This morning I had to turn her mattress to the Toddler side, her sweet little (large) head was making a dent in the baby side of the mattress so I figured it might be time for the Toddler side.

She is using a lot of baby sign language (it is AMAZING and I recommend it to all parents) she can sign more, eat, car, bubbles, book, ball, swing and hat.

She LOVES animal noises and can make the sounds for a lion, tiger, kitty cat, doggie, duck, sheep, monkey and piggy.  She has also recently started to point to them in books.  She really likes books, she won’t sit through a whole story yet but loves to flip through the books and point to things.  We can sit on the floor and look at books for at least an hour.

She gives all of her stuffed animals hugs and kisses and has recently started hugging and kissing – animals in books, puzzle pieces, her toy phone that she plays with as well as any other toy that she likes a lot.

She has started talking too, a lot is just babbling or yelling – in all sorts of tones while making all sorts of faces.  But she has settled on a few words that she can say.  Some she says more than others: mama, daddy, bath, doggie, Laney, Ashley (she sees her picture on the fridge a lot), night-night.  Right now, she will repeat a lot of things after you, so if you say, “can you say more?”   She will make a noise afterward that sounds like the inflections that you just put on that word.

She loves to be chased.  As soon as you say, “I’m going to get you.”  She squeals and has a big grin on her face – usually she just stands there and waits for you to come and get her.  Sometimes if Daddy is near when I do it, she will curl into him and kick her legs for him to pick her up.

She is not mobile on her own yet but while she is seated on the ground playing she will scoot around in a circle to go and get things.  When we are walking, she now walks with one hand – but still likes to hold two hands because she can go faster.  She will be walking soon – she will now go from item to item on her own.

It’s funny that she has never rolled around or crawled – she will now roll all over when you put her on our bed, she can also go from a laying down to a sitting position, but she will only do it when she’s on our bed.

She loves to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Mandy – she also really likes Dora and Diego, these quick 20 minutes shows provide us with a nice break!  ::sigh::  I like Dora and Diego because they are a lot more educational then the other ones.

We realized the other day that we really need to start getting her around more kids more often.  We think it would be good for her now to be around lots of other kids her age.  It’s hard to do this with our crazy schedules but we need to start making an effort to do this more often.  She is still napping twice a day which makes it hard to take her to the library for baby story time or something like that because everything seems to interrupt her nap times.

All in all, she is progressing wonderfully and she did great at her one year appointment.  She is almost 23 lbs, is 32 inches long and her head circumference is about 20 inches – yep, you read that right her head circumference is 2/3 the size of her body…haha : 0 )  What can we say?  She’s got a big brain!

Parenthood is hard work and can definitely be challenging but the rewards are great!  There is nothing better than when she turns around puts her arms up and says mama or when she leans in, puts her head on my shoulder and squeezes me and pats my back.  Or when you ask her for a kiss and she makes big kissy lips and leans right for me.  I LOVE being a mom and am so glad we decided to start a family when we did!

The results came in and what we were looking for (fluid pockets or some other crazy big words I can’t remember) was not there, which is great!  So, her head just continues to grow because she is cursed with her parents genes.  She is doomed to have a large cranium, haha…she’s just going to be really smart like her parents : 0 )

Sadly, there was an incidental finding.  The radiologist found a small cyst inside her brain, it is very small, pea size, only about 1/8” in diameter.  They described it as a calcified cyst, supposedly they run into them every once and awhile.  You would never know if you have one or not unless you had a cat scan done.  So, they could be extremely more common than what doctors even know.

They are not worried about it and assured us that since it is not blood related it is nothing similar to what I have.  Which was GREAT news!  The next steps is to have her take another cat scan in a year just to check if it has grown any or not.  If it hasn’t grown then we have nothing to worry about.  That is what we are hoping for.  As of right now there is no need to worry about anything, we will continue, life as usual : 0 )

The waiting and trusting is the hardest part through these times.  We have been in one of these times since December and it has been a challenging one.  Every couple of weeks another challenge has added to the previous one, making the previous challenge only that much more complicated.  As He continues to pile on the challenges, eventually the bottom drops out and then we are forced to sit in His arms and make a decision.

The good news is that, “We have decided to follow Jesus!”  We know that no matter how bad it gets, no matter whatever life dishes out to us, we have the calm, confidence and security knowing that God is in control.  So, as we decipher where our next step will be, we put the world behind us and affix our eyes to the cross that goes before us.  The cross that reminds us why we have decided to follow Jesus.

