A birthday and a surprise!!

Once again, it has taken me incredibly long to update my blog. Everything has been going very well and I can't believe that I let Norah's 1st birthday go by without a blog entry and a million pictures!! I guess I will just have to do a recap!

We had an AWESOME small party of family and friends. My parents were able to fly out and spend a few days helping me clean my house and get all the last minute things together. My Mother-in-law made TONS of yummy food to cater the party and I made cupcakes to go with our ladybug theme.

We had a great summer and I was able to work tons. Now we are back into our fall schedule of Daddy being back to work and being busy with marching band and I'm home more with Norah which I definitely missed this summer. It's very hard to find that balance between being a working Mom and a stay at home Mom. Working part-time is truly ideal but even so I run out of time to do all that needs to be done. I'm really not sure how full-time Moms do it because frankly I stunk at it this summer!

We also had a BIG surprise happen to us this summer!! We think we are totally crazy but we are going to be having another baby in March! Ahhhh!!! When I told Kevin he just kept saying, "oh boy" over and over again. It very much caught us by surprise but of course we are very, very excited! Norah and the new baby will be 18 months apart and I'm sure will bring lots of fun for both kids to be so close together. There will be a learning curve for us once the new baby arrives, just like when Norah arrived, but eventually you get into a groove and things settle in..right???? hehe

Other than that, we are just enjoying the beautiful fall season and how much fun Norah is as a crazy walking, babbling toddler! ;)

"Are you ever going to do anything with this thing???"

"Are you ever going to do anything with this thing?" is the question that my dear husband asked me while putting his phone with my blog page on it in my face. Maybe it's been too long since I last updated, huh? ;) I am fortunate to have a smart phone where I don't have to even sit on the computer for months and am still able to connect with the internet in many ways...except for my blog.  The blog is definitely a sit down while I have some free time on the actual computer kind of thing. So here I am finally after a small hiatus back to tell you all about the wonderful life we are living with "The Little Lowery".

Norah and I have been quite the travelers the last few months. I decided back in April that it was time to go home to Indiana to see my parents and have them see their grand-baby. Against their wishes (they do highly care about my safety), Norah and I drove the 800 some miles to Indiana. The trip went perfectly, although we did make it a two day trip on the way home. 15 hours is a lot to ask a then 7 month old to sit in her car seat. But it really went so well that I came back at the beginning of June to see my parents again as well as some great friends that I haven't seen in ages! Two weeks later, we came back one more time for the summer with Kevin and Lucy. It's been great to be able to see my parents so much and to go home for multiple detox sessions (the beautiful country).

In between all these great trips to Indiana, I somehow managed to start a brand new AMAZING job at Yale-New Haven Hospital. I am working in the WELL Department (Women's Education Life Learning) which takes care of parenting and childbirth classes, nursing bras, breast pumps, etc. Umm..perfect?!?! I think so! It's been a great new experience and something I'm obviously very interested in with with being a nursing Mother. I couldn't be happier and more thankful for this new opportunity. Kevin and I have also had a major flip in our childcare status as I'm working 4 days a week for the summer and he's been home taking great care of Norah while I'm at work...so strange! :)

And then there's Norah, she's crazy! She's 10 months old, going on 11, we are planning her 1st birthday party which is very hard to grasp, and she's just flying by us as we are standing stunned in the corner. She crawls everywhere, stands assisted, has started standing unassisted, and I'm sure pretty soon will be running around like a maniac. We both feel so blessed to have her in our lives and can't remember what it was like to not have her smiling and crawling all over us. She shouts all kinds of things but clearly says "mama", "baba", "arf" and pants like a dog after you say "arf" to her. She already has such a personality and a big sense of humor. Every day is enjoyable to just watch her explore and develop into a beautiful little girl. I just thank God every day that we were able to welcome this little girl into our lives.

