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My back has flared up again. I am having trouble doing every day things but I am trying to get by. There are moments through the day where I feel hopeless and down in the dumps but luckily those are few and far between. I try to keep my spirits up and am trying to take care of myself. Trying to eat less and get some walks in whenever the weather isn’t too cold. I know losing some weight will make me feel better so I am starting that journey.

We took Z to a new pediatrician today. I liked my old one but just didn’t feel like we were getting enough time and attention in the appointments. I actually took her to my pediatrician! The same guy that I saw from birth to about 18 years old when they finally kicked me out and told me I was too old to be seeing a pediatrician. We introduced Z to him and they gave her the other half of her seasonal flu shot. All in all, it was an excellent appointment! She’ll go back next month for the other half of her N1H1 vaccine and then we’ll see them again in January for her 9 month well baby check up.

Z is doing wonderful. She is such a fun and happy baby. Always smiling and laughing. The only time she ever cries is if she gets too hungry or when we put her down for naps or to bed at night. She has learned at a very early age that going to bed is For The Birds. She will usually fall asleep pretty quickly after putting her down. She also still needs a pacifier when going down for naps and bed which kind of bothers me but we still have a few more months before we really need to start the weaning process.

Oh and one new thing is that Z looooves cheerios or puffs. I’ve been giving her the puffs but I realized I could just as easily (and much much cheaper) give her Cheerios! She is still working on her coordination to get them into her mouth so only a few ever actually make it to her mouth (lucky Emma gets all the goodies that fall from the high chair!) which causes the OCD in me to kick in and start hand feeding them to her. I know she needs to learn and I try to stop myself from doing it but I wont lie, sometimes I just can’t help myself.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! I am really excited for Thanksgiving dinner and just spending time at my parent’s house. I’ll be honest, when I first moved out of the house and into an apartment with Gene, it didn’t feel like “home.” I still felt like I wanted to be at my parent’s house a lot. Don’t get me wrong, I loved being able to share a life with him but I just didn’t have that warm home feeling that I did at my parent’s house. So anyway, give or take 5ish years later and I really feel like our home is “home.” I think the day that happened was the day that we bought this house. And I actually like being at my house. I like everything about it and I really feel like THIS is home now. But I also love going back to my parent’s house and hanging out there because in the bottom of my heart, that will always be home.

On that note, I’ll leave you with a picture of my little peanut. Doncha just love her cloth diaper? Too cute to put pants over!

Candy :: Nov.25.2009 :: Baby Food, Family, Health, Zoey, Zoey's Firsts :: 3 Comments »

Today has not been a good Napping Type Of Day, if ya know what I mean. She took a good 2 hour nap this morning and has been down for a good hour now but during both naps, she has woken up crying several times and I’ve had to shush her back to sleep. I don’t know if she is having some nightmares/terrors or what. Poor little baby!

I forgot to mention that Z has her first cold. Well, it’s not officially diagnosed by a PhD, just your typical Mother’s Intuition Diagnosis. She sounds like a loud purring kitten when she breathes. She will cough from time to time to clear it out of her throat. She had a little bit of a runny nose this morning but I haven’t seen anything since then. She seems to sleep well (silently, no congestion) after we put a cool mist humidifier in her room. She is acting mostly her normal, happy self so I don’t think she is miserable.

As far as food goes, she has been so great with eating solids. So far she has tried sweet potatoes, butternut squash, apples, carrots, peas, green beans and banana and has liked all of it. The green beans took a couple of days for her to get used to but everything else she has loved. She especially likes it when I mix the butternut squash with apples. I’ve started giving her some of those “puffs” cereal pieces to work on her fine motor skills.. She is starting to get the thumb & index finger “pincer” grab down.. But still has some trouble with it. I tried giving her some peas and carrots cut up really small and she likes those too. She grabs the peas and they just squish in her hands and then she has trouble getting it into her mouth so I put the pieces on a spoon and spoon feed them to her.

Otherwise, things are fine here. Today I am having trouble getting anything done because all I can think about is poor Anissa and her family :( If you pray, please pray and if you don’t, please send good vibes or whatever it is that you do. Anissa needs it right now and her family needs it as well. When tragic things happen to fellow bloggers the whole blogosphere pulls together to unite and bring strength to friends and family. It’s amazing and so beautiful. Thinking of you today Anissa.. My heart is heavy and I am sending so many well wishes to you and your family.

