Happy 2015!

Our first Christmas with Berks went well. We did some traveling to see family over Christmas and Berklee got to meet a lot of my family.  She got some books and toys and lots of love. We spent the New Year at home. I was asleep by 10:30. Matt was awake until 1:30 binge watching The Wire.

I celebrated my 29th birthday yesterday doing things I love: spending time with my little family, volleyball, and eating. We went to the grocery store to get food for the week and, of course, Berk went with us. Well she had not pooped the day before, first time ever the girl had not pooped. So we were a bit nervous of when the big poop debut would occur. Sure enough in aisle 8 , the grunting and red face began. Not 10 seconds later I could smell her; probably the smelliest poo she has ever had. So here I am pushing a stink bomb around like a mad women knowing that this poopy diaper is a messy one. I would have changed her but I did not have a spare pair of pants (bad mommy- Rookie mistake).   I knew she needed new clothes because I asked Matt to check her, he hand checked under her bum and felt the wetness.  We get to the check out line and this high school girl is checking us out, she looks at Berklee and says "ah cute"; but then the smell must have reached her because she hardly looked up at us afterwards and only said thank you at the end. I am not exaggerating people, this was a bad one. We get home take her up to the bath, car seat and all. The poop was everywhere in her car seat , on her blanket, all over her leg, but magically hardly in the diaper. Hmmm. It was a two person job undressing her,  wiping her down, putting her in the tub, rinsing and washing her car seat and clothes.  This did not phase Berklee, she was cooing and trying to play with the wipes while we were wiping her.  Matt and I were laughing and in between the giggles I was gagging. It was the smelliest/messiest explosion to date. Happy birthday to me :)   But later that evening I got snuggles from Miss B.  Not the snuggles where I wrap her arms around me and try to push her head on my shoulder and hold her there. I mean the active snuggles where SHE nuzzles her head in the crook of my neck and stays there by CHOICE. That my friends, was a first. So overall a fantastic birthday.

I hope you all enjoyed the holidays and here's to 2015.

The spirit of Christmas

I love everything about Christmas. The music, the decor, the smell of winter, the joy in most people's faces, and just the overall feeling. But for some reason this year, I felt the stress of getting people gifts. Trying to find gifts that others would want/need. Busting it around the mall with Queen B in tow. Placing orders online, getting it in the mail and thinking "why the hell did I order this?" Simply put; it was a pain in the ass. Now that we have Berklee I think it is more fun to give her gifts than my husband or other family members. Butwhen she is older I want to adopt a more giving lifestyle. Not only to our family members but to those who need more than we need. I usually give a gift to someone on a giving tree. But I would love to expand to a family, or to volunteer somewhere with her.

I know that the annoyance I felt to be able to buy for multiple people deserves a slap in the face. I am blessed to be able to do that.  I am sitting here in the warmth of my house drinking a glass of wine, my hubby wrapping gifts, my dog sleeping by the door, and my baby sleeping by the glow of the Christmas tree and yet I find something to "complain" about. I clearly, have lost the spirit of Christmas.  Thankfully tonight I am reminded of what Chrismas should be about: family, love, and the reason for all my blessings, Jesus.  We have a stocking that is hung with Berklee's, and it says Jesus. We got it from a friend to help remind us that everything we have are gifts from God, and the only gift that matters is sharing that love and God's word with others.

So from our family to yours: Merry Christmas. Enjoy each other, love one another, and God Bless.

We have a roller

Berks can roll!  Only to her left, but whatever.  You put her on her tummy and in a second she flips to her back. Very exciting, but makes it difficult for me to go her neck exercises. Ya, that's right my baby works out. Haha. We took her to a PT appointment because she has flat head and are trying anything before the dreaded helmet. We have to do some stretches and repetitions so she will look the the right more freely. They seem to help when she isn't lying down to sleep.

The helmet: considered cosmetic so insurance does not cover it. 1500 bucks and she wears it 23 hours if every day. We will find out at her 6 month check up if it is still recommended that she get one.

Berklee is also eating rice cereal. She loves it. Slurps it like it is soup. Funny girl. We are still breastfeeding. She now latches like a champ. Note to all new mamas, if the babe is not hungry do not try to give them the boob. It causes automatic back arching, body stiffening, almost fall from your arms, crying chaos. Unless that is just my baby, she tends to be a little dramatic.