My Mom said to Kevin while we were in Indiana that she has never seen me happier than I am right now. That is very, very true. I have this beautiful baby, a loving husband and great father to our baby, an awesome new job, etc. etc. etc. Thanks to nursing as well as Norah's milk allergy, I have reached my goal weight that I had been struggling with for about 10 years. All of this together just makes the world peaceful and happy and I never knew that becoming a mother would give me such an instant happiness. I am excited for each new day and love to plan our next adventure. It's only going to get better as Norah's understanding of the world develops and we are able to take her to more fun places. I'm just so thankful for my friends, my family, and my little Lowery.

It has been awhile since I've blogged and a lot has been going on with our Little Lowery! I am just in shock that not only did she turn 6 months old, but now she's 7 months!!  Seriously...so fast!  She's just SUCH a little cutie and everyday I get to see more and more hints of her charming personality and her new developments.

We took our first family trip (of SO many more to come) to Mystic Aquarium a few weekends ago. We knew Norah really wouldn't "get it" quite yet but we strapped her in the Baby Bjorn and figured she'd have fun looking at all the big aquariums.  I used to volunteer at Mystic so it was really exciting to be able to share the experience with Norah. We really did have a fun time and I do think that Norah enjoyed herself too! The trip to Mystic really just made me insanely excited for all the trips we are going to be able to go on as a family and the experiences that we will be able to share with our daughter.


For about a week now, Norah has been sleeping on her stomach which I feel is a really big milestone in being a "big girl". We put her down on her back as instructed and in ten seconds flat she flails herself over to her stomach, whines a little, and falls asleep.  She is most definitely not "sleeping through the night" yet/still/never!! but she does seem to be more comfortable on her stomach.  I really just can't jump on board with letting her cry. Kevin and I both feel horrible listening to her cry and the few times that we have let it happen, she is just so long gone by the time we go up to console her that it takes even longer to get to sleep and she's a mess.  When we hear her cry (and we make sure it's not just the waking up every 90 minutes and putting herself back to sleep cry) all we usually need to do is stick that pacifier back in and she's sleeping.  For us that seems a lot better than having her wail for 30 minutes and then take 30 more to finally fall asleep.  I hope this doesn't scar her for life or her sleeping habits but after talking to my Mom who feels the same way, she reminded me of how she would need to drag me out of bed in high school!!! :) I think it's great for those that have done the "let her cry method" effectively, but we just can't seem to do it. I am trying to do a little "tough love" to eliminate night feedings but I stay by her side and try to consol her in other ways which seems to be working. I just have to remind myself sometimes that the books are talking about babies and parents in general and each family, baby, view point is so different. We will see....

Speaking of rough nights, Norah is cutting her first tooth!!!!!!!  :)  This was one of those reality check, grounding parent moments for Kevin and I.  We have been following a bump on the top of her mouth for months thinking it looked bigger and bigger every day and that pretty soon she would have her first tooth.  We even said to the pediatrician when she said, "Looks like Norah will be getting her bottom tooth first" that "Oh really, we think for sure it will be the top one".  Yes our medical degrees are hanging on the wall. Norah had a week where she was just whining all day long and of course Lucy would jump in with the same pitch of whining and instead of wondering what's going on, I was just feeling like I was getting a headache.  Then one day in the car, she flashed a big grin at me and there on the bottom of her mouth was a hole with a jagged white tooth emerging!!! I was literally so excited that I had this giddy school girl crush feeling every time I thought about it at work that night.  No wonder she was having rough nights and whiny days.  It really was just one of those, "wow, you really have no idea what you are doing" moments.  Maybe not that extreme, but definitely made me realize how parenthood is absolutely something you learn as you go!

And finally, on the flip side of clueless parenting moments, it's nice to know that at the end of the day, you are the world to this little person and just holding them might be the only thing that they need to make everything better. Recently, outside parenting, I've been feeling that no matter how hard I try to do the right things, I just am not cutting it.  I was having a very rough time with this and I came home to a baby who was having a rough night as well despite all of Daddy's hard work to help her sleep.  All I had to do was pick her up, hold her, and give her a kiss and she was silent and relaxed. Now I know that Daