Saturday......my patience is running thin...Sunday...so far so good!

So Presley and I went for a short garage sale trip with Aunt Holly. I think Holly was getting frustrated b/c we weren't finding things she wanted and I think she was nervous for officially getting the keys to her house! I don't blame her, it's a big deal and it is very exciting!! Presley took a 1/2 hour nap in the car, then refused to take another nap. I was tired and just wanted her to sleep, so Steve took her to Home Depot with him and of course she fell asleep in the car on the way there....so she got another short hour nap, but that was it for the day.
Saturday night we went over to our friend Lisa and Jared's house, they were having some people over for a couple beers and to enjoy the cool weather! Good thing we brought our sweatshirts, it was chilly for August!!
Presley decided to wake up about 4 times between 4-4:45 am, so I finally decided to let her cry it out. Even though we've done this twice before and it doesn't seem to make a difference. (for those of you who have let your baby 'cry it out', how many times do we need to do this before it makes a difference?? b/c I'm beginning to think it's not worth it) So she cried for 2 hours and eventually fell back asleep until a little after 9 am! That was good for us, so we could get a little more sleep.
She was so crabby that she ended up going down for a nap before 11 and slept until 1:30! Finally a good, long nap!!!! Then all my relatives came over to see our house and say good-bye since they are leaving in the morning.
Well Presley is napping again and Steve is cleaning the bathroom, so I'm thinking about laying down and taking a nap myself (but I know the minute I lay down, she'll wake up!)
My four day weekend is about over, I'm sad and tired but happy I was able to spend some extra time with my adorable. spoiled daughter.

Day off number 2!

Well of course she didn't sleep thru the night. She got up about 4 times, just needed her stupid pacifier and then went right back to sleep, so not TOO bad. Then at 6 am she was not willing to go back to sleep and we were not willing to get up. She laid in bed with us and had a bottle and eventually fell back asleep until 9:30! We got up, had some breakfast and played, then took a nap (well she did, I did laundry and made banana bread!). Our family friend Susie brought over lunch and we talked and ate. It was nice! I got a lot done around the house and Presley took another nap and then we got ready to go to my mom's house for dinner with all of the family that is in town. (my grandparents from Texas, my Aunt Ann from Texas, and my Aunt Ellen, Uncle Roger and cousins Matt and Luke from Wisconsin.........and my Uncle David from Colorado will be there tomorrow!)
Presley wanted to get dressed up for Great-Grandma Dorothy's birthday dinner.
She thought she was pretty cute!

Here is my grandma opening up the Happy Birthday wine glass we got her for her 79th birthday!

Here is Presley and her Great-Grandma Dorothy! She sat on her lap for quite awhile, she doesn't even like to do that for us!

Here is the 4 generation picture I've been wanting. Presley was tired by this time, so it was difficult to get a good one of all of us.

Me, Presley, Grandma Becky and Great Grandma Dorothy.

Tomorrow Steve is cleaning up some of the junk around the yard and basement and Presley and I are going to some garage sales with Holly. Holly closed on her new house this morning and gets the keys tomorrow afternoon! I'm very happy for her (and Rocky) to have their own house (and yard). Congrats Holly!

Still couldn't do it.

My first day of my 4 day weekend and I've decided again that I couldn't be a stay at home mom....I know, I know....I'm a little sad and a lot impatient! Normally, Presley wakes up and is ready for her morning nap fairly early and always goes down so good......for my mom. Well that is a different story at home. This morning she was getting whiny about 8:30, which would've been the perfect time for a nap since we were going to have lunch with my friend Casey at HuHot. Well Presley decided that she would rather not take a nap until 10:30....and then only sleep till noon. (which sounds good until you realize that she will normally take a 2-3 hour nap for my mom plus a shorter one in the afternoon)
So we met Casey for lunch and Presley was good, she liked all the action and staring at all the people. She has a staring problem and is very nosy! Then I took Presley into work, I haven't taken her there since she was about 6 weeks old! She loved everyone, she smiled and laughed but didn't really want any one else to hold her but me. Thankfully she fell asleep on the way home!.....a very short 45 minute nap. (45 minutes? seriously kid!)
She was surprising happy and good all evening and fell asleep about her normal time around 8 pm. Now you might be thinking....'since she didn't sleep that much today, she'll probably sleep all night' well you would be wrong to think that. We know better.