She turns 5 months in 5 days. It is crazy how fast this time is going. But each new month is do much fun.

her head doesn't look that flat does it?    Ah, we will see. If she needs it she needs it. I will just decorate it :)

"Ma'am, your wallet fell off your car!"

Yup, the title says it all.

I never had pregnancy brain but am making up for it now. Holy cow, I am more spacey than ever. Blame it on exhaustion or that every brain cell I have is constantly thinking "keep that baby alive", but almost everything not Berklee related slips my mind. For example I knew I had a dentist appointment at some point because it was on my calendar. I saw it the day before and crap, needed to find someone to watch a Berklee in short notice; thank you MIL. Also, I often forget to eat, especially in the AM. But the most recent, and the most eye opening DUH moment was a gut sinking, self angering moment; and it went like this.

My mom was in town so we were going to run a couple errands, the three of us.  First, we went to the gym, then of course a Target stop to get diapers. Got the diapers time to put everything in the car. My mom gets in, I set my wallet on top of the car to put the baby in, put the diapers in, put the cart away, then put myself in. And we are off!  I get onto the interstate and hear something, look in my rear view mirror just in time to see something fly and hit the car behind me. Thinking,  Hmm WTH, then out of my mouth " &u@$", my wallet flew off my car onto the interstate. Gut sinking, how the hell did I let that happen?!?!  Frantically I look for the next exit, and because I was panicking I took the wrong exit and took me 20 minutes longer to get back to the area. But the whole time the car behind me followed me to tell me that my wallet flew off my car. Thank you very kind people for telling me. sorry I probably gave you a heart attack when it hit your car, I hope it didn't break your window, I carry a lot of change.
I call the police station and a cop meets me at a gas station to discuss operation wallet retrieval.  First thing he says "at least it wasn't your baby". "You are right officer, if it was I think we would be having quite a different conversation."  "Gma can stay with baby, you get in with me."  Awkward stillness, my response "Do I get in the front or back?"  He gives me a gentle chuckle (thank God) and tells me to hop in front. So we head on the interstate and what do you know, there is my wallet. He puts his lights on so traffic will go to the other lanes and picks it up gets back in, pulls to the shoulder tells me to look it over and he goes back out to hunt for loose articles.
As he is hunting, I look through my wallet and my ID is whole (thank you Jesus, we all know how much of a pain the DMV is), my health insurance and car insurance card and PetCo card is there. And half of my debit and credit cards. The change in my wallet cut them in half; I really shouldn't carry so much. My checkbook, dental card and gift cards were missing. About 20 minutes later he comes back to the car with my halved cards, my checkbook as well as checks that had blown out, and a magnetic purple K. He said he didn't think the K was mine but found it fitting due to my name being Keefer.
The only thing He ended up not finding was one check, and my dental card. Everything else was recovered, isn't that amazing?
The ironic part is that a few days before,I was going to bring coffee to a police officer who was sitting in his car in a parking lot but Berklee got fussy so I decided to just go home. I told him this and he said " God didn't want you to do that at that time and so he set up an opportunity to send me to you". How amazing was that?!  I offered to buy him lunch or a pop or coffee and he refused. I was blessed to have this happen it may have been inconvenient but God had a plan. I was supposed to have an encounter with an officer, but not the way I had planned.
We said our goodbyes and I told him thank you a million times. Then I smiled and thought about how incredible God is, and how he knows your thoughts and your intentions. But puts you in situations more humbling and eye opening. I think God was saying to me, Heidi be present, take your time, ENJOY everything in front of you. So I will try to be less absent minded and more in tune with my surroundings.

Thank you to the officers and others who serve our community. And I pray that God keeps them safe.

By the way the K is on my fridge as a reminder.

Berklee blowouts.

