I think I'm getting better at this.....

I took Lillian to the park to get some true 3 month photos. I found an online photo editor and this is what I came up with.

I am truly happy with how they turned out and feel pretty good about the work I did! So Again! Happy 3 months Lily-Monster!

I can't believe it's been 3 months...

Since I became a mother. Yikes. Lily is 3 months old today! It really is nuts how fast time goes these days. Before we know it she'll be walking and talking and getting into things we don't want her too. *sigh* I decided to give it a try taking her 3 month pictures myself so I could save some money this go round. The picture below is my favorite one that I got. They turned out ok. I'll probably mess with them some more tonight and see what I can get. Maybe I'll do some outside since the lighting will be better out there. So we'll see.

Running in circles

My recent ambition has been trying to get back in some sort of shape other than “round”, So I have decided to start jogging. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and I actually started the Couch to 5 K program many, many moons ago. I got about halfway thru it and I had to quit my gym membership and just didn’t continue with it. I know excuses, excuses. So this morning, with the help of my Lovely husband (thank you honey) for getting the C25K podcasts ONTO my Ipod, I got up early (5am) and I started week 1. It was nice out this morning, cool, still dark out so no one could see how stupid I looked as I’m flailing and gasping for air, or how sweaty and gross I was. I brought the dog with me and besides an incident where he purposely tried to kill me, he did pretty well. He is a little chubby himself so this will be good for him too. Did I make it the whole 30 minutes? Nope. I made it about ¾ of the way thru it and I just *couldn’t* go on any farther. My lungs hurt…badly. My calves hurt…badly (I need new shoes) But, despite all of that, I GOT UP AT 5AM, I got my butt outside and did SOMETHING, which is way more than I have been doing. So although I didn’t make it thru the entire thing I feel like I made a HUGE step this morning.

Then I got home and 10 minutes before I had to leave for work Lily woke up. I secretly like it when she wakes up before I leave so I can give her a quick hug and kiss and a get a smile in before the day starts. Her smile first thing in the morning is such a great boost.

Why did I take a 3 month old to the zoo, you ask....

Because WHO doesn't love the zoo! I know I sure do, which is probably my main motive. Ok it IS my only motive. Heck I'm lucky she remembers who I am when I get home from work let alone that that animal with the black and white stripes is called a Zebra. She does have this crazy obsession with the dog though. She just stares and follows him with her eyes. If only he found HER as interesting as she finds him. So we went to the Zoo. Took some Obligatory photos of her so that we can tell her all about it when she's older and complaining we never take her anywhere.

First we went to the Como Zoo. This one was a play date of sorts since my friend just had her little baby a couple weeks ago and TALK about adorable. He has the cutest cry I have ever heard....Anyway. We get to the Zoo and there is NOWHERE to park. So we drove around forever trying to get a place. Did I mention we drove separate? Um. Yeah. But it was fun. It was hot and so most of the animals were sleeping and/or hiding from site. But the giraffes were out and of course the zebras. So yeah.

Then there was the MN Zoo. Adam and I brought her to the MN Zoo on Monday for his birthday. They have a fancy new bear exhibit and Bears are Adam's favorite. This zoo was not nearly as packed. Of course it's bigger and it was a Monday so that probably helped a bit. We saw all the animals well which was nice! We saw the bears...Lily stared at the ceiling. We saw the tigers....Lily slept. We saw some turtles in an aquarium...this Lily paid attention to. Of course I held her so close to the tank that her nose was practically touching it, but she followed the turtle around with her eyes for a while. This must have wore her out cause she pretty much slept through the rest. She was So good and we were very proud of her!

I wonder where our next outing will be?!

It really is the simple things.

It really makes me wonder why we go out and spend a bunch of money on baby toys?

So I have been neglecting my poor pup. So last night I took him and Lily outside to play. While Leo enjoyed a rousing game of fetch and let's run around like we have never been outside before. I put Lily in her Bouncy seat outside in the shade. She was perfectly happy staring at her fist for a while until I found it. What is IT you ask? A Stick. Just a measly little tiny twig. I held it out for her to see and she quickly willed her hand toward the stick, opened her fist and grabbed it in one fail swoop. She happily stared and smiled at that stick for 20 minutes. I mean, sure it WAS a pretty cool stick. maybe 3" long or so, thin enough for her to grasp easily while opening and closing her fist over it several times in a row. She had it so close to her face and then I decided that it will be nice for her to be able to keep both her eyes so we thru the stick out (thankfully it was small or the dog would have fought her for it). THEN. we had to put our feet in the grass. So I took her socks off and she happily kicked around the grass for another 10 minutes or so til the dog was ready to go in the house.

So we have toys upon toys for them and she was perfectly content with a stick found in the yard. That was FREE no less. So my advice for the day? Let them feel and explore things around them...Don't worry about the toys until they get big enough to learn the difference.

On another note. We are off to the Zoo this weekend! I can't wait! Actually two zoos. In one weekend! Yay! Can't wait to write about that.

Lily with her AMAZING STICK!

Baby clothes are like crack for new mothers.....

So Lily needs fall clothes. Mainly cause people have been so generous to her with clothes but have been buying her solely summer things. Also as a side note....when you give a baby a gift please keep the season in mind if you are buying larger sizes. We got several beautiful little summer sun dresses for Lily. But she can't wear them cause they won't fit her until it's like January. And anyone who knows Minnesota knows that a sun dress in January is probably not the best idea. I'm pretty sure she likes her legs and wants to keep them instead of sacrificing them to the frost bite gods.

Anyway, with summer coming to an end soon, we need to get some long sleeved things for her and no doubt I will go overboard and buy her WAY more than she needs simply because they are cute and I have an addiction. A crazy overwhelming urge to shop for baby clothes. Yes it's real. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who has this addiction either. Every time I have gone baby shopping with friends, they too have succumbed to this addiction. I mean really those little socks...and shoes...and the little miniture shirts that say "Daddy's princess" or whatever other totally comercial saying they can slap on those adorable little pieces of fabric, I'll buy. Probably in dupicates...JUST IN CASE. In case of what? Who knows but you surely don't want to run out of adorable baby clothes in the off chance that grandma comes to visit. We have to look our best.

*sigh* So I will go. I will spend money (again, more money than I should) All in the name of Lily looking her best.

Here it is...laid out for everyone.....

What's to say? Welcome to my Blog. I'm excited to work on it. Hoping I'll be good at this but I suppose I'll never be a great writer. I strive for OK most of the time. So here goes. This is my journey. I started this blog as a way to write about my trek into motherhood. I am actually wishing I would have started this before my Daughter (Lily) was born. But alas, I didn't. Oh well. She does more now anyway and it will be easier to write now that she actually has a little personality all of her own.





First thing I really want to talk about is Breastfeeding. I chose not too. My personal preference for many, many, many reasons, all of which I don't feel I need to explain. However, it seems that everyone I know, that breastfeeds really hates it. Gets frustrated easily by this but doesn't want to quit. I don't know. Maybe it's something I will never understand cause I chose not to do it. But the idea of having Lily attached to me for what seems like hours (from what people tell me) does NOT sound like my idea of bonding. And this whole thing about giving it 6 weeks before you both (mother and baby) really get into the swing of things just seems brutal. You take a woman that has just popped out a baby, is completely exhausted and adjusting to begin with and throw in that she is the ONLY person that can feed her, just seems like cruel and unusual punishment to me. I love my baby and definitely enjoy feeding her the bottle, and I'm pretty sure I'm no less bonded to her than any mother out there that chooses to breastfeed their baby. Why does Breastfeeding equate bonding in so many peoples minds? I just don't understand it. And again, maybe because I chose not to breastfeed at all. Who knows. All I know is that it annoys me when people who do choose to BF are frustrated with it but won't just stop and give the kid a bottle. It's not going to hurt your baby or you and it will let other people "bond" with your baby while giving you a break. I'm almost positive that no baby has ever been killed by giving it a bottle.





Bah, I'm rambling. I don't mean to offend anyone. Honest. Like I said, I probably just don't understand cause I've never had that overwhelming urge to BF. But I can say this. Not once have I been frustrated when trying to feed my daughter. We lovingly gaze at each other every time she takes her bottle. And when I am too tired, Adam takes her and feeds her for me. It's a wonderful thing.





I admire people that do BF and make it work, but at the same time, I am tired of defending my choice to bottle feed because of course that means that my daughter will be fat and not nearly as healthy as a kid that is breastfed. BAER. I would love to meet the people that do those studies.





ANYWAY.





Who knew that was even bothering me as much as it was? Oh well, so it goes I guess in the life of someone who doesn't follow the norm and is exhausted from people saying I'm wrong for it.





But on a happier note. Lily let me take a nap last night. Yup you heard me, a nice hour long uninterrupted nap. *Sigh* It was wonderful, though I really can't complain much about Lily. She is an awesome baby. She sleeps for usually about 9 hours at night. I wasn't even aware that an 11 week old was able to do that. I love that little girl.