I know, I know... Welcome to Mommyhood!!!

Haven't been on here much because I tend to stay busy with Penny or enjoying my downtime. Some people may consider writing a fun downtime activity... I am not one of those people! :)

Today had an exciting adventure to share so I thought I would type this (one handed) while Penny sleeps on me (because sleeping in her crib during the day is a no go apparently...). I am pretty sure she is not feeling well. She woke up early this morning and woke up crying, both being very rare for her. She cheered up though and I went to the doctor while my neighbor watched the princess. No issues reported at pick up. Went home and we napped on my bed for about an hour. My head on top of my pillow; Penny's under a pillow (weirdo). She woke up in a good mood while I was talking to MY mommy on the phone. Giggled and laughed when I did speakerphone, all the time trying to grab the phone from my hand.

She ate lunch okay. I fed her before changing her since she didn't have much in there. She tore up the peanut butter spoon, played with the soggy carrots (can't blame her), and threw puffs on the floor to the dogs (only because they stick to her hand and she thinks it's funny). While she played, er, I mean ate, I decided I wanted a broccoli cheese baked potato. I put the potato in the microwave and broccoli in a bowl ready to heat up. Penny got real upset then, so I left my stuff and got her out of her chair to change her diaper that I watched her make all kinds of faces to make for me. The faster I moved, the closer to my delicious potato lunch! What? Penny likes it too!

Anyway, sparing the details, the diaper was gross but usual. Penny has a bad diaper rash (which flares up when her teeth are really bothering her... crazy, huh?) so I applied her cream (Boudreaux's Butt Paste y'all!) and then decided I would let her air out a bit on some old rags I have handy. Then I returned to my awesome potato making.

My mouth was watering because I had an early breakfast and I don't play when it comes to FOOD, son. The potato was nice and hot. I cut it open and inhaled the steam... Mmmmm... I like to butter my potato, then add the shredded cheese. It melts the cheese better and doesn't taste gross like that velveeta nastiness. Then I add my hot broccoli and a few dollops of sour cream (Yes, to all who know me, only a few dollops!). It was so pretty!! And smelled so good. Then there was a yell from the living room. My heart dropped. Not because something was wrong with Penny... It wasn't that kind of yell. My heart dropped because my potato was ready!

Penny was yelling from the living room. She wasn't crying, just yelling, which she tends to do. I just went in to see what was up and she seemed fine. Then I got around the chair and saw the full picture... Penny was sitting in a huge pile of diarrhea... with a little log sitting next to it. I jump into action and scoop up Penny and run her into the kitchen, because it has a hose that I could use to rinse off the poop remnants (that's what quick thinking is folks!). Of course, there were dishes in there. Because I decided to put it off until after my potato. But not just a few dishes... lots of dishes. A high chair tray, bib, little containers, bottles, spoons, forks, knives, etc. So I am dangling Penny, who is crying, but not too bad, and clean out the sink as much as I can so I could set her in there. As soon as I set her down in the sink, she starts really crying. I turn for a towel and see Moose slurping his man area like it had peanut butter on it and yell at him to stop. This sends Penny into hysterics. Big, juicy tears with hiccup cries! It was pitiful! So I am trying to comfort her and rinse off poop at the same time, but she is clawing and struggling to just get to me. I grab a dishtowel and wrap her up and we go to her changing table/ When I place her down, she is uncontrollable crying. Nothing calming her. I tried soothing voice, stroking her head... No results. Best thing to do was to bare through it and get her diapered and clothed. I pick her up and soothe her. Then I think about my potato, and how I will have to share it with Penny now since she won't let me set her down.

On my walk to the kitchen, I walked into the living room and smell what was left behind by my sweet princess.No potato smell at all. Pure baby poop smell. And then I look down at the poop. And almost threw up. Coco, my shyest, least likely to steal food dog, is eating the diarrhea. The little log was gone. I yelled, "Coco, no!" and Coco just looked at me like I was crazy and FINISHED LICKING THE DIARRHEA!!! I chased her out, Penny has begun her hysterics again and the other dogs are scrambling to get out of my way as I trip on each of them.

After settling my angel down, AGAIN, I was able to put her down to watch Mickey Mouse while I ran laundry water and cleaned out the sink. Then I remembered. My potato. That beautiful potato. Sitting on the counter. I turned to look at it and sighed. It was cold and plastic looking now. No more steam. My heart sank.

I ate it anyway. I had to share it, too. Worst 15 minutes of mommyhood SO FAR.

You're welcome.

