my student's face dropped.  His mom has not been involved in his life, and has been in and out of jail (and currently in).  He does have a grandmother and a lady who helps his dad with him, which of course is not the same.  I told him he could make a card for either of them, or for another teacher in the school for Teacher Appreciation Week.  He ended up reading and laughing with a friend, so that worked out. But as that child, how heartbreaking (and annoying) it must be to go through this every year.

This year will also be hard for the Flowers family, who (whom?) many of you have heard of.  They are four boys who lost both of their parents within three months.  I taught Tyler this year, and Brandon a few years ago.  They are now living with their grandmother in Colorado.  You can read about them here.

So even though I rejoice this Mother's Day in the fact that I now am a mom, and that I have four wonderful "moms" in my life, my heart has been a little heavy this weekend as I think of what this day means for so many others.  I lift them up in prayer, and pray that their weekends are filled with comfort, peace, memories, hope, and joy.

What are YOU?

Lately I have been obsessed with personality tests. I guess I just go through times of self-reflection and discovery, and this is one of those times! I've taken the Myers-Briggs before, and got ISFP, which really didn't describe me. I have absolutely no artistic ability, and that type is known as "The Artist." So I took this version of the same test, with easier questions, and it says I'm ESFJ. My mom said, "Yes yes yes that is you!" and Ranger said so too. So if you don't know me, well, here (and here) is everything you could ever want to know! What did it say you are, and do you agree?? And do you recommend any other tests?

Countdown to Summer!

I am using this ticker in my classroom. Countdown to 24/7 with Clairebear! :)

Did you REALLY think I'd never be back?

Ok I'm going to try to keep this thing updated. To be honest, I lost my steam because I didn't know anyone read it! But thanks to Carley and Morgan, who commented on the last post, I am inspired to write today. :) So here's what's going on with the Ewing household, OLDest to youngest:

Ranger:

- Started back on Body 4 Life Monday. Just the eating part though. Workouts will come soon, I'm sure of it.

- Has been making frequent secret trips to the antique store downtown to get treasures for NGV. That's how he gets his fix. I get mine in the baby section of Target and Old Navy. To each his (her) own.

- Wishes he worked full-time at NGV.

- Keeps Claire Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Baby Bjorn is his best friend.

- Has rynoradio up and running again. Ch-check it out! rynoradio (and NGV blog here)

Of course there's more to him than that, but maybe he'll want to revive his own blog to tell you about it. :)

Megan: I went back to work February 15 after 10 weeks home with Claire. I miss her and think about her throughout the day, but I know she's in good hands with her daddy on T/TH and Bethany M/W/F. Of course when I'm home I spend every waking (ok, and sleeping) minute with her. And I've somehow figured out how to be way more efficient at work so I can be outta there at 3:30. Can't wait for summer though! More about me another day. :)

Norman: Acting like an old man these days. Somehow he hurt himself turning a corner in the kitchen. He was moping around for a few days, so I took him to the vet. Two x-rays and $100 later, he seems to have pulled a muscle or pinched a nerve. Oh Normie.

Claire: So much to say about the little biddle! Let's break it down.

Milestones -

* Started smiling around 5 weeks.

* Started cooing around 5 or 6 weeks.

* Started turning towards voices and following objects/people (not sure when this started).

* Rolled over from tummy to back the day before she turned three months old.

* Laughs.

* Reaches for things, like people's mouths when they talk.

* Grabs and holds things like blankets, pacis, toys, my hair...

* Holds her head up high during tummy time and controls it well on her own when we have her upright.

Likes -

* Her exersaucer.

* When we blow puffs of air into her face.

* Peek-a-boo.

* The toys hanging from her car seat handle.

* Sleeping between Mom and Dad. Every night. We love it too. :)

* To be center of attention. As soon as we get our food at a restaurant or sit down to eat at home, she wants to be held. I'm getting really good at eating right-handed since I hold her with the left. :) Also, we went to the mall today and she apparently loved the way her voice echoed in there. She kept yelling "Ahhh" but she was content. Not sure if the other shoppers thought it was as cool as she did.

* Her baths.

* To jump. Loves her jumparoo.

* Wishes she could stand all the time.

* TV. We don't turn it on for her specifically, but if we're watching it, her head twists around to find it!

* When her dad plays the guitar and sings to her.

* Her Miracle Blanket.

* Her left pointer finger. Also, she figured out how to suck her thumb last night when I was holding her. It was so cute I teared up a little.

Other info you must know -

* Wearing 3-6 months clothes.

* Weighs 11.5 lbs.

* Stays awake a lot during the day. Usually takes one long nap and a few shorter ones.

* Sleeps most of the night. She wakes up to eat once but falls back asleep quickly while she eats. Goes to bed around 11, wakes up for the day around 9:30.

* Has blue eyes right now.

* Her hair is growing, getting lighter, and maybe a little curly!

* Claire's four month doctor's appointment is tomorrow. Please pray that all is well. :)

Thanks for sticking with me this long! Be back soon.