Madre!

I couldn't be more excited! My Mom is flying in tomorrow (rain permitting) and will be to my house sometime in the early afternoon. I have been cleaning like mad and jumping for joy all day. She is literally my best friend, my rock and my heart. We are extremely close, envied by most of the parents who have seen our relationship. My relationship with my mother is one that if I could even have half of with Bella, I will be truly, truly blessed.

She stayed from the night Bella was born and for an entire month afterwards (THANK GOD!) I could not have survived that first month without her. She was my go-to gal at 4 AM after hourly feedings when this new Mommy was teary and sleep-deprived and totally on the edge. She and Bella had a strong bond from the start and I know they always will.

It's been hard with my Mom living so far away to not have her in my own life and now not in Bella's as much as I wish she could (though we all secretly know I'll be back down South someday). She is constantly calling, begging for photos, videos, anything, and ALWAYS, seriously like WEEKLY sending Bella gigantic boxes of goodies only she can think of! Her stingray bath sponge for example, or first snow globe and of course an endless supply of gorgeous clothes expertly picked out with love and care for "our girl."

Can you tell I'm excited? Details and evidence of our shenanigans to come. Bella! Prepare yourself for frilly outfits and tights because your Nene is coming!

Baby Avery

This story and Blog explains itself; please spread it and raise awareness for this very beautiful and amazing but very sick baby girl!

https://www.facebook.com/AverysBucketList

How Inspiring!

I should have known I was going to have a good day when this was my Horoscope that I read this morning:

Don't hesitate to try something new today, Sagittarius. If you've thought about joining a book club or taking a class, do it today! You're likely to meet some interesting people and enter a new social world. You might be tentative at first, but you'll find the group warm, friendly, and eager for your input. You'll talk like old friends by the end of the second meeting. This is just the infusion of fun you need!

Crazy huh? There were even some old friends there, as well as really down to earth new people with great kids. Perfectly on point today.

So..as you may know, my March of Dimes walk was today (hint, trying something new in my Horoscope!) I am feeling a wonderful sense of euphoria! Even at getting up very early today and rushing around like mad this morning,we packed up Bella and her CARAVAN of things, our lovely BOB stroller, and of course all of our wonderful gift bags with the Nuby sippy cups and Dr. Talbot's Diaper Rash Ointment and arrived early!

I hate to say it, but in packing Bella numerous blankets, outfits, and extra, extra hats and fleeceys, I got almost to the off ramp in Springfield and BING! it popped into my head that I forgot....THE BUBBA! Oh my goodness, how could we do it? We felt so awful! I mean knowing we had HOURS still until we needed to feed her, which gave us plenty of time to get home, but we ALWAYS bring the Bubba! You have to! I remembered her Formula but yep, forgot the Bubba....

But then! We remembered that WE had a truckload of Nuby sippy cups in the back! WHEW! Nuby you guys officially saved the day! We felt like the worst parents in the world! Bella was really unsure about the sippy at first, but actually dug it after a few minutes. Which is really great, because tomorrow makes her 5 months old (that particular Sippy is for 6+ months) but she handled it well. Can I say I love that company even more than before? NUBY TO THE RESCUE! Thank you for making these two super new, super bummed and terrible feeling parents feel a whole lot better!

I am awaiting a few more photos and will do my big March of Dimes posting :) But I am due to get my gallbladder out on Wednesday so this Momma does need to relax a bit! Stay tuned though, it was a very chilly and windy but extremely fulfilling day.

Oh and did I mention I beat my March of Dimes Donation goal?!

Goodbye Gallbladder

So folks, it's official, I will be getting my Gallbladder out this Wednesday. The Doctor knew it in the first 10 mintues of me being there, so we are now approaching my 3rd surgery at 25 years old. I feel like after having been so ill for so long as a child and almost losing  my life, then almost losing it again during the actual surgery that maybe it would somehow give me enough credit in the bank to obsolve me from future surgerys :) Nah, not a chance! Oh well, at least everything is going to look up healthwise for me from now on. I just worry more now because I have a little one in this world who needs her Mommy around so it just makes the stakes more high...stressed out Mama, but staying positive! I will keep you posted.

Surgery?

