What a week

It's late on a Saturday night.  I am sitting in my big comfy chair, watching 48 Hours and enjoying my weekend.  It's been such a busy week for this girl.

•  I had my first lesson on a riding lawnmower and failed.  Maybe one day I will look as smooth and controlled as my husband was in this video.
• My blood pressure has been elevated since learning of my husband's newest purchase.

 

2008 Kawasaki Ninja 650

• I turned another year older. 

My discovery upon getting into the shower that morning.

• I began my birthday with a wonderful breakfast at McDonald's.

 

 

• And ended my birthday with a much needed ice cream run to CherryBerry.

 

 

• With the beautiful weather, I enjoyed some outdoor fun with Abbie.  Introducing her to sidewalk chalk and bubbles.  Both of which she stuck in her mouth.  I am very thankful to read the words, "NON TOXIC".

 

• I have had to disinfect Abbie's tub toys twice today due to the fact that she has shit in the tub the past two nights.  Tonight I caught a glimpse of the poop face but lifted her out of the tub just in time for her to drop her load in the bathtub.  And then while fishing out the waste, she continued to finish her job on the bathroom rug. Another chapter in Tales from the Tub.  I can't wait until potty training. 

Tomorrow starts a new week.  I'm sure it won't be nearly as disgusting and monumental as this week has been.  There is never a dull moment in the life of a full time working mother.  It keeps me on my toes and makes me love my life even more.  I may just want to start buying stock in Clorox.

Video of the Week

It just amazes me how much Abbie is learning these days!! Exactly one year ago, she was just learning how to roll over and now look at her...trying to break free!!

She's Trying to Break Free!! from Megan Vogt on Vimeo.

It's been 2 years since I have had a glass of bubbly.

I apologize in advance. I wanted something heartfelt as my first post of 2011 but I have too many glasses of champagne to be creative. So...


Happy New Year from my family to yours.  I hope that 2011 is as great of a year as 2010 has been to me.

Party Fit for a Princess – Part One of Two

Over the last few weeks, we have celebrated Abbie’s Birthday with two birthday parties. It was not my intention to do this. I just wanted one big party with family & friends during our trip to Nebraska over Thanksgiving. But we have met so many wonderful people here that have watched Abbie grown up over the past year that it just wouldn’t be right to leave them out of the festivities.

 

The first party was held on November 14th, two days before Abbie’s birthday. We had it at our house and were lucky to have a Sous Chef cook all of the food for the party. We had to pay for all of the food but he prepared it all for free. Okay, so what if he is my brother-in-law. Having him taking there to prepare all of the food, took so much stress off of my hands. And the food was great!!

Menu

Shredded Pork Sandwiches

Homemade Potato Chips

Cold Spinach Dip

Coleslaw

Lemonade

Chocolate Cupcakes

Strawberry Cupcakes

And if having a Sous Chef wasn’t good enough, he brought my nephew with him. A fifteen year old who can get bored very easily. So I had him help me with the decorations. Homemade decorations that were made with love. Decorations that included cutting letters out with a razor blade. Decorations that included using spray glue that in turn would be over sprayed on my dining room table. Decorations that involved folding, cutting and fluffing tissue paper to make awesome pom poms. Decorations that involved positioning the birthday banner just right over the fireplace. Decorations that involved drinking three to four glasses of wine and not getting to bed until 3 am the day of the party. As much of a pain in the ass these decorations were, I would do it all over again next year. Although I probably won’t wait until the night before to get them completed.

Another thing I probably wouldn’t do is waiting until the day of the party to clean my house. When one goes to bed at 3 am, one doesn’t wake up as early as she would like to get everything cleaned and in order for the party. Abbie’s sitter was a lifesaver and watched Abbie for me at 10 am and just brought her down to the party. I was cleaning my house right up until the party started and I still didn’t get everything cleaned that I wanted to. I hopped in the shower at 12:55 and hurried to make myself look half way presentable for our guests.

The party was a huge success. I had our friends set up their laptop in our living room so the guests could watch Abigail Paige Vogt – A Year in Review. Then we dined on all of the scrumptious food prepared by my culinary skilled brother in law, opened a bunch of wonderful and noisy gifts and concluded the party by singing Happy Birthday to the Guest of Honor and enjoyed some cupcakes. It was a great day celebrating the first year of life of a special little girl with a superb group of family & friends. That evening, Abbie was on cloud nine playing with all of her new toys and I was pretty pooped and ready to pass out. I was so happy that I would be getting a two week break before having to do this all over again.

