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.

Video of the Week

I decided to hire myself a personal assistant.  It's hard working 40 hrs a week, planning & cooking meals, paying bills, cleaning up the house and taking care of a 13 month old.  And my assistant, she is pretty cheap.  I pay her with cookies & kisses.  Plus, check out her awesome computer skills.

My Personal Assistant from Megan Vogt on Vimeo.

12 Month Check Up

Disclaimer: I have been a bad mommy blogger. I had typed up all of these posts in Word while on the road for 16 hours traveling over Thanksgiving and had great hopes to get them all posted last week, but it just didn't happen. So this week I will be flooding my blog with all sorts of great updates and stories. I hope you don't get tired of my ramblings by the end of the week!! 

On Friday, November 19th, I took Abbie in for her 12 month check up. I picked such an awesome Pediatrician and office. During the first couple years of life, we made a lot of visits to this office to check Abbie’s weight so we became familiar with the nine physicians in the office. But we always enjoy it when it is Dr. Zetik who we get to see. He is such nice, caring man and he isn’t bad on the eyes either. I also found another reason to like him so much. In an effort to save the planet, he no longer uses exam paper on his exam tables. Being one that started doing a better job at being green this year, it just excites me when I see others doing the same. Although they did still need to use the exam paper to record Abbie’s length.

 

Here are her 12 month stats: 

*Length: 32 ½ inches (greater than 97th percentile)

*Weight: 21 lbs, 10 oz (60th percentile)

*Head Circumference: 47 ½ cm (97th percentile)

She is now old enough to stand on the scale to get her weight checked. It was so cute seeing my little girl standing all alone in her diaper on the big girl scale. She also had to get four shots on this visit. Hepatitis A, Chicken Pox, Measles, Mumps & Ruebella, and the 2nd round of her Flu vaccine.


She was not a happy camper after being stuck in the leg four times but once the nurse put some Band-aids and Mommy got her dressed, she was back to the smiley, adorable little girl. I gave her some Ibuprofen before her shots to help with the pain and then took her to daycare after her appointment. Her sitter said that she did just fine all day and wasn’t crabby at all. I’m such a lucky mom to have such a tough little cookie.

Walk this Way

Ah, Fall has arrived.  One of my two favorite seasons (Spring & Fall).  The weather finally cools down after putting up with months of the dreaded southern heat.  The leaves begin to change.  The cool evenings where you wrap yourself up in a blanket, make yourself a warm mug of cider and sit around the fire pit roasting marshmallows. 

With the weather being so mild lately (mid 70's & 80's), I decided to get back into my walking routine.  I just couldn't do it during the summer b/c a) I couldn't find the time and b) it was so dang hot & humid.  But now that it's cooler out, I have been spending my lunch hours walking 30 minutes with coworkers.  Then when I get home, I load Abbie up in her stroller and we walk the neighborhood for 30 minutes.  It is such a good way to relax after a hard day at work.

Abbie loves going for walks.  There is so much to see and most of the time she is sound asleep by the time we get home.  I got her a new stroller.  The one I had from before was okay for walks but it was so big & bulky.  It took up so much room in the Element and it was such a pain to navigate around the stores in the mall.  So I found this smaller, lightweight umbrella stroller on sale for $100 at Babies R Us.  With my coupon + tax, I spent $86.  And it's wonderful for tall people like me.  No need to hunch over while pushing it.  My favorite features is the cup holder and a basket down below.  And it also comes with a matching tote bag.  I would tell you if you were in the hunt for a good stroller to go buy this one but I just went on Babies R Us' website and I can't find it on their website anymore.  So I'm glad I snatched it up when I did!!  I did find it on Amazon.com but it's double in price from what I paid at BRU.

Here is a then & now shot of our walks that I put together on Picnik.  Can you believe that eight months lapsed between these pictures?  Where did my baby go!?!

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.

This girl has my genes for Mac & Cheese

Abbie has reached the age where we can start giving her soft table food.  I'm ecstatic over the whole idea because I was really getting tired and bored of steaming fruits and veggies when there are so many different foods out there for her to taste.  Well tonight I introduced her to one of my favorite meals...MACARONI & CHEESE!!  Her father isn't a big fan of mac & cheese.  He really isn't a fan of anything cheesy.  I know, can you believe I married him?  When we make Velveeta Shells & Cheese from the box, he will only add maybe 1/3 of the cheese packet.  Who does that?!?  It's called Macaroni & CHEESE!!  Now he is to the point where he doesn't even want to eat it.  So I was so excited when I could enjoy this meal with Abbie.  I was hoping that she wasn't going to be like her father.  And thankfully she wasn't.  SHE LOVED IT!!  With most finger food, she will nonchalantly drop her food on the floor for the dogs to eat.  Or she will miss her mouth and there will be a pile of food sitting next to her when I take her out of her highchair.  But tonight, she made sure every little bit of cheesy goodness ended up in her mouth. 

My Favorite Lullaby

On the nights that I rock Abbie to sleep, I sing her this lullaby.  It was the same lullaby that my mother sung to me when I was little.  And some nights (like tonight) I cry as I sing it to her.  Listen to it and tell me if you get a little teary eyed too...

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.

Call me crazy...

...but I cancelled cable last week. It was a decision that I had been stewing over for a good month before I actually called the cable company and told them I'd like to cancel. There are many good reasons why I cancelled it.

1. Raising a child isn't cheap people. Forking over $100 a week for someone to watch your child can really put a kink in one's household budget.


2. This website. What we can't watch on TV, most of them we can watch here. And did you know that there are a lot of old shows you can watch online? Like She-Ra: Princess of Power. Yes, I watched it as a child and I enjoyed it. Don't judge.


3. Our TV shows have wrapped up for the season and there really isn't much on TV during the summer except for reality shows. I love me some reality shows but I can always watch them online (see #2).


4. The cleanliness of my house has been put on the back burner. Not just my weekly cleaning but there is a lot of spring cleaning that I need to get done. You know like washing windows and cleaning ceiling fans and dusting baseboards. So I'm a little anal with my cleaning. One of the best feelings for me is enjoying a clean house.


5. I have so much junk that I don't use that I would like to get rid of. You know, like that spiral curling iron you have had since junior high or your size 8 shorts that you bought after losing all of that weight on Weight Watchers. Face it Megan. It's been 8 years since you could fit in those shorts. You had a baby. Your figure will never be the same. GET RID OF THEM!!
6. This little girl. She grows up so fast. I need to cherish the time I have with her now. Because once she is a teenager and wants nothing to do with me, I will have all the time in the world to be a couch potato.

Which by the way is throwing a fit in her Exersaucer next to me so I better wrap this up and tend to her.

Video of the Week

Two posts in one day?!? What is wrong with me?? I realized that I forgot to post a video for last week so I figured better late then never.

For this (errr, last) week's video, I decided to do something a little different. I went to the vault and pulled out the very first video I ever shot of Abbie while in the hospital. You see, tonight I was rocking my little girl and suddenly realized that she isn't as little as she used to be. As a matter of fact, she is 10 lbs, 3 oz heavier than she was at birth. I even got a little sad tonight as I rocked my not so little girl to sleep. I miss the baby in this video. Her tiny little arms and legs. Her delicate little cry. Time with her goes so fast. I just hopes that she wants me to rock her until she's 20.