Stuffed Bear's Butt; To Do; Feeling Better!

- My daughter sleeping earlier this evening.  

That's a stuffed bear's butt, if you couldn't tell.

Tomorrow will be eventful.  More eventful than usual, at least.  I will be registering my vehicle, having my vehicle inspected, doing a little bit of grocery shopping, maybe eating out for lunch with a friend (which I hardly ever get to do), and all of my other bills can be paid online.  Oh, crap.  I also need to head over to Costco for a bulk box of diapers.

I had some adult conversation (as opposed to baby-talk / babbling) this evening.  That was nice!  Maybe that's why I'm feeling so much better!

Frog Friend Dilemma!

Earlier, my daughter and I went to a thrift store that sells diapers pretty cheap.  We got a 40 pack of size 2 diapers.  Usually we walk in, buy the diapers (and sometimes an outfit) and walk out, but my daughter smiled at the clerk - which instigated a 1 hour discussion of how perfect a baby she is.  It's true.  She is a very good / "easy" baby.

At one point, the clerk asked me, "What's her favorite kind of toy right now?"  I said, "Oh, she has a green frog that she really loves!"  The clerk gave my daughter a pink bear to add to her modest collection of stuffed toys.

Well, now... this green frog of hers - there's very little comparison to how she reacts toward her other toys.  She gives a big smile when the frog "approaches" her!  I say this frog is a boy, even though he's wearing a pink ribbon, he's holding a pink heart, and the soles of his feet are pink, too.  He's a boy.

Here he is with his "competition" - - 

The problem with this frog is that he doesn't have a name yet.  

Can you please help name my daughter's favorite friend? 

First Suggestion:

"Dennis Hopper"

Second Suggestion:

"Finkle"

After I have at least two suggestions, I'll create a poll - and then we can have votes.  Hehe.  Maybe not, but we're really going to be thinking this through since I have a feeling this frog will be around for quite a while!

Nostalgia

After my daughter's colic passed (12 weeks old) and until a week ago (19 weeks, I think), I had "baby fever".  Yeah, um?  Me?  A single mom wanting to have another baby?  Uh, get real.

I admitted this to a (very platonic) male friend of mine and he said that he's known a lot of new moms who, for a time, want to have another baby.  I think it might have been nostalgia, really.  I went back an entire year of Facebook posts and found what I had said before I even knew I was pregnant.  I was feeling sick, really tired, and insanely craving mushroom burgers.  

Then, I could smell things that other people couldn't.  

Wow. This pisses me off.  This is the 3rd time this week my freaking neighbor has knocked on my door - waking my daughter up.  Go the FREAK away!  Ugh!

A blog I forgot about

http://sacrificeitall.wordpress.com/ - 3 days before I gave birth to my daughter

Cupcake Pride; Tech Progress

There's my beautiful cupcake!

I didn't go to bed until 4am last night.  My daughter let us sleep in until 10:45am!  I heard her wake up a couple of times.  I'm very proud of her for being able to put herself back to sleep with no assistance from me.  

In other news, I have studied everyday, but I'm not able to learn as much as I would like to on a daily basis. 

Practically Upside Down!

It's 3AM. I'm going to need to heat up my coffee, I think.  I'm just not ready or willing to stop studying yet.  Moms sacrifice for their children.  I've not sacrificed very much, in my opinion - so sacrificing some sleep is okay with me.

I clicked my way to this blog - http://pandmchiappini.blogspot.com/ - and I am going to steal her idea of listing some things for my daughter to know about her baby-personality.  :)

Dear Daughter,
You are 4 months, 1 week, and 1 day old.
Here are some things that you're doing, not doing, refuse to do, and demand to have done:

~  You have the cutest dimple on your right cheek which is hard to miss when you smile your beautiful smile -
~  You like to suck on the index and middle finger of your right hand -
~  You do not like to be held in the cradle position unless you're being fed -
~  You like to sleep on your right side while refusing to ever sleep on your back -
~  You cannot stand to have a cover/blanket over your legs and/or feet, ever -
~  You stiffen your legs all the way out while I try to change your diaper -
~  You bounce your left leg up and down when you're excited while sitting in your bouncer -
~  You have a mildly shocked expression every time I lower you into your lukewarm bath water -
~  You have just started to raise your upper body up with your arms while in a crawling position -
~  You scream.  You seem to enjoy exercising your vocal chords -
~  You love your stuffed frog.  You also like your squeaky stuffed birds. You chew on them often -
~  You are beginning to stare at my food.  You smile every time I take a bite -
~  You stare at your latest dirty/wet diaper as I roll it up and put it in the Diaper Genie. You seem proud -
~  You love to stretch out on my lap after you've eaten.  You practically hang upside down! -

I love you, my beautiful-sweet-smart-curious daughter!