.............I got nothing.

So the weekend was good! Friday night I went out with work people for happy hour, it's been a long time since I've done that! It was nice to get out and socialize with people from work. Even though we work together, we are so busy that we really ever get the chance to talk to each other! and I was still home by 8:30!
Saturday we got some things done around the house! Garage cleaned, kitchen cleaned, laundry started....and we did some shopping! Despite how many clothes Presley has, she doesn't have a whole lot of fall and winter clothes. Usually we hit up the garage sales for clothes, but we splurged and bought her 2 outfits (from Gordmans, they have good prices!) She will be the most stylish baby ever, I'll post pictures when she wears them. Steve and I actually had the chance to sit down and FINALLY watch I Am Legend (which by the way, for not being a 'scary' movie, it was scary!)
Sunday I had girls day out! Just a couple of us went to the Cubs game! It was perfect weather for a beer at the game! It was fun and relaxing! I love my girls!

Miss Presley in her robe!
Happy after eating some oatmeal, squash and apricots! Yummy!

We need to get a faster camera! This picture was supposed to be of her smiling but it turned out pretty cute anyway!

Steve and I have started a couple new routines or habits. The new nightly routine is we have to do the dishes every night! It is so nice to have a mostly clean kitchen every day!

Since we got new carpet, we now vacuum once a week (most people might do this normally, but not us) and now when we go to the grocery store, we actually semi-plan the dinner meals we are going to have for the week! I hate going to the store, getting home and then having nothing to eat for meals! Drives me crazy!

We'll see how long these last. I heard it takes 30 days to make or break a habit, we are two weeks into it. Wish us luck!

Iowa State Fair!

So the Iowa State Fair is here! Steve and I were lucky enough to be able to go the first Friday night, East Side Night! I went to the Gary Allen concert with my girlfriends and Steve met up and hung out with his own friends! Samantha was nice enough to watch Presley for us so we could enjoy the night away! I was a little disappointed in my food intake the first night, I had a corndog and a pickle dawg (basically a pickle roll-up but with a pickle spear!) and beer. It was 95 degrees and the beer flowed too quickly!
So Steve and I decided to take Presley for her first state fair experience and eat some more food. Now don't judge us or count our calories but this is what we ate...we shared a slice of pizza, then we got a cup of warm chocolate chip cookies (oh so good), then we ate the saratoga fries (or ribbon fries is what most people call them) topped with cheese, bacon and chives! After a short break I got mini-donuts (which I highly recommend), and Steve ate mac-n-cheese bites! Then we got some salt water taffy for the road. There was still so much I wanted to eat but just couldn't!
Here is Daddy and Presley with the State Fair ribbons.
Biting on her lower lip! I think this is so funny!.....and cute!

We went to watch the 80's cover band Hairball. Here is Daddy and Presley rockin out with their tongues hanging out....it was just coincidence that Presley had her tongue sticking out at the same time Steve did, so the picture turned out perfectly! :) We'll teach her the 'rock on' sign in the coming years! haha

Is anyone tired of hearing about Presley?? TOO BAD!

Presley has a new friend! Our friends Brock and Jackie had their baby girl on Friday! Ava seems so small to us but she was 8 lbs, 7 ozs! (3 lbs bigger than Presley when she was born!) We look forward to watching her and Presley grow up together! Look at all that hair! Presley still doesn't have that much hair! ha!
Here is Presley and her new habit of sucking on her lower lip. This was our lazy Saturday, we didn't get out of our pj's until 3 pm! Loved it!