Blowouts galore! As of lately poo has been seeping from her leg holes. And if it doesn't come out there, it shoots up her back. We are in size 2 and size 3 is too big. *sigh* good thing I love laundry!  HA

I know it's going to be bad when she grunts and pushes for a bit and nothing comes out right away.  And then all at once, explosion. Of course this happens right after I change her wet diaper. This child of mine is hilarious when she poops. Call me immature, but I can't help but laugh when she grunts, pushes, and gets red in public. And I swaer it happens at the most inappropriate times: at the vet's office as she is talking to me about Harvey's possible food allergy, at church during prayer, at a restaurant while the waiter is taking our order. Maybe it is the uncomfortableness of the situation, or the embarrassment that gets me; whatever it is I get the shoulder shaking giggles.

Well enough of that sh*t, literally.

Berklee has been a rockstar at tummy time. She is doing more than just sucking her hand and lying there. She is pushing herself up, kicking her legs, and screaming. Yup, she discovered she has a high pitched yell. It's cute. Even cuter when Matt matches that shrill yell so that she does it back.  I love them. Harvey likes tummy time too, he lays right next to her and then when I pick her up after she is done, he licks up her drool.

                                                  Tummy time break.

Soon she will be rolling over. It will be fun to see how Harvey reacts when she starts rolling/crawling towards him.

Mama needs a pot-of coffee that is

UFFDA!  I feel like I went back in time to 3 months ago. Overly tired and easily irritable. However, this time, it isn't because of Berklee (mostly).  Last night I kept hearing loud pops coming from behind our house. I got up to look out the window and could see 3 little flames, like from a lighter, at our fence line. It scared me, Matt was at class and I was home alone with the baby. Harvey was home but he is no attack dog. He is a lover not a fighter and afraid of EVERYTHING, he was actually under the bed growling; very helpful in making me freak out more. I couldn't help but think, are they waiting to see someone in a window and fire something at that person, waiting for someone to come outside and attack them?  I called Matt and told him what I saw/heard. He was just about home and when he was pulling in saw 3 teens taking off towards the pond in our neighborhood. This all occured at 10:00. It was quiet for awhile then the noises began again until probably midnight, finally I could sleep. 4 AM baby girl woke up happy/sad, you know, all baby bipolar.  She is happy to see me because I can feed her, but pissed because I am not feeding her at that EXACT moment.  4 AM, ugh, the time change.  We fall asleep for barely an hour more and then it's up for the day. YAY ( insert sarcasm).

So, mama needs a pot of coffee, but only because it isn't socially acceptable to have a drink this early. Yes I am tired. Yes I am a tad grumpier than usual. But what really has me needing that drink is what hit me this morning, and it hit be like a brick to the face. I HAVE A GIRL. In 16 short years those popping sounds may be rocks being thrown up at her window instead of (what we can only assume were) bottle rockets. The boys that were out and about causing ruckus are the same boys that will be chasing after her. And if time goes by as fast as it has, it will be here before we know it.

Don't blink
Don't wish time away
Savor the days you need coffee, and dread the days you need something stronger.

I am here NOW with a 3 month old baby girl, a skidish dog, and a busy,  but loving husband.  And I will enjoy every last drop.

B is a bee

Halloween has come and gone. Berklee was a Bumble Bee ( a few days before Halloween at a party)

As you can see, she loved it. It was a body suit, I did not know this when I bought it online. Come on, who makes a costume for an infant that is a body suit. The only opening was in the crotch, so the whole thing had to go over her head. It did not slide over her body very easily. It was hot; and the yellow and black fuzz came off very easily. She had fuzz sticking to her head, hands, neck roll, and it was getting in her mouth. I was constantly picking fuzz off her lips and hands. The costume was on just long enough for pictures. Not a great buy on my end, but she was a cute bee.  We decided to just dress her in a boo shirt and socks and a ruffle butt on the actual day of Halloween.

Now it is November. Daylight saving's time has ended. I was excited about getting an extra hour of sleep. HA, I forgot that baby girl does not have sense of this and instead of up at 6 or 7 (like normal) she woke up at 4. Go figure, my excitement of getting extra sleep is dashed by her waking up unusually early. I know, I should be grateful that she sleeps through the night, and I am. Just find it ironically funny that the night of an extra hour, she gets up an extra hour early.  Hmmmm, what other tricks are up your sleeve Miss B?  Can't wait for all the other unexpected situations she will bring us.