Candy :: Nov.18.2009 :: Baby Food, Tragedy, Zoey :: 3 Comments »

So, I slacked off on writing something I’ve been thankful or every day this month. I don’t know if it counts but every night before I fall asleep I’ve thought of something I am thankful for. Things have just been busy lately. Here is a little list:

• We found Astro a new home. I miss my big baby but it just had to happen. He was depressed every since we brought Z home from the hospital and we just couldn’t afford to take care of him anymore. The new people love him so that makes me happy.
• Z has been learning how to pick up those little puffs to put in her mouth and eat. She is doing better and better every day. Wow, my little baby is eating real food!
• Emma is doing ok despite Astro being gone but has started rebelling my getting into the trash whenever we leave the house. Hoping she gets over it soon and stops with the bad behavior.
• Z has been a WONDERFUL baby! I really can’t complain. She is such a sweetheart. Loves to laugh and smile and play with toys.
• My back has sort of reverted back to it’s old ways over the weekend. I am trying to nurse it with 800mg Ibuprofen and ice and hoping it will get back to health. It hurts and makes it hard to take care of a wiggly little baby. Sick of being in pain!
• Going to start decorating for the upcoming Holidays.
• Been busy knitting scarves and hats for Christmas gifts. On a super tight budget this year and trying to do a lot of homemade gifts. Plus, homemade has a special touch to it that makes it so much more special than store bought.

Candy :: Nov.17.2009 :: Daily, Lists, Zoey :: Comments Off

Thankful for having great grandparents as I was growing up. Though I never got to meet my Grandpa on my Dad’s side of the family and I didn’t meet my Grandma on that side until I was a bit older, I grew up having two sets of grandparents that loved me whether it be nearby or from afar.

I had so much fun with my Grandma and Grandpa on my Mom’s side of the family. I used to spend my summers there playing with toys, going to Braum’s for evening ice cream, going to church with my Grandma and fishing with Grandpa. Riding old bikes, hanging clothes on the line, writing in my journal. So many wonderful memories! I know my grandparents loved me, I could feel it just by being in their presence.

When I did finally get to meet my Grandma on my Dad’s side of the family (she lives in Iran so I have only actually seen her twice), I could really feel the love just by that first tight hug. Though I haven’t seen her in many years and I worry that I wont get to see her again, I know in my heart how much she loves me. She is a wonderful woman and I miss her so much and really wish she could come back to the U.S. to visit at least once more.

I don’t know about your childhood or your life but grandparents play a big role in mine. Besides my own parents, I think they are the only other people who love you wholly. By loving you wholly, I mean loving you without judgment. In your parents and grandparents eyes, you are perfect. You are beautiful, you are smart and you are without a doubt the GREATEST kid in the world!

I only have one living grandparent left and that is my Grandma on my Dad’s side of the family. Thinking of my grandparents that have passed away today and also of my Grandma that is so many thousands of miles away. It’s a bittersweet moment.

Candy :: Nov.10.2009 :: Thanksgiving :: 1 Comment »

Today I am thankful for the Internet. Between online shopping, online journaling, online friends, online social networking sites and instant message software.. I can keep in touch easily with any and everyone.

I have met some AMAZING people through the Internet that I have yet to meet in real life and some whom I have. Without the Internet, I wouldn’t have near as many amazing friends as I have now. I wouldn’t have the comradery that comes with online friendships.

Thanks to websites like Facebook and Myspace, I have gotten in touch with people that I never thought I’d see or hear from again. Technology has helped me connect with my family that lives overseas. I can now share pictures and see their pictures and keep in touch like we couldn’t before.

With online shopping I am able to buy things for a better price than what I can get in stores. I am also able to shop with convenience from the comfort of my own, in my jammies with unbrushed teeth without being judged. Oh and avoid all of those germies during flu season!

I would have never kept up a paper journal and the Internet has enabled me to keep an online journal since 1998 of my day to day activies. I now have a place to look back on my past and laugh at some of the silly things I used to worry over. I can also keep track of my daughter’s milestones and everything Gene and I have been able to experience together over the years.

Yes, there are a bunch of creeps on the Internet. You have to be super careful nowadays. It’s not near as innocent as it used to be when I first logged on, many many years ago. But with all of the advantages, I think it totally outweighs the bad.

Thank you Internet, for everything over the years!! You have changed my life in a good way.

Candy :: Nov.08.2009 :: Thanksgiving :: 1 Comment »

Today I am thankful for having a roof over my head. I got a text message from a girl on my birth boards who said she is living in a hotel with her kids right now and essentially “homeless.” It breaks my heart and I feel so helpless. Like, what can I do when I am 2,000 miles away with limited funds? I just keep her and her kids in my thoughts and hope they can find a way out of an icky situation. I know a lot of us find stress when it comes to finances, whether in our day to day lives or during this recession, and regardless of it all I am oh so thankful that we own a house that provides shelter for us. I may not have the biggest house with the nicest appliances and beautifully coordinated design but I have a house that, well, is home. For that, I am thankful.

Candy :: Nov.07.2009 :: Thanksgiving :: Comments Off

Today I am thankful for naps! Both for my daughter and for myself. For some reason I was particularly tired this afternoon and was really wanting a nap, even if it was just a short one. I let Zoey play in her high chair for a while and I guess she tired herself out because I laid her down in her crib around 3:15 PM and she didn’t get up until after 5:30 PM! I worked on some knitting and then laid down around 4 so I got a good 1 1/2 hour nap in as well. It was amazing!! When I woke up after 5 PM, it was getting dark outside and I had a few moments of confusion where I wasn’t sure what day it was and whether it was night or morning.

Candy :: Nov.06.2009 :: Thanksgiving :: 1 Comment »