To Be Continued…

A year of tears, laughs, milestones & memories...

Dear Abbie,

It’s so hard to put into words what I’m feeling today. I think back to a year ago and how my life changed forever the moment I heard your tiny little cry. You were a long time in the making. Daddy & I went back and forth on whether or not we wanted to have a baby. I just couldn’t see living a life alone without a child. You have blessed both me and your daddy in so many ways. Yes it was hard at first. The late night feedings, the adjustment to being a full time working mother. It was really tough. And at times I thought to myself, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’ Motherhood is probably THE MOST challenging job I have ever had. There are days when I have my A game and some days I just want to throw in the towel. But then you crack me one of those smiles. The kind that melts my heart and gives me the reason to carry on.

The other night when I laid you to sleep, I thought back to when you were a newborn and you were so tiny and helpless in my arms. I would bundle you up in your blanket and rock you to sleep. Now you have outgrown my arms and your legs are no longer confined to a blanket but instead sprawled out on my lap. It hurts me to know that you aren’t a baby anymore but becoming Momma’s big girl. I hope you will let me rock you until your feet hit the ground like your Grandma Raine did for me when I was younger.

This morning your daddy went in late into work so we were both able to wake you up on your birthday. Your daddy picked you up and you laid your little head on his shoulder and didn’t move. I just wanted to cry. You are definitely Daddy’s little girl. You have changed your daddy into a completely different man. He has never been one that liked babies. He was completely fine with living a life without children. And then you came along and he did a complete 180. His face lights up when he sees you. It just tugs at my heartstrings when I listen to you giggle as your daddy gives you a bath. He does everything in his power to protect you. You definitely have your daddy wrapped around that tiny little finger, Abbie. Keep up the good work.

It’s been quite the year for us. So many tears. So many laughs. So many milestones. So many memories. I wish I could put life on hold to soak it all in. But I have a lifetime to spend with you and make many more memories. I love you Abbie and hope your 2nd, 10th, and 60th year of life will be as joyful as this past year has been.

                                                                  All my love,

                                                                  Mommy

Happy Birthday My Sweet Little Girl!!



Photo taken by Stephanie Phillips



Abbie & I’s favorite lullaby.

The same lullaby that her Grandma sung to me.



You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are gray

You'll never know dear, how much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away.

The other night dear, as I lay sleeping

 I dreamed I held you in my arms

But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken

So I hung my head and I cried.



You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are gray

You'll never know dear, how much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are gray

You'll never know dear, how much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away.

Please don't take my sunshine away.

Please don't take my sunshine away.

For the audio version, click here.



Video of the Week

Today marks the beginning of Abbie's Birthday week!!  I hope to have lots of posts for you this week.  We start with a very special video I have been working on for hours on end for the last week.  It is the largest Abbie & Mommy Production I have ever worked on.


Ladies & Gentlemen....I present to you...

Abigail Paige Vogt - A Year in Review

Abigail Paige Vogt - A Year in Review from Megan Vogt on Vimeo.

No tricks...just one adorable treat!!

This year Abbie got to celebrate her first Halloween.  Trying to keep up with Martha Stewart, the homemaker in me really wanted to make Abbie's costume.  But I never took Home Economics in high school and can hardly sew on a button.  Charlie's mother is a seamstress so I have never had a reason to learn how sew. I don't even own a sewing machine until one was donated to me by my mother in law and delivered two days before Halloween.  I figured a Halloween costume as my first sewing project that needed to be completed in two days was just not going to happen.  So I took the easy route and bought Abbie's costume.





MINNIE MOUSE!!

The costume was 12-18 mos but was on a little bit of the tight side.  It was almost impossible to squeeze her into it and definitely wasn't made for tall girls like my daughter.  Thank goodness she had tights on or her tooshie would have gotten cold hanging out. Her little dress shoes had a slight wedge to them and Abbie stumbled as she walked in them.  And the ears...she hated the ears!!  I'm not exactly sure how I got her to keep them on long enough for this picture.  The minute she felt the headband going over her head, she would rip it off.  I wish I knew how to sew so I could have sewn them onto some ponytail holders and I could have attached them to her pigtails.  Mommy definitely didn't think this one out when she was planning out Abbie's First Halloween costume. 