This Mama is a little bit nerved up today! I think I need my Gallbladder out. I've been plagued with Gallstones for a few years and had some painful flare-ups over time. And it's just been getting worse and worse. So I've finally made an appointment for a consult to see what is going on with me. FINGERS CROSSED!

0-12 years old in 2 minutes and 45 seconds

Here's a tear-jerker for you. This man make a video of his daughter every single week from birth until she was 12 years old. And it's time lapsed so you can watch the whole thing in just 2 minutes and 45 seconds, it's amazing and powerful! Makes me wanna hold onto my little girl and never let go! Time flys like crazy, mine will be 5 months on the 29th of this month and I cannot believe it! Precious precious precious!

http://vimeo.com/40448182

Bumbo Bella

Got Bella a new Bumbo seat to start strengthening those muscles so she can sit up! I felt I had to since all she wants to do these days is sit upright! I've heard great things about them and figured we could try it out! She liked it at first, and seemed so proud of herself! But she got a little tired after a short while, must be from working those new muscles! So I've been putting her in it a couple of times a day for about 10 minutes or so at a time. She seems to be liking it more and more each day. Go Bumbo!

What do you think LambCow? Do you like this seat?

My Charity/Organization

One of the MAJOR blessings of being an Official Nuby Mommy Blogger (WOOT WOOT) is that I will be getting tons of free and amazing Nuby products each month to donate to the Charity or Organization of my choosing.
I have a wonderful new friend who works for a local place called Early Education Services (E.E.S.).

http://www.ees-vt.org/index.html.

They do a vast variety of things; they have a head-start program for children, including children with disabilites, and families in need, they have Fatherhood programs for new Dad's as well as Dad's who were troubled and need help getting into the groove of being a parent, they offer a Welcome Baby program where they do a house visit for new parents, including a goody bag! And many other wonderful things that I hope to learn more about in our new relationship. I have family members and friends who have children who attend E.E.S. and just cannot count all of the ways E.E.S. is a vital part of our community!

I am totally grateful for Nuby and for E.E.S. and the fact that I get to link them together! I will be posting pictures and videos of this new venture so keep checking back!

Nuby and my March of Dimes Walk!

Once I was blessed with becoming an Official Nuby Mommy Blogger I jumped at the chance to link Nuby with my March of Dimes walk taking place this Saturday (www.marchforbabies.org/MeganGriffith) and being as awesome as they are Nuby obliged and sent me 50 Gripper Cups and Dr. Talbots Diaper Rash Cream to give out to the kiddos before the walk!! People are going to be so excited and appreciative! I love giving back, nothing warms the heart better! I cannot WAIT to hand them out at my walk, please stay tuned for photos and videos of the day!

We received them all this morning, however, Bella thinks they belong to her!

What!? You mean these aren't all mine Mommy?

Pears Video!

Sheesh! For some reason, no matter how many times I try I CANNOT get the video of Bella eating Pears uploaded on here! I will keep trying and get some tech support, but for now you are welcome to look at it on my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100003659578701

Bouncy Castle Birthday!

Hello everyone!! I apologize for my lack of Blogging lately my internet has been going haywire! It's even been cutting off my neighbors internet too for some reason, oopsy! So now that I have internet (for the moment at least) I will catch up! Still trying to post my Bella vs. Pears video too, it's sure to crack you up. Yesterday we had some beautiful weather and it didn't rain all day like it was supposed to. A perfect day for my little cousin Ben's big 9th Birthday Party. It was a blast, bouncy castle and all!

And Bella got to spend some very important time with her GREAT GREAT Aunt Tee-Tee, it was so precious! We all grew up in the snuggly lap of Tee-Tee, wish I was still small enough to fit! Lucky Bella!



The weather was great and the kids were running around crazy! Phew I was even worn out after jumping in that thing for 5 minutes!










Uh Oh! Here comes the Birthday Boy with his squirt gun!



Stuck Like Glue

WHEW! It has been quite a crazy couple of days. Seems to me like Bella is going through a big change. For the past two days she has been glued to me. Each and everytime I leave the room she has a total meltdown! I haven't been able to do anything around the house at all. Awhile ago I had researched and read that this usually doesn't happen until babies are around 8 months or so, and even later in toddler-hood. I thought that it seemed too advanced for her to be acting this way so young, here's one of the articles I read: http://www.parents.com/baby/development/separation-anxiety/static-cling-separation-anxiety/ - Which didn't seem like too helpful of an article after reading the one posted by Baby Center: http://www.babycenter.com/0_separation-anxiety_145.bc Stating that the separation anxiety can occur as early as 6 months (Bella is almost 5). So that makes sense, but holy moly! What's a Momma to do? There are only so many times during the day that I can let her cry it out and soothe herself.
After a little research it does makes sense for her to be going through this though, as a stay at home Mommy with a Husband who works long, late hours I am the primary person with her 24/7, so I am going to start giving her a little time with my Grandmother or my Cousin who both live in close proximity and help her to get past her anxiety. I'm sure other Mommies share my concerns about it, especially when you know you should let them cry it out and work it out on their own it is really hard and exhausting to let them be so upset for too long. Tugs on those Mommy heartstrings almost too hard to wanna stand! I just keep telling myself that she will be okay, and that it's only going to be doing her an injustice later on if I pick her up and give in to her every cry for me. Breathe! Breathe! Breathe! I hope she gets past this soon, for the sake of us both, Mommy hates those crocodile tears!

Baby Hummingbird

This video totally touched my heart today! A guy saved a baby hummingbird! It is so cute.

http://www.wimp.com/babyhummingbird/

Nuby Section Plates

Hey All! Nuby is giving away 150 of their cool section plates today on Twitter! So to make sure you don't miss your chance, be sure to follow @NubyUSA on Twitter today for details!! GOOD LUCK!! Share your story with me if you win, I would so love to hear about it.

PEARS!

The time has officially come for Bella to try some fruits and baby cereal! Woowho! I am so excited! I will be sure to get some pictures! But if this is what her face looks like off formula what will these pears do!?

The Park

Well yesterday's trip to the park was a bit short lived, it got pretty cold and windy (you know what they say, if you don't like the weather in Vermont, wait 20 minutes!). But we did manage to get some good pictures (and a wardrobe change) of Bella and I and of course her in the Bob for their maiden voyage before the wind got the best of us!

And here's Bella and Bob on their first and very short "voyage"



One



Two



And Three she's out!



A little something funny...

Finally!

FINALLY we have some nice weather today! Perfect timing since my new stroller arrived too! I know I said I'd post back when I decided on which stroller I was going to get. I ended up spending more and getting the Bob Revolution SE. The way I looked at it was yes it's very expensive, but it is the only one I will ever need to get and it goes until she's about 70 lbs or so, which with my little peanut won't be for quite sometime. I can keep it for my next child and they still have an amazing resale value of about $200, even for the much older models. I am in love with it! We are headed to the park shortly with our new stylin stroller, watch out :) Be sure to check back for pics!

Nook is a Mommy's best friend!

I purchased a Nook shortly after I gave birth to Bella and it quickly became my best friend! When she was younger and on a harder sleep schedule, going to sleep for the night finally at midnight, long after my Husband was asleep and there was no one to talk to.  I would read and read and check my emails, Facebook, etc. It really helped to settle me down to rest. The best thing for me was when I was nursing her every two hours and beyond exhausted, I could read quietly while she nursed and it helped me to stay awake because I had something to focus on! It was and is the best thing ever. Much easier and less disturbing than turning on the television, or the lights to read a book. Brilliant! I use it all day, everyday, it was worth every penny! I highly recommend them for new Mommy's who like to read. I have the tablet so it's also got the Andriod apps and everything which I love. You can get books that will read aloud to children, Bella loves them and the moving pictures! There are also really great games for children to help them developmentally and to learn colors, numbers, ect. You can't beat that!

HUGE Nuby Giveaway!

Hey Everyone! Welcome to my 2nd post for Nuby! Today they are doing something awesome!

If you love Nuby then today is the DAY to become their fan on Facebook! Today for their new fans only Nuby is giving away 5,000 Nuby Gripper Cups, they are so awesome! Simply,  follow the link here to get started: www.nuby.com/en/newsletter

AND of course they are taking care of their current fans as well by giving you a chance to win 1 of the 500 Nuby Flex Straw Cups!! Just by entering your information below: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/gripperapril

Don't miss out! And please share your story with me if you are one of the lucky winners! Good luck everyone!

Nuby Mommy Blogger Me!

Hey Everyone! I wanted to share that I have been fortunate enough to become a Mommy Blogger for Nuby! I am so excited that my Daughter and I get to be a part of such a tremendous brand. We are blessed! I will be continuing my Blog as I have been but also incorporating Nuby into it as our relationship grows. Exciting!

So my first Nuby post (other than Bella's research photo in my previous post) will be that today they are giving away 1,500 of their awesome Nuby Gripper Cups on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/#!/nubyusa) be sure to visit and sign up to win! They are really cool! They are grippy and built in a fun shape that way your kiddos little hands can grib and hold it better (even with sticky peanut butter hands!) How smart and innovative, I can't wait to get Bella's in the mail and she what she thinks of it. I'm sure all the Mommies out there with arm cramps from holding a sippy cup for 20 minutes, or picking it up and rinsing it off repeatedly will appreciate the break!

I am a past winner who never thought I'd win and I did! So give it a shot :) Good luck Mommas! Let me know if you win, I'd love to hear it.

Dear Fellow Babies....

This is absolutely hilarious and true!

http://www.momaroo.com/756132895/dear-fellow-babies/

Technologically Blessed

I have just received my May issue of Parents magazine in the mail, it always makes me so excited! My days of reading the latest celebrity mags are over, it's all about baby for this Mama now! It's so full of advice and tips.

What I have been doing since I was pregnant is tearing out the pages of anything I come across that interests me and keep it with Bella's baby book (so what if I tear out an article from a magazine in the Doctor's office or whereever I am once in a while? The Receptionist will only glare for a second!) I'd like to make a sort of scrapbook with all these little tidbits for later use. I also keep the weekly parent advice emails I receive in a folder for future reference too. Such as advice on starting solids, and future 1st Birthday party planning. I have saved quite a few (okay more than quite a few!) ranging from future easy recipes and fun treats to make with Bella when she gets older and can "help." Also things I can make for her such as thread wrapped wire letters for her bedroom (they are listed as an activity for Mother's day on Pg. 38 of Parents magazine's May issue.) I love them! I found a great one for headbands too, I'd rather make her my own that will fit her than some of the little headbands I've purchased in the past that end up being too tight and go unused. I try to be mindful of it after recently reading that infants can suffer from headaches just like any adult and too tight hats and headbands can cause them. So making my own to fit her head specifically is the way to go for me! I am so grateful to live in a day and age where an uncertain Mommy has unlimited resources to even the craziest questions or fears as a new parent. There are endless magazines, websites, Blogs, forums, and so on, to help! Even at 2 AM when you can't necessarily call up your own Mom or friend for advice. I can't imagine what Mommy's did before all of this technology. I seriously rely on all of those resources and recommend that any new Mommy tap into the information at your disposal! Research Mommys! Research!

Bella doing her own reasearch on Nuby.com for BPA-free spoons and bowls that she can use when she starts solids this week!

Blustery

Nothing too exciting going on today. However, Bella is back to her regualr temperature, happy self now.Attempted to go to the park but it was too cold and windy, Sick of the Winnie-the-Pooh weather and ready for some warm sun! I can't wait to get my new stroller and have some good weather I can actually take Bella out in! Happy for Bella's first Easter tomorrow though! Pics to follow.

Shots!

My poor Pookie had her last round of shots yesterday at her 4 month checkup. One in each leg and one orally. That has gotta be the hardest thing to stand there and watch. I think the nurse feared for her life with Mama Lioness there!! Haha, can't say I was too psyched. "Get that needle away from my baby!." I was a bucket of nerves all day knowing she was going to be in pain and have a rough night ahead of us. Which we certainly did, she still has quite a fever this morning too. Gave her a bath and she is now sleeping soundly in her swing all snuggled in. I wish I could get shots for her! The thing that gets me is how instantly she feels like crap after she gets them. I can see it in her eyes, poor little one! I made sure to give her some Tylenol right there at the Doctor's this time instead of waiting until later like I did the first time (and was advised to). All went well other than that though! She is getting into the average bracket for her age, finally starting to catch up to normal weight. Afterall she was only 5lbs 2oz when I had her and I took her home from the hospital at a teeny 4lbs 12oz. She now weighs 12lbs, 12 oz!

                                                           Bella's pre-shot photo :)

Now I'm not sure if anyone else is encountering some confusion with the new dosing levels on baby medicine. I use Little Fevers because of the recall on Tylenol, which says to check with a Doctor because the dosing information and levels have changed. Since Bella's weight has been changing so rapidly over the past few months, and I am so on guard with over medicating, I call my Doctor's office to get an idea from them how much to give her every time she needs some. So I have the nurse telling me one amount to give her, then the information packet I receive at the Doctor's telling me another, and my Doctor himself telling me another. How stressful! Best of luck to anyone going through that too!

What the heck kind of animal is that?

Wondering if it's just me, but I swear Bella has about 10 different stuffed toys that I really have no idea what kind of animal they are. It makes me laugh. For example here's Bella below with her animal we jokingly call "LambCow."

It's hilarious, part orange fluffy sheeplike hair, then cow body and face...who knows, she is obsessed with him though and that's all that matters.



You know you are a Mom when...

You know you are a Mom when...you reach for their baby bottle on the table thinking it's your coffee cup, and come frighteningly close to taking a sip! Haha, another of my many new Mommy "whoa's" that I get from time to time. This Mommy is a tired one today!...Bella, not so much :)

The Great Stroller Debate

How the heck does a Mama pick a stroller? I have been on the hunt since I discovered I was pregnant for the best jogger I can find with a high maximum weight capacity and durability (hand brakes are a perk I'm looking for too, being that I'm a tiny girl I need a way to slow that sucker down if I'm taking it downhill). I always do my research before I make a big decision like this, especially when it comes to anything for my baby!
I've read review after review and compared style, price, versatility, weight, recalls, types of tires (plastic or rubber? definitely rubber!) ect. It's been quite exhausting! Of course the to-die-for Bob Stroller always comes in at number one for basically any review I've read, but it carries a not-so-affordable pricetag. Basically starting at $300 and up from there. A little steep for a young Mama like me to swing! Then there's Jeep's line of awesome strollers that I would LOVE but the maximum weight is about 40lbs or so, and I'd just rather not pay $200 for something Bella will quickly overtake in the weight department. If I were to rate my Top 5 I'd say; The Bob Revolution SE, The Schwinn Arrow, The Baby Trend Expedition (comes with speakers to plug an mp3 player into, so awesome!), The Jeep Overland, and a Baby Jogger. They all have amazing perks to them that are definitely in line with what I am looking for but not perfectly in line. Oh but which one! I guess I'm going to keep researching and narrow my decision down based on that. I'm just eager and in a time crunch to get one with warm weather approaching as well as my March of Dimes walk at the end of April (www.marchforbabies.org/MeganGriffith). I gotta pack up my preemie girl and have her walk with Mama to support other premature and low birth weight babies! She's my badge of honor!

My search is also kind of funny in a way, after all I am still 25 and even though I'm a Mommy now I still have that need to be stylish everywhere I go too (yes, even my stroller, sue me!). I took Bella to the park for the first time a few weeks ago during some very unseasonably warm Vermont weather with my borrowed stroller from a friend (plastic wheels + grass = not too manuverable that's for sure) and she with her shiny new Bob carrying her 4 year old son. While he ran around and played and I took a peek around at all the other Mommies, it's like a fashion contest! I was happily stunned! I mean there was a Mommy with a bright red stroller pushing around her baby with matching 5 inch red stilettos to match! I mean this is mulch and grass we're talking about here! But you had to love her for it! And now all these hi-tech, costly strollers all make sense now! It's like driving your Cadillac into a parking lot! Woo who! I can still be fashionable and stylish and so can Bella too! Just because you become a Mommy doesn't mean you can't have things that aren't fun and exciting yet functional AND baby oriented! Hallelujah!

I'll post pictures of whichever I choose, so stay tuned!!!