Back to studying!

2-week challenge fudge-up

Wow.  I typed all of my study notes and then clicked the wrong button and now it's all gone.  It'll probably help me to re-type it, but my heart sank when I saw that it had disappeared. :(

My beautiful daughter

My daughter loves this stuffed frog!

My daughter is getting stronger - holding herself up more! 

(Plus, I love the way this picture's lighting is all messed up!  Very pretty! - my daughter and the lighting!)

Makeup; Birth Defect; Happy-Dance!

So, besides that my makeup is horrid and you can see the damage done by cleft lip (birth defect which my daughter DIDN'T genetically inherit!...), this is what my happy-dance looks like each time I see that I'm really learning this stuff!... (computer repair; see my 2-week challenge page.)

"No Sacrifice, No Victory!"

I've wanted my A+ certificate (computer repair) since I was 19 years old.  I'm now 25 years, 3 months, and 3 days old.  I still don't have it.

Why?

Procrastination, laziness, periodic loss of interest, easily distracted... shall I go on?

Well, guess what!  I'm now a mother of a 4 month and 7 day old baby girl.  No playing around anymore!

Get to it, Mommy! (See my "Tech 2-Week Challenge" page!)

Today's pictures :)

My neighbor and my daughter*

My daughter and me*

Yo, Statistics!

RULE #1
Don't be a booty call
If he don't respect you, girl - he gon' forget ya, girl

(A man's respect consciously or unconsciously lessens for you if you sleep with him too soon or if you sleep with him without a mutual commitment.)

RULE #2
If he's in a relationship
And he would cheat on her - that means he would cheat on you

(Look at this man who's dating, married, or engaged to another woman.  He's sleeping with you.  If he ever leaves the other woman for you - you'll never fully trust him.  Or at least you shouldn't.)

RULE #3
Tell him that you're celibate.
and if he want some of your goodies he gon' have to work for it

(You're priceless.  You're worth waiting for.  Sex isn't worth the emotional pain that it can bring.  Women have sex to feel loved - if they're honest with themselves.  Don't let any man make you feel like you're obligated to sleep with him, ever.)

RULE #4
Be the person you wanna find
Don't be a nickel out here lookin' for a dime

(Are you looking for that diamond in the rough?  What kind of man are you dreaming of?  If you met that man tomorrow, do you think he would see the woman he's been dreaming of - in you?)

Send Child Protective Services Over!

After our walk outside, we came back into the apartment. It was hotter than outside. A lot hotter. The air conditioner had stopped working. I went to the apartment manager's apartment (he lives on site) and asked him to send the maintenance man over to fix the a/c. An hour ago, he said he would send him as soon as possible (of course.)

While waiting, I sat outside with my daughter - enjoying the breeze.

When my daughter gets sleepy, she uses her vocal chords and starts screaming. Not crying. Just screaming. She seems to enjoy screaming. Don't ask me why. I don't know.

She got so loud, at one point, that I said - "Scream a little louder! Maybe someone will send CPS (child protective services) and they can send someone to fix the air conditioner! Yay!!!"

There's my sense of humor.

How You Were Raised Doesn't Have To Be How You Behave!

Every day I have to stop and remind myself not to be the kind of parent I had.

My Dad and Grandmother raised me.  They both were emotionally neglectful.  They took care of my basic needs and I never went without.  They always gave me what I needed and sometimes what I wanted, but they failed to provide emotional nourishment.

My daughter (4 months old) has always had and will always have what she needs - and sometimes what she wants.  She receives millions of kisses every day.  I hug her as I hold her.  I tell her that she's beautiful, cute, and pretty every chance I get.  I don't always have to make a conscious effort to show her how much she means to me and how wonderful she is.  Though, I will always need to remind myself of my childhood to ensure that my daughter's emotional needs are met.

I believe that a child's emotional needs should be placed at the same level as their physical needs, if not higher on occasion.

Catch Up!