Abbie got all sorts of candy.  Too bad the poor girl only has 2 1/2 teeth to enjoy it.  I'm afraid that Mommy & Daddy may have to enjoy it for her!!  Her cousins came down to visit for Halloween so she had lots of fun going door to door with them Trick or Treating.  Maybe next year she may know how to actually say Trick or Treat.  I was pretty disappointed with the neighborhoods we went trick or treating to.  Back in the day when I used to go trick or treating, almost everyone had their lights on and you scored big time on candy.  Hardly anyone in our neighborood were passing out candy.  Are people just afraid to open their door to anyone these days, even on Halloween?  Or are they just "Boo Humbugs"??  Next year we are definitely going to hit up the festive neighborhoods.  And I'm going to make sure that Abbie's costume is a lot more comfortable & enjoyable!! 

Vogt Family - Halloween 2010

Video of the Week

My baby girl is walking!!  It may only be a few steps now but pretty soon she's going to be running everywhere!!  STOP GROWING UP SO DAMN FAST, KID!!

First Steps from Megan Vogt on Vimeo.

9 Month Check-Up

While my mom was visiting from Nebraska, I scheduled Abbie's nine month check-up.  I can't believe my baby is nine months old!!  I thought this visit wasn't going to be as bad as the others because there was no shots to be administered.  Just a simple finger prick to take some blood to check her blood count.  Well it wasn't just a simple finger prick to Abbie.  She wailed and cried and cried after the poked her finger.   And then they put a Band-aid over her finger and everything would be better, right?  Oh no, then Abbie was determined to get the Band-aid off her finger.  We noticed by the time we got home that it was missing and figured it was somewhere in the car.  Well after drinking a 6 oz bottle and taking a 2 hour nap, she awoke with the Band-aid in her mouth!!  We still don't have any idea how she never swallowed it!!  I guess I am grateful that she didn't choke on it in her sleep!!

Anyway, here are her stats from her doctor visit.

• Weight: 19 lbs, 4 oz (61%)
• Length: 30 1/2 in (above 97%-off the charts)
• Head Circumference: 46 cm (94%)

Before the finger poke.

The doctor used a term that I had never heard before.  He told me that my daughter was very "svelte".  Svelte is an adjective defined as slender or graceful in figure or outline; slim.  I always called her long and lanky but I think I will start using svelte now.  It sounds so much more distinguished!!

I have also come to realize that Abbie has exceeded the length for her car seat.  The maximum length for the one is using now is 29 inches and the maximum weight is 22 lbs.  I would wait to buy her a new car seat until she has reached 22 lbs but I'm sure she will be way too long by then.  She is already mashing her feet into the seat.  So I guess it's off to the store this weekend to find her a bigger car seat.  You know, one of those big ones that stay in the car at all times.  WAHHHHHHH!!!  Someone please tell me how to get my baby to quit growing up so fast!!

Video of the Week (Exciting & Memorable)

It's been an exciting week for Abbie (and Mom too!!)

• She is now crawling on all fours.  Although she does occasionally plop down back on her stomach and Army crawl if she needs to go somewhere fast.
• She is pulling herself up on furniture, toys, her parents.
• And tonight...drum roll please...SHE STOOD ALONE WITH NO ASSISTANCE!!

And I just happen to have the video camera recording to catch it for the first time.



Standing Alone from Megan Vogt on Vimeo.

But please take your time on walking, Abbie. Your mom can't handle you growing up so fast. :(

Video of the Week

Here I am again...late on the video of the week.  Please forgive me.  I have no excuse except I was incredibly too lazy over the weekend and didn't get around to posting it. 


The Crib Has Been Lowered from Megan Vogt on Vimeo.

Just another sign that my baby is growing up entirely way too fast.  It was hard but I was strong and held back the tears as Charlie lowered the crib so she wouldn't fall out.  Now when I go in to give her a kiss goodnight, she is a whole lot further down and I'm afraid that I'm going to fall in and not be able to get out.

Video of the Week

My baby girl can sit up!!