Thursday, August 29, 2013

GO TO SLEEP KID!

I must have lived in fantasy land for the first couple of months Victoria was born. Or maybe it wasn't fantasy land, it was sleep-deprived-I-am-only-getting-by-because-of-my-new-mom-adrenaline land. I was convinced Tori would be sleeping through the night by 6 months. I would have swore it on anything. The kid is not a bad sleeper, shes really not.. she gets up once in the middle of the night and then again at either 6-7am for the day. That still isn't as good as if she were sleeping through the night. When she was a few weeks ago and waking up every 2 or 3 hours I feel like that almost wasn't as hard on me because I never really got into a deep sleep vs now, her getting up after a solid 5 hours or so... it kills me to get out of bed. Last night when she woke up, I laid in bed and felt so, so awful as I sat there thinking "please go to sleep, please go to sleep"... I had myself so worked up I literally thought I was going to cry. I felt like I would have given my left arm to not have to get out of bed. And then it hits me.. mom guilt. Am I an awful mom that I try to savor those nights with her but then there are nights like last night where I just want her to be 2 and sleeping all night? I HATE to wish time away, and I HATE how I feel after I think to myself that I do want the time to fly by. To think of the day where Tori doesn't have that perfect infant smell, where she isn't making her silly noises as she is trying to learn how to say words, where she doesn't bury her head into my chest, where she doesn't let me carry her around in my bjorn like a baby kangaroo, that just kills me. She is everything to me, and the fact that she is 6 months old already makes me sad... and then exhausted me doesn't appreciate this time in her life. I need to remember to breathe. Before Tori was born, Dan and I both agreed that one thing we hope we would do better than our parents did was be patient, we even said we should get a tattooed permanent reminder that we need to patient, not only with our child, but ourselves and each other. I think that tattoo is looking more and more like a good idea!

Another sitch that doesn't have anything to do with sleep: The beach. Every summer for like 4 summers now, Dan and I have gotten the chance to go to the beach for free with our friends. It is always by far one of the best things about the summer. We have that opportunity again this year. Dan is planning to go for the whole weekend, and I originally was planning on just going one night. One night would mean me driving separately, me being tired when I have to get up early. Two nights would mean getting to be there the whole weekend with everyone, driving with everyone and most importantly: having Friday afternoon-Sunday afternoon with my husband, that is time together that we do not get. I feel like I should take advantage of that. My mom would be keeping Tori. I know she does a great job with Victoria, she keeps a close eye on her and loves time with her. The control freak in me doesn't want anyone else putting my child to sleep, rocking her, feeding her, because obviously no one would do it as good as I would, right? That is my recent dilemma. Decisions, decisions.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Summer has come and gone

We have had the best summer. Seriously. We had a ton of stuff to do which definitely got overwhelming with a baby but it was fun stuff that has made this summer a record breaking fastest summer since Dan and I have been together. The weddings, family trips, anniversary, birthdays... we have decided we cannot make any more friends lol.

I am excited for fall. A season of pumpkin everything! Pumpkin beer, pumpkin pie, pumpkin coffee creamer, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin picking, pumpkin carving.. you get the drift lol. Pumpkin is my favorite flavor in the whole wide world and fall weather is my favorite.. which is why fall is my favorite season. I am definitely dressing Tori up for Halloween because we will go trick or treating with Isabella (and hopefully Sami), Dan and I wanted to dress her as a turtle (we call her our baby turtle) but the costume is sort of expensive and I def wont spend more than $20 on a costume for her.

Today is Dan's first day of school with students. He is so excited to be back to teaching high school again so I am really excited for him. Teaching high school students is getting him back to a place where he is doing something he loves to do. Teaching students about health and fitness, and the students being old enough to actually understand and participate.

In Tori world: She is rolling around like crazy.. I lay her in one place and if I leave the room for a few minutes she will be on the other side of the room in no time. Victoria has also found her voice. This can be really cute, like when she is laughing for example and it can also be a total pain when she decides that for no reason at all she is just going to scream on the top of her lungs.. you know, for the sake of screaming. Victoria's sleep is mostly good and she wakes up about once in the middle of the night... sometimes she just wants her pacifier and sometimes she needs to be fed.. and she still has the occasional tough night where she just doesn't want to sleep. I am really trying to be patient and savor the middle of the night time with her. This is much easier said than done when I am exhausted after a long day but her hitting the 6 month milestone has hit me. She will be sitting up and crawling before I know it and then we will be planning her first birthday party. I just said to Dan yesterday, after Tori had just woke up from a nap and was just so sweet cuddling on me and so happy... that it still seems surreal to me that I have a husband and a baby... like, is this really my life?

I am so lucky!
 
 

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

House for sale!

That's right, the Rera's are selling our house. It is so weird being on the other side of a home sale. I definitely understand the stress that comes along with selling a home and I would say the whole process of selling is more stressful than of buying. What if we don't sell? What if we have to take a really low offer? What if we lose money on the house? What if we sell really quickly and don't have a house to move into? The actual moving part.. the finding a good fit for our family... theres a lot to this stuff.
Why we are selling: it is very simple, we are outgrowing our home. Victoria's things have taken over the house and if I am not tripping over a play mat or swing then I am tripping over Riley, her dog bed, her toys, etc. I need more space. We always knew this was not our forever home. Dan actually bought this house when we had only been dating about 3 months so it was more of a first home for a single guy which can eventually turn into a married couples home and a small family home. We have hardwood floors, central air, a fenced in yard, off street parking.. for a city home, we couldn't have a better house.
The search: We are looking mostly in Manheim Township school district and Hempfield SD. Both are great schools and great locations. Manheim Twp isn't too far out of the city which we spend a lot of time in so that would be great and Hempfield is out towards York a little more which is also another place we spend a lot of time at (with my family there and I also work real estate there) so that would be a good location too. I am looking for more than 1 bathroom (ideally 2 full).. an open floor plan, I LOVE eat in kitchens and I love when you can see the kitchen from the living room lol... and at least 3 bedrooms... and a basement that is either finished or can be... and a garage.. that isn't too much, right? lol! I will keep all posted on house selling progress and house buying process!










Sunday, August 11, 2013

Mema, Mammy and New York

I have been absent for weeks. Keeping up with a blog is hard. Life is busy. Being a mother and wife has 100% consumed my life and I love it.

This past week Dan and I took Tori on her first long road trip. We went to Long Island where Dans very small family lives. We have gone every year twice a year since we started dating. Once over the summer and once over Christmas. Christmas in New York is so beautiful.
This was the second time Dans Mema(his grandma) and his Aunt Maggie have met Tori but the first time his uncle and two cousins have. It was so, so sweet seeing how much they love her and how excited they were to spend the week with her. It is amazing how much love comes with family. Having Tori gives me an appreciation for her family loving her and giving her attention. I love seeing her be kissed, hugged, cuddled. My sweet girl is loved! We got to go to this bakery that Dan, his bro and his dad have gone to for a million years in New York. Dan and I even got a date night as our Aunt Maggie so graciously offered to watch Victoria for us. Dan and I went to a small town in LI called Patchogue where we went for sushi and got drinks. It was awesome, some of the best sushi we have had and accompanied with a chocolate martini for me and a beer for Dan, doesn't get better than that.
Dan's Mema is a very special person to him. She just adores her children and grandchildren. That obviously has extended now to Victoria, me and my sister in law, Taylor and anyone else that her family cares and loves about. She is a wonderful woman and I am so thankful Dan has had her in his life. He adores her more than words can describe.
Now on to my Mammy.
My grandma also happens to be one of the most special people in the world to me. She lost her father a year or so ago and her mother had been in a nursing home the past 5 years. She was getting progressively worse as old age had caught up to her. Everything from alzheimers to not being able to eat anything other than puree etc. My grandma was visiting her in the nursing home about every other day or so, feeding her, bathing her, talking to her. She also would chat with her roommate who she shared her room with for most (possibly all) of the years she had been living there. My great gma passed away this past Saturday. My Mammy seems to be holding up ok as it was expected that this day was coming shortly because my great gma had even more issues come up recently. One thing that happened after she passed was while my Mammy was in the nursing home, she was cleaning out my great gmas room etc and her roommate asked my Mammy to please keep visiting her and my Mammy promised she would. That whole story brought tears to my eyes. My gma is soooo that person, the one who is so sweet and reaches out to everyone she can. That person who would take small gifts to her mothers nursing home roommate so she was never left out. That person who always has something nice to say about everyone, etc. She has lived a crazy life, has been through so, so much.. and is still just such a wonderful person. I just adore her.
 

 
© Design by Neat Design Corner