Oh my how time flies! Look how big she is compared to my Cabbage Patch doll! Just 6 months ago she was a little smaller than him!

Here is our new favorite thing to do. Scoot to get a hold of the remote control! Just yesterday she actually kept pushing herself up on her hands and knees! OMG!

................. and then she falls!

Oh well, she is learning quickly! I almost started crying! My baby is growing too fast, but she is much more fun now that she was 3 months ago! (thank goodness!)

A little of this, a little of that

• I love the fair...... the food, the sounds, the atmosphere. I always want to eat alot, but I get too full. Why don't they have sampler platters? Maybe I'll invent that for the fair next year.
• There are way too many teenagers hanging out at the fair. Where are their parents and why are they so annoying? I'm sure we were the same way, but I'm doubting it.
• I love psychology! I'm not sure why. I'm not on medication for anything, but it seems like alot of my friends and family are on some sort of meds whether it be for depression, anxiety or ADHD. I wonder why? What is it like not to have control over these emotions? I guess I would just like to fully understand the science in it all. In addition to the normal psychological things I like the extreme mental problems. I watched a show about OCD the other night, it just intrigues me. What goes wrong in their heads? At what point do things take a turn for the worse? I love watching Intervention, Obsessed, 48 Hours Mystery. I love reading murder mysteries and true crime books. Is that weird? When I was younger I wanted to be a criminal pyschologist, I wanted to talk to these people and find out what was in their heads....yeah it's a little weird.
• Don't you ever wish you can see what your child is going to be like in 1, 5, or 10 years? Is Presley going to be a girly girl, athletic, shy? Right now, I have a feeling she is going to be a little trouble maker!
• I think my sister looks pretty good with her buzzed head. I wish I had the nerve to actually get my hair cut into a 'style'.
• The good thing about overtime is the money.
• My grandparents will be here in about a week! They might not remember who we are but it will be good to see them. This could be one of the last chances I get to take pictures of Presley with her great-grandparents....this might be a little selfish of me! :(

What a waste!

So we joined Netflix about a year ago. We are on the plan for $7 and you get 2 movies a month. Steve and I rarely go to the movies or watch movies at home, but the first 6 months we were pretty good about actually watching the 2 movies we rec'd. Then February came and Presley was here, no joke, we've watched 1 movie in 6 months and I ended up falling asleep at the end. I never did watch the end. We've had I Am Legend for about 2 months now, we are totally not getting our monies worth out of this whole thing. By the time we watch it, we could've just gone and bought it......maybe I'll downgrade to 1 movie a month for $5? You think that'll make a difference?

The truth about PARENTHOOD (my full 6 months of experience)

I've been pondering whether or not I should post this blog. I don't want to scare of my friends that are having babies and I know a lot of my friends and family have strong opinions and they might not agree with what I have to say....but then I thought, hell, this is my blog, my opinions and my life so I should write whatever the heck I want and if you don't like it. Sorry! :)

So in the last 6 months I have learned a lot about myself, my husband, my parents and about this little thing they call Parenthood. Here is some of my advice, my opinions and what I've learned. I know I'm going to forget something, but I'm sure I'll learn a lot more in the months and year to come!

