Playing catch-up

Time to play catch-up. I've been pretty busy the last week and a half and I have not done my blogging! Shame on me. So lets pick up where we left off last time.

My first Mother's Day has now come and gone. It was a pretty big deal for me, especially since I never expected to be celebrating it so soon. But the day let me realize just how excited and thankful I was to be celebrating the fact that I am Mommy to the best little girl in the world. I started the day off by working in the nursery at church. Ella stayed home because she was too tired to be woken up so early. :) sleepyhead. We made fun arts and crafts for the kids to give to their moms, and it was exciting to know that I have that to look forward to in the future. I came home to KT getting himself and Ella ready to take me out to lunch. He had to work that evening so we had to have our dinner at lunch time. Outback was yummy, although Ella decided she would make sure everyone in the restaurant knew she was there by doing her screaming for no reason antic. It seems to be a permanent habit she has picked up. After lunch KT took me to a plant sale (yes, I really said plant sale) and Books-a-Million. He knows I love books and, much to my surprise, has actually been paying attention to me when I have been talking about how I want to garden. Hmmph. So we did some looking around and then had to come home for him to get to work. Ella and I spent the night playing until she passed out on me and then, with nothing else to do, I passed out too. The next morning I woke up to flowers and a card from KT and Ella. He has this habit of only giving holiday gifts either very late the night of the holiday or the day after. No clue why, but I have accepted it. And that day we went and got me some tomato, cucumber, and oregano plants. So I am now officially a gardener. And judging by the size of my plants, I am a pretty good one at that! Oh crap, I just realized I forgot to water them today...I'm sure one day won't hurt...right?? :)

Okay, so Mother's Day was a success. I got flowers, cards (all of KT's family sent/gave me cards which was super sweet!), phone calls/texts from family and friends, plants, and dinner. And then KT surprised Ella and I by telling us on the Friday after Mother's Day that he was taking us on vacation! We were pretty excited. He picked out Chattanooga and told me to find a hotel I liked and figure out what activities we would do. I took this very seriously and planned us a fantastic trip. Did I mention he decided this on Friday and we were to leave the next morning?? Yep. So by I 'planned us a fantastic trip', I mean the best trip I could in the few hours I had. But the trip deserves its own post full of tales of exciting adventures and pictures! So be sure to check that post out! And if you have Facebook and want to see even more fun pictures, then click here.

We also had Ella's doctors visit this week. Today she weighed in at 16lb 8oz and measured 27 3/4" long! Although last week we were told she was 16lb 15oz (but they didn't strip her so that could be the cause of the difference) and 26" long. Now I am just not sure how the measurement became so different. I am pretty sure my child did not grow almost 2" in a little over a week, so there must have been an error on someone's part. We are going to measure her ourselves and see what we come up with. Either way we have a good sized baby! Our poor baby had to get more shots today and it seems that for the first time she may have had a reaction to them. She had her lunch around 12ish and by 3ish she vomited twice. :( And she ran a low grade temp of 100.9. She hasn't ever had a temp or a reaction to the immunizations before so can't say for sure that that is what caused it. I, being a first time mommy, of course called the doctor and the nurse said it was normal. But she did have to get medicine for the first time today, and she took it like a pro! She seems to be doing fine this evening, so hopefully everything has gone away. I am very happy about the fact that she has never been sick, and I do not plan on having that change now!

Well, now that you know every detail of what has happened to me in the last couple weeks...I am sure you are bored out of your mind. After the Chattanooga post I promise to get back into more meaningful topics. Until then, hold yourself over by reviewing any posts you may have missed! Like learning how to become a guest writer, Ella turning 6 months old, or just seeing how it all began.

By the way, we are getting to stay in our current apartment for a couple more months so fingers
crossed for good luck on our job search!



Ella loves to play with receipts..really. 

Ella's Six Months Old!! And new pictures!!

Yesterday was a big day for Ella! She turned 6 months old. I was so happy and sad at the same time. I can't believe that it has already been half a year since we were blessed with the best baby in the whole world! It has gone by so quickly that I am almost sad to already reach this milestone. The past 6 months have truly been the best of my life. Everyday I fall even more in love with my amazing daughter. (Even though it has been six months it still sounds weird to say "my daughter", but it's a good weird!)
Since KT had to work that afternoon, Ella and I decided to celebrate with a mommy-daughter day. We went to McAlister's first for our lunch date, then to make Mother's Day cards for both grandmas, nanny, and auntie at Target, and then we capped the day off by meeting up with Jania and James for ice cream and a photo shoot on UA's campus. I'd say it was a pretty good day. And by the smiles and laughter coming from Ella throughout the day, I'd say she agrees. There are some pictures below from our day out for her 6 month birthday and just some pictures of Ella that are cute!

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, so hopefully we will have another great day together as a family tomorrow. Happy Mother's Day to all of the wonderful mommies!! By the way, I say mommies need way more than just one day out of the year to honor all of the hard work that goes into raising kids, having a career, and taking care of the household!!

Sitting with Saban!

 

 Sitting with Saban again! (Btw, I didn't realize I couldn't rotate the

pictures until I already uploaded them and now I don't feel like

re-doing everything to fix it. LOL. Sorry!)

