My day take 2

Last year I used today to update E's followers on my life and well being. I like that idea and so shall continue it this year... No guarantees for making a tradition though!

I do it!

So....how is momma?  Momma is good.  Momma is loving life.  Momma is amazed every day at this little person who sings and dances, runs and climbs, plays in every little puddle of water as if it were a swimming pool, talks and signs, eats and eats and eats, wants to cuddle and be independent, entertains herself and wants to be read to all the time.  She is so much fun to be around.  Momma is also lucky to have Daddy around.  Daddy helps so much and makes everything so much more enjoyable.

Momma is less tired than a year ago!  Working part time has allowed me to get a little more sleep (no more getting up at 4:30!) E still doesn't sleep through the night regularly.   But we have gotten to the point where we don't turn on the baby monitor most nights. She sleeps, but will cry in the middle of the night just enough to wake me up, even without the monitor.  She usually puts herself back to sleep but lately has been teething her canine teeth.  So she's pretty sad and woeful. (see ode to teeth).  She helped me get my Mother's day off to an early start this morning.  We got back from one of Ken's co-worker's wedding around midnight and E had already thrown up in bed for the baby sitter, who had thankfully cleaned up the baby.  Around 3:30 E woke in full woe and needed cuddles and a bottle of water.  Then again around 4:15.  At 5 she woke and demanded yogurt, then milk and didn't actually eat either, well she fell asleep mid bite of yogurt.  So I tried to lay her back in bed...big mistake!  so we ended up sleeping in the chair and eventually the guest bedroom bed until 7 or so when she woke up and actually wanted yogurt.
Thankfully this is a strange occurrence.  Most nights it's only one wake up with no mommy intervention needed. A few nights before the teething set in she actually slept through without making a peep.  Hopefully once these teeth are through we will have more of that!

Super girl!

Mommy is also loving working part time.  It's hard to give up science and my students but it's so worth having those extra hours in the morning with E and Fridays are awesome.  E has become so much more fun than a year ago.  I think I love this age the most yet (I'll probably say that for a while)  We go to Little Gym on Wednesdays and she just loves it.  We've made some good potential out of class friends.  We even wen to an Easter Egg hunt with one of them.

first Carousel!

Fridays we are starting to have Mommy and E adventures!  We go to the Children's museum or the Zoo or even just shopping or to the playground.  Soon the pool will be open and Mommy will be home full time for summer.  I do worry about going stir crazy, I will still need adult contact and time away from my E to maintain my sanity but I'm looking forward to having more Mom-ventures with her, despite the horrible summer humidity.  I've joined a meet-up group that has something almost every day. I haven't been able to go to many because they pretty much all start at 10 and I have to leave for work around 10:30 so I'm looking forward to exploring those playdate options a little more come summer!

Mommy and "sissy" on
their adventure!

Mommy is also taking more "me" time.  I went away from E over night for the first time.  I thought it would be terrible but it wasn't.  My mentee (E calls her "sissy") and I went and explored a college that she was considering.  It was wonderful to spend time with her and while I missed E and Ken it was okay.  It's good to know I can be okay away from them (and they were just fine without me!).  Ken and I are also leaving E with baby sitters that aren't family occasionally!  We actually have had 2 date nights without having to have family come to town!

In honor of the first Mom's
day post, here is E with
something random on her head!

Momma is also working on getting in shape.  We are making much smarter food decisions as a family and it's helping a lot!  We also got fitbits for Christmas and I've been loving making sure I get my goals every day.  Running around after E in the morning certainly helps with it!  So does the fact that my classroom is across campus from the rest of the school and I have to walk students to and from class at least 6 times every day!

out for a hike!

As a family we've gone on a lot more walks since the weather has been wonderful.  E loves her push tricycle, her stroller and even her backpack.  We also recently got her a bike trailer.  She's still a bit small for it and needs to be propped up with a pillow behind her so that her helmet isn't shoved into her eyes but once we figured that out, she loves riding in her trailer!  We went to the pool as a family today and I used E's nap time today to finally clean up half of the front garden bed and lay down the mulch that has been sitting on the driveway for the last 2 months.  I will probably be sore tomorrow but it's a good thing.  I'm still not as strong as I was pre-pregnancy but I'm better than where I was a year ago.  Nowhere to go but up!

helmet!

We are not looking forward to the increase in humidity, but we are going to try our hardest to still get outside.  Mostly because E loves it out there.  All day long she'll ask for "side?" "side?"  and she'll cry when we come in.  She's an outdoor girl and we want to encourage that!

So all in all, Mommy is great.  Loving this mommy business, even when it's so hard I want to cry.  It's so worth it too.

Happy mother's day!