• everyone has an opinion, a story, or advice....whether they have kids or not. Remember YOU know YOUR baby better than anyone else.
• people who have babies to make their marriage stronger are dumb. Having a baby tests how strong your marriage is, if it was rocky before it's going to be even harder now.
• I consider myself a fairly strong person mentally. Being a parent is the hardest thing I've ever had to do mentally. Standing next to the crib at 4:30 in the morning, (knowing your alarm is going to go off in an hour) begging, pleading for her to go back to sleep. Trying not to cry b/c you know it isn't her fault and she doesn't know any better....finally there is silence, you go back to bed and you hear her start crying again. Your heart sinks. It sucks.
• I've always wondered if a parent can tell if their baby isn't cute.....I don't think you can tell. I think all parents fall in love with children immediately and only see cute!
• having a husband who loves you and your baby with all his heart is wonderful. Presley is a daddy's girl and I wouldn't have it any other way.
• I find it weird that some dads don't change poopy diapers or get up in the middle of the night with their babies. Sorry, you signed up to be a parent the minute you had sex, you don't get to pick and choose which part of parenting you want to do. Shame on the wives that let them get away with this! :)
• People who talk about how busy they are, need to wait to have kids. Once you have a baby you are limited to the 'extra' hours in your day. I haven't had an hour by myself in this house in over 6 months.
• I could never be a single parent. I admire all the single parents out there, and I'm tired for you.
• I always thought I could be a stay at home mom, until my first 6 weeks at home with my baby.
• People always tell you how hard being a parent is and no one really believes them. Please believe me.
• Steve's aunt said 'too many people want babies and not children' and my mom told me that I'll be tired for the next 18 years. Those are two things I completely agree with!
• Never say never, I said I would never have my baby sleep in bed with me. She did half of last night and we took a nap in bed together this morning!
• Everyone compares their baby to other babies, at 6 months old it doesn't really matter who crawls first. In the long run, I'd rather have my baby be smart at 18 years old than 18 months old.
• The best part of every day is getting her out of her crib in the morning and picking her up from my moms after work. That smile will get you every time!
• My parents are the best parents and grandparents in the world, we wouldn't be able to do this without them!

Another busy week!

Boy, normally after vacation I like to ease into the week, but this week was just busy! In addition to my overtime, Steve's job now wants him to work overtime! UGH! There are not enough hours in the week!
Monday I realized that I needed to be a good parent and have Presley's 6 month pictures taken. My mom had heard good things about The Picture People so I made her appt for Wednesday night. Of course we had to go shopping to get her some new cute outfits! So Tuesday night we went to the mall, it is hard to find a cute summer dress at the beginning of August! Every store had all their fall stuff out! That's what we get for not being prepared.
Wednesday we had her pictures taken, she was actually pretty good. Normally she get this 'deer in the head lights' look when she sees a camera, so we had to work at getting her to smile but it was worth it. She was much happier at this photo shoot than at her 4 month pictures with Janelle. Sorry, Janelle! I promise next time she'll be better and easier! HA
Here is her 'head shot', Steve thinks she looks like a boy, but either way she is cute!

She just wanted to eat the flower, which is why her tongue is sticking out!

Naked baby! Gotta love that smile!

Our little Hawkeye! She looks sweet and innocent doesn't she??

Of course there were other pictures, but do I really need to post them all? :)

So Friday we were going to Indianola to watch the hot air balloons go up, it was too windy though. We still had fun hanging out with some of Steve's friends and enjoying the great weather.

Saturday we headed down to Creston for the Goodrich extended family reunion. It was good to see everyone! A lot of people I don't know, but lots of food and that always makes me happy! (Bad Jessica, need to be good and start working out and start eating right)

Today, I tried to get a jump start on my overtime for the week and went to work for a couple hours. We did a little shopping and hanging out at home. Then we met my family at Texas Roadhouse for Samantha's birthday dinner! Happy 25th Birthday Samantha! (well really it was a week ago, but whatever)

Presley decided that she didn't really want to nap today, so she went to bed early and now we have 2 whole hours to ourselves...what will we do with that time? We just put Baby Orajel our part of our lips to see if it really works.....it really does. Now part of our lips are numb! Lovely! Wow, what other fun and excited things will we do?

50%

Well Miss Presley is average.....16 pounds and 26 inches long, both are the 50th percentile. She grew 2 inches in 2 months! The doctor was very pleased with how Presley is growing and the milestones that she is hitting. Of course she got 2 shots and was screaming and crying. She does have the best pouty lip and the big crocodile tears, that she can some how manage to get to sit right under her eyes without quite falling down her face. We were hoping at her 9 month appt that she wouldn't need any shots, but then they mentioned the flu shot! So looks like she'll be getting another one in 3 months. :(

1/2 birthdays

I'm a big believer in celebrating half-birthdays. In fact, mine is tomorrow if you would like to send me anything! :) And Presley will be 6 months old on Monday! Where has the time gone? She has her 6 month appt on Monday morning so I'll post her stats then, though in the ER last week she was 16.5 pounds.
Our 6 month old:

• sits up, though sometimes when she is reaching for things she goes tumbling forward.
• has found her feet, but doesn't seem interested in them most of the time. Unless, it is during her bath then she would like to submerge her head in the water to suck on them.
• rolls over like a pro
• prefers to sleep on her stomach....as long as she is breathing, she can sleep however she wants! Now we have to work on the sleeping thru the night thing...we haven't quite got that figured out yet!
• used her arms and feet and pulls herself around, not very far for very long, but she does.
• has begun to suck her thumb, it's so cute!
• has begun to have stranger anxiety! Isn't she too little for this?
• has eaten carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, green beans and apple sauce. She slept thru the night when she was eating carrots, so we'll say those are her favorite! Apple sauce was probably her least favorite....weird child.
• still loves being outside and her nightly baths

Presley's first vacation!

We took about 250 pictures on vacation, so I need to post some Presley pics separate from the Goodrich family pics! Here is Presley (6 months) with her cousin Ava (3 months)

Here is Daddy and Presley. I'm quite the photographer huh? :)

But Steve thinks he is a better photographer!

Miss Presley sitting up in bed. She slept in bed quite a lot on vacation, shame on us! But I love waking up to this smiling face! Best part of my day!

We took Presley to Arnold's Park one day, here we are eating some ice cream.

Daddy and Presley with Captain Steve, not quite as cool as Captain Morgan but close! :)

Family picture! ahhhh

Presley in her crab, the water was a little cold but she got used to it! Overall, a great first vacation!

ER and vacation! Great combo!

Well vacation started off great! Windy, cool weather right by a lake! Good thing we brought jeans and sweatshirts! We did have some nice days so we could be near and in the water, but I don't think it got over 80 degrees all week, and we got a couple good thunderstorms at night too! Owell, it was a lot of fun and great to hang out with the Goodrich family! I didn't stay up real late because Presley was NOT sleeping good, plus she kept grabbing her ears and had a runny nose!
Finally on Tuesday we decided to take her to the doctor...and of course there are no walk-in clinics in Spirit Lake, so we had our first trip to the emergency room. Presley's left ear was red and swollen and the right had fluid in it, so we got some meds and hoped for the best. She was good during the days but still had crappy nights! I'm sure she didn't like sleeping in an unfamiliar place, or maybe she is teething....or maybe she is just plain crabby!
Here is a pic of some of the Goodrich family fishing.
and part of the "Goodrich Survivor Game"...stacking cans in a pyramid on a windy day! It was fun to play and watch, some were even creative enough to add sand or water to their cans so they wouldn't blow over!

and below is the frog catching contest, I was eliminated this round because I won't touch the frogs! They caught so many frogs and fish that Friday night we had a fish and frog fry! The fish was good, but again, I stayed away from the frogs!

and the ever-popular Musical Chairs, it was entertaining to watch the adults dive into the chairs!

The sunset from the beach! Pretty huh?

Some of the kids got 'tattoos'! Drawn by Steve in ink.

and of course some boating, swimming and tubing!

and in addition to all the fish and frogs, they also caught a lot of tadpoles and a turtle!

Here are a couple of the fish from the last night! and Grandpa Jerry has a good fish story about 'the big one that got away!' :(

Here is a good pic of all the grandkids. From 18 years old to 3 months old!