The New Year

'Tis the New Year! Penny is almost 5 months old! What a great baby she is! She pretty much sleeps through the night. She only cries when she is hungry... I mean, she yells and shouts when she is annoyed or angry, but doesn't cry. She's pretty good with other people holding her besides me and Josh. We can leave her and know that whoever has her will be okay because Penny will behave...

I need to start working on my patience as a mommy this new year. Not with Penny. I am patient with her. I mean patience with friends and family who are just trying to help. If I refer to something you may have said on my Facebook or to me in person or message, please don't be offended. Because, quite frankly, you aren't the only person who said it! Yes, I hear all kinds of "advice" and "warnings" whenever I say or post anything. I know that they are merely stated because I don't have any children to reference and Josh and I are new to this parenting thing. But sometimes I just get so aggravated reading it, thinking that the people doling out the advice must think we are simply stupid in raising our child. I realize that is not the case. I realize it is friends and family trying to help. But it still gets me. I need to learn to not take it as an attack against my parenting skills. 

For instance, and I did this myself BEFORE I even got pregnant! The co-sleeping thing. We don't do it. Penny sleeps in her bed. She may lay with me if I am not ready to get up yet and we may fall asleep, but it is not a regular thing and I wouldn't call it "sleep" because I worry I am going to crush her. I used to tell my friends that sleeping with your baby in the bed is just crazy! You are asking for a constant sleeping partner besides your husband... who should ALWAYS be your sleeping partner. Your relationship with your husband should be more important because (hopefully) he will be there after/if your kid moves out! But I get it... the people who do it... I get it. There is nothing sweeter than watching my little girl scoot herself closer to me when we are laying together. But no, we don't sleep together and thank you for the advice on why we should/shouldn't. 

The hot tub. My God, the hot tub. Do people REALLY think I would put my baby in a hot tub at full temperature? I don't even do that! But, when I think about it, I shouldn't be so quick to snap at them. Some people may not even think about that and actually DO put their baby in a boiling hot tub of water! We see the news all the time and see what people do to their kids, on accident and on purpose! So, now I get it. People are stupid and do stupid things with their kids. I promise, we don't. If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting my other half, Josh, I will tell you this: Josh don't play. He researches EVERYTHING. He is cautious and vocal about all he has found, using doctor advice and information from credible sources. When I suggested the hot tub thing to him due to a friend of mine putting her kids in at an early age, he went straight to research. He researches sounds Penny makes. He researches information obtained from other friends who have had kids, such as using Vicks for congestion. I promise, if we are doing anything with our baby, Josh has looked into the pros and cons. 

While there are so many things for me to take to arms, those 2 were pretty soft. I mean, I got irritated, but nothing too bad. Just mentioned it and that was it. And there were others that annoyed me but I got over them. I need to do better at not letting them get to me. But then Penny got sick. And people thought it was a good thing to tell me to check in with Penny's doctor. REALLY? Do you really think I wouldn't check into that already? With all the flu deaths and illnesses in kids? I am a first time parent (even though I count myself at helping with Taylor as a baby) and everything she does I email the doctor about! They KNOW me at the doctor's office because of my own hypochondriac ways... now I have a baby! Not only a baby, but a baby that I have wanted for 12 years! A baby we had to pay to help us create! A baby that I have dreamed of! The sweetest, most treasured, miracle baby that we created! Took us 8 years to even make her!! OF COURSE I have checked with her doctor! The first sniffle and I was on the phone! Did we take her in? No. She had no symptoms to worry about. This whole cold she has been all smiles. She gets cranky but just sleeps it off, as most of us do with a cold. No fever. She eats fine. The doctor has been kept in the loop. And even she doesn't think we need to bring her in, unless it would make US feel better. Why does this advice bother me so much? I mean, it's harmless. It's not said to be mean. But to me? I take it as judging my parenting skills. And I take it inside and it burns. And then I tell myself not to post anymore. Don't share anything about it anymore. Don't give any details. How dumb is that?

Which leads me back to my original statement:  I need to start working on my patience as a mommy this new year. No one is judging me. And if they are, I shouldn't care because this is me and Josh's baby and we are doing what WE know is right. 

On that note, thank you all for your advice and help. If I haven't said that before, I am saying it now. It HAS helped me. It has made me realize that I have so many people who care for us. All of you who even respond to our posts, letters and conversations show you care. The fact that you took the time to respond and offer advice is amazing and we are truly blesses to have you in our lives. I am sorry if I was ever short with any of your posts or thoughts. It came from a person who felt they were being judged and not loved and cared for. Thank you.

And now, I am off to go do some homemaker stuff while my precious gift sleeps on her daddy. What a wonderful year this is going to be!