So, there’s no turning back.  We continue to wait on Him and know that He will show us the way we need to go and help us weigh through all the hard decisions.

Thank you Lord for the reminder this morning that I have decided to follow you and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.  Keep reminding me of that Lord!

I have decided to follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus – no turning back, no turning back

The cross before me, the world behind me

The cross before me, the world behind me

The cross before me, the world behind me – no turning back, no turning back

We had her 9 month well visit yesterday and she is developing right along.  She is 30 inches long which places her in the 97% for height.  She is 20 1/2 lbs which is the 75% for weight.  And her head continues to grow, she is now in the 99% for her head circumference.

Because her head continues to grow and is not really leveling out our doctor is kind of concerned by this and we have scheduled a cat scan for Laney on May 7th.  This is just a precautionary measure, sometimes babies can have a build up of fluid or sometimes the bones don’t mesh together right which causes the head to grow larger than it should.  He felt every little inch of Laney’s head and pressed around and didn’t find anything abnormal but still believes we should proceed with the cat scan as a precautionary measure, just in case there may be something in there that is causing her head to keep growing.

Sean and I have decided we will go through with the cat scan and view it as purely a precautionary measure.  We both have larger size heads and have always had trouble finding hats that fit, etc.  So, we really just think her head size is a hereditary thing that she is stuck with, haha, sorry Laney!

The worst part about the can scan is that Laney has to be really still so they will sedate her : 0 ( with an IV of some sort, I’m going to call Akron Children’s tomorrow to get more information so I can be sure what they are injecting into my daughter, ugh!  They stated that it will only be a 5-10 minute procedure so fortunately it will not be long and we can go into the room with her so she won’t have to be by herself.  So, overall, that’s a good thing.

I’ve taken some great 9 month photos of her, will post them soon!

It’s hard to believe that Laney is nine months old and just nine months ago, I wasn’t sure I wanted anything to do with bf.  I still remember having this very hard discussion with Sean and him kindly listening to my pregnancy and new mommy emotions and responding, “well, I suppose you don’t know until you give it a try.”  My hero!  There was so much wisdom in that phrase, why didn’t I think of that?  So, that was it, I was going to give it a try.

Now, as this chapter of my life comes to a close, I’m SO glad I gave it a try.  It worked out wonderfully for Laney and I.  It was tough and took a lot of dedication and as Sean will tell you, we definitely had our ups and downs.  One minute it was wonderful the next minute it was the most horrible thing I ever decided to do.

For all those women out there, who were like me while pregnant and are just not sure whether bf is for them.  Give it a try, one solid week and then make your decision.  Warming: it’s like a part time job but the rewards for you and the baby are great!  The bonding, I can not even begin to explain.  The healthy, happy baby without the disgusting smell of formula is an EXTREME bonus and did I mention the weight loss plan is INCREDIBLE!  I have eaten like a cow and am 14 lbs under my starting pregnancy weight.  It is extremely important to have the support of your spouse.  Even though it’s your body, he is making sacrifices too and will need to do more things to help out since bf takes a lot of your time and energy.  A couple of good girl friends who have been there, done that, are also helpful in this journey.

I’m writing all of this to try to process the fact that my body, for the last 18 months, has been Laney’s protection and nutrition plan and to think that in another couple of days she won’t need me like that anymore is hard to comprehend.  As I look into her radiant, little eyes and look back on pictures of her from her birth I know that the sacrifices I made were TOTALLY worth it.  She is growing up to be a beautiful, vivacious, little girl!  And this is just one step (with MANY more to come) along the road of her growing up.

She will always be my little girl but now it’s off to another stage of her development, rejoice in the tiny baby stage being over and embrace the excitement and fun that is to come!

As soon as it hit her mouth the mmmmmm noises began, she would smack her lips and look all around making sure everyone at the ice cream stand knew how much she was enjoying this tasty treat!

I had to hurry and eat as much as I possibly could, because she is still little and hasn’t had much dairy so I didn’t want her to eat too much and get sick – not to mention, she didn’t hardly eat any of her dinner on this particular night.

While we were leaving she waved good bye to everyone as we walked to the car.  It was as if she was saying, “Good-bye all, my ice cream eating is now complete, thank you all for allowing me to entertain you.”  TOO FUNNY!