 

 In front of the stadium! Sorry again! LOL.

 

 Ella sitting beside me at McAlister's being the best baby in the world!

Such big, beautiful brown eyes!

 

 "I'm six months old!!" Seriously, could she be anymore adorable??

 

 Just chillin' on the couch like a big girl!

 

 Eating some yummy Cold Stone Creamery!

 

Loving her new exersaucer!

 

Sleeping on her daddy's chest! :)

 

 

These pictures make me smile. Tomorrow I will do her official six month pictures like I have been doing every month. If you missed last months pictures, you can see them here. Also, I am still looking for guest writers, so contact me if you are interested! Don't be shy! Tomorrow I will let you guys know how my first Mother's Day goes! 

Guest writer opportunities!

I have been thinking about some ways to update the blog. I decided that some recurrent themed posts would be a great way to give all of you guys something to look forward to regularly. One of the posts I decided upon doing was featuring posts written by guest writers. This is open to anyone that wants to do some blogging and writing. You do not have to have any experience or anything like that. But if you have been thinking about starting your own blog, this is a great way to get some exposure to the blogging life and to also gain readers. If you already have a blog, then this is a great way to open your blog up to new readers and increase traffic to your blog. (You are welcome to feature your guest post on your blog as well!) And if blogging is nowhere in your future but you just feel like doing some writing, then this is great for you too! :)

So what should you write about? ANYTHING!! I said when I started this blog that although this blog was centered around parenting, I wanted to be able to blog about anything that I felt like. That could be anything from a great book I read or want to read, current affairs, or even just venting from having a rough day. This anything-goes policy applies to guest writers as well. Mommies need breaks from the everyday life of being a mommy, so a funny post about how your day was could be just the thing that can offer us the break and laugh we need! Posts can be humorous, enlightening, sad, or any other emotion you are feeling. So if you do feel like writing a post about parenting, great! If not, great! :) You don't have to be a mommy or daddy to be a guest writer! Posts can also be the length of your choice, but I find that what I think will be a short post always goes longer than I expect! By the way, guest writing one post does not mean you can't do another one! This can actually turn into a recurrent thing for you if you find you really enjoy it!

Okay, so how do you become a guest writer? Just shoot me an e-mail with your info (name, blog {if you have one}, social media site if you want to share, post topic, and date of expected completion). I'll respond letting you know I received your e-mail, what day your post will be put on the blog, and with any questions I may have. Then all you have to do is send me the completed post by the date that you said. Also, a great way to familiarize yourself with readers is to have a short synopsis of who you are. This just lets people know a little about you and your story. Please include your bio in either of the e-mails you send.

My e-mail is lyndsey.mosley@gmail.com

My hope is to have enough people willing to participate that this is able to become a weekly topic. So don't hold back! Sign up to be a guest writer today! And don't be afraid to say you want to do multiple posts. I welcome everyone wishing to participate! If you know someone that loves to write and would love this, please share with them!

I have a confession...

Today I decided that I cannot keep my secret obsession a secret any longer. What I am about to tell you may seem a bit shocking, but I know that the first step to dealing with a problem is admitting that you have the problem. I hope that you do not judge me and that some of you may even be able to relate. I started to realize that I had a bit of an obsession last summer, but since having Ella I can tell that it really is an addiction. I have a problem.

Hello. My name is Dani Mosley and I am a picker. A booger picker. Ella's booger picker to be precise. Well, actually, any child, but I'm just most comfortable with Ella. Before you judge, let me explain.

I cannot stand to see a child with a nasty nose. Seriously, can't stand it. Whenever I see a booger in Ella's (or any random child), I have the urge to get it out. I can't bare to look at it. Luckily, I am able to control my urge around children I do not know (mainly for fear of being arrested for attacking a child), but when it comes to Ella, there is no stopping me! I first realized my true hatred of booger-filled noses at the daycare I worked at last summer. I was constantly wiping noses because kids in daycare are the worst. They seem to always have stuffed up noses. So I decided it was my duty to rid them of these boogers. Miss Dani to the rescue! Prepped with blue gloves, a booger-sucker (AKA an aspirator but booger-sucker sounds cooler), and a baby wipe. The kids didn't stand a chance. No parent would pick up a nasty-nosed child on my watch!

Since having Ella, my obsession has just compounded. KT is constantly taking Ella away from me when I go on one of my "digging expeditions". He just takes her and shakes his head. But, thankfully, Ella doesn't really seem to mind usually. Another testament that she is definitely meant to be my child! She will just let me dig away until I have reached my limit for that particular session and then she just turns her head away. It really works out quite well for both of us. And I know that I will never have that child that is running through the mall with the nose that makes everyone cringe and take a step back!!!

And, honestly, I get such a sense of satisfaction when I get those nasty boogers out that I do not see me stopping my addiction anytime soon, but I do feel better having gotten this off of my chest. Seriously, it feels so rewarding! (By the way, I also have this feeling towards ear wax! I clean Ella's ears constantly! I am also that weird person that Youtube's ear wax removal videos and feels so accomplished when the doctor pulls that big ball of wax out. If you haven't ever watched one of these videos, you should. Like right now. The Indian ones are the best!) You may see me in a different light now, but I can accept that. I hope you don't judge me too critically though! :)

Okay, so this maybe wasn't the most profound blog post ever, but it did make you smile or maybe even chuckle, didn't it? :) Or maybe you just cringed, gagged, or stared dumbfounded at the screen. Either way, mission accomplished!

Now go Youtube those ear wax videos. You know you want to!

Some long overdue pictures

 City wide Easter Egg Hunt

 In our Easter outfits (my green did not match at all!)

She's too cute!

Deanne's wedding

Ella is 5 months!!!!

 



Disappointment is a hard pill to swallow

I am not usually one to admit if the actions of another person are upsetting to me, especially not in such a public forum, but disappointment has been a feeling I have had to get accustomed to lately. And that in itself is disappointing. Even before I got pregnant with Ella, I knew that my choices with my life would make others unhappy. But this is my life. Unfortunately, several people do not seem to understand that part.

Growing up in a small town in Alabama has its perks, but it most definitely has its downfalls. Namely, close-mindedness. I always knew that I didn't really see things the way that most of my peers and several of my family members did. But I was also raised to be respectful, so I kept my mouth shut about my differences of opinion. Until I went to college at least. Even though I stayed in-state for college, I was exposed to completely new things. Ultimately, those new experiences are what led me to Ella. And I regret none of my choices. Ella is an amazing person and has truly shown me what unconditional love really means. How could I not be happy with having her in my life?

I knew that when I told people that I was pregnant there would be some naysayers. However, I did not think that those same people that loved me and raised me my entire life would simply walk away. But they did. There are multiple people that I have not seen or even spoken to since I announced my pregnancy. My heart hurts to think of this, but it also hurts to think that they will not know Ella. She brings such joy and happiness to my life, and I want to share her with everyone I love so they can experience even a fraction of what I feel everyday. I am not able to wrap my head around the thought that I would love someone less or completely abandon them based on their decision to find happiness in the way that they choose. And how do you not just love a baby??

None of this is to say that I love anyone in my family less or that I am angry with them. I am truly not. I'm just disappointed. Luckily, there have been so many people in my family and so many friends that have completely supported Ella and I. Those are the people that make the disappointment a little easier to handle. Some days (like today, well the last week actually) are just harder to deal with. Disappointment and hurt come in all shapes and sizes, but the good thing about having these types of weeks is that you learn that you can withstand so much more than you thought possible. And I can't say all of my disappointment has come from family alone. Sometimes those you are the closest to really can hurt you the most. But I do know that before Ella I would have never been able to handle hearing the things I have been told or experiencing the deep hurt that comes with learning that things may not work the way you envisioned. But knowing that Ella needs me has made me incredibly strong for her sake. I will do everything I can to make sure she is happy and knows that she is loved. Ultimately, Ella will be happy. And because of her, I will be happy. No one can take that away.

Life can get in the way sometimes!

I can't believe that it has been so long since I have gotten to blog. But we have had so much going on. There was Easter, family in town, and hosting a bachelorette party. With all of that, blogging had to be put on a back burner. But I am back now!


First, a quick update on Ella. She is still amazing. :) She is rolling over like crazy, can sit up un-supported for a few minutes at a time, and eats like a pro! She seriously has not met a pureed veggie or fruit that she doesn't like. We had a great Easter and visits from the families. I was really happy that KT's family was able to come up for a bit to get to see her, but I wish they could have stayed longer to really get to spend some time with her and see all of the amazing things she can do! And hopefully, my Nanny will get to see her soon too. It is hard to live away from the family, but it is great to feel like we are really out on our own.

Okay, so on to the topic of today's post. Time management. How do we do it all? The last couple of weeks have really shown me that there just is not enough time in the day to accomplish everything that we need to do. Sometimes I really feel like I wake up, feed Ella, change some diapers, put her down for naps, maybe get something to eat, get a bit of cleaning done, and then suddenly it is 11 p.m.! Where did the time go?? There are so many tasks that I assumed I would be able to get done while I was staying home with Ella, yet hardly any of them have actually been checked off my list. I definitely admire the moms who seem to always be put together, on time, and well-fed! :) Food definitely gets sacrificed for me! But I can't help but wonder, are they really as on top off things as they seem? If so, how do they do it?

I feel so overwhelmed sometimes that when I do have some free time I can't even bring myself to get off of the couch. The fact that I haven't gone back to work yet seems to just be making the issue worse. I have no real reason to get up and brush my hair in the morning or actually change out of my pajamas. At least, that's how I feel. I really do try to talk myself into getting up and making an effort but then I remember that I have nothing to do other than take care of Ella all day. And frankly, she doesn't care if my hair is brushed or not because she is going to yank on it either way. How does a new mommy learn to manage her time and still feel motivated to get out of bed and put some real clothes on?? I definitely need some good advice on this one! So, got any??

P.S. I can't even make this post as long as I want it to be because I have to go get some dinner ready for when KT gets home in about 30mins. But I WILL be back tomorrow. And I will be prepared with some new pictures and videos!