Ok, so I decided to try this because I just recently watch Julie and Julia and was inspired.  I should’ve remembered that Sean and I really don’t care for foods like this.  However, I will say, if you like dishes like this it was SO EASY to make and the flavor was wonderful!

total time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 1/4 pounds sirloin steak, cut into 1 inch pieces

kosher salt and pepper

1 10-ounce package sliced mushrooms (i used baby portabella)

1 16-ounce package frozen pearl onions (I only used a 1/2 bag and it was still a lot of onions)

2 cups red wine (we used a dry red we bought from Trader Joes)

1 10.75 ounce can Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup (a must for this dish, make sure your local grocer carries it first)

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

HEAT the oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat.  Season the stead with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cooked until browned, about 5 minutes.  Transfer the steak to a bowl and set aside.

ADD the mushrooms and onions to the pan and cook until the liquid (from the steak) has evaporated.  Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, 5 to 6 minutes.

STIR IN the soup and 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil.  Add the steak and juices from the bowl and simmer, 2 minutes.

DIVIDE into individual bowls and sprinkle with the parsley.

I cooked up some really wide amish noodles and we served this dish over them, I recommend using the noodles and serving with fresh bread so you can soak up the yummy sauce when you’re done.

This soup is sort of expensive to make but it was SO WORTH IT!  Absolutely yummy and perfect for a cold week of winter!  Very easy to make too!

Prep time: 20 minutes

Start to Finish: 35 minutes

5 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbl olive or vegetable oil

1/3 cup chopped green onions, include the white parts (about 5 medium)

1/3 cup julienne carrots

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

6 cups chicken broth (about 2 cartons)

2 cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken

1 cup frozen small cheese-filled tortellini

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, if desired

3 cups chopped fresh baby spinach

1.  In a dutch oven (large stock pot) heat oil over medium-high heat.  Cook onions, carrots and garlic in oil for 3 – 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are softened.

2. Stir in broth and chicken. Heat to boiling.  Stir in tortellini, reduce heat to medium.  Cover, cook 3 to 5 minutes or until tortellini are tender.

3. Stir in nutmeg, pepper and spinach.  Cover, cook 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach is hot.

MMMMMMMM…….I REALLY LOVED this one and will definitely make it again, was great the rest of the week for lunches too!

this soup is SUPER yummy, however I had NO idea how to prepare a butternut squash so I watched a how to video on You Tube – very helpful.  But, I suggest you have a very good, sharp knife – they are SO hard to cut and if you have a pair of gloves I would recommend using them.  The butternut squash sucked all the moisture out of my skin for like two days…it was gross but the soup was worth it!

Sean thought it was yummy, I thought it was missing something but couldn’t put my finger on it.

Prep time: 25 minute

Start to finish: 8 hours, 25 minutes

8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

8 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 3 lb)

2 large apples, peeled and chopped (about 3 cups)

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 carton (32 oz) chicken broth (4 cups)

1 cup apple juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Spray 4-5 qt. slow cooker with cooking spray.  In cooker, mix all ingredients except whipping cream and parsley.

2. Cover, cook on low heat setting 8 – 10 hours (or as soon as the squash is tender and mushy)

3. Blend soup in cooker with immersion blender*, or blend soup in batches in blender container on low speed and return to cooker.  Stir in whipping cream.  Sprinkle each serving with parsley.

* Immersion blenders are AMAZING, I got a cuisinart one for Christmas and just used it for the first time today and LOVE it.  When I made this soup, I didn’t have an immersion blender and didn’t want to transfer the soup to a blender so I just used my hand mixer and it worked out just fine.  I also used a crock pot bag so it was an easy clean-up!

I understand that I am shooting for the stars when it comes to help.  I want someone to come to the house on Tue, Wed and Thur from 8-5.  They have to give the best of care and oh yea, we don’t have a lot of money to work with so they need to accept minimal pay…I think this is the root of our problem, but there isn’t much else we can do right now.  : 0 (  It is SO difficult!  Just when you think everything is working out fine then, boom!  Something happens and everything begins to fall through.

For a working mommy, who doesn’t get to see her daughter that much during the week, the inconsistency of week to week for my daughter is aggravating and adds just another layer of stress that I’m having a hard time dealing with.

Sean and I are both at our wits end and are just not sure where to go next?  Dear Lord, please bring us some relief!

On a happy note – Laney is 6 months old now, her 6 month birthday was yesterday!  She is getting SO big!  She said mama this morning, although I know that she had no idea what she said because I flipped out and she just stared at me like I was crazy…hahaha!  She is sitting up all by herself now too!  Pictures to come, I’m hoping to download her 6 month shots that I took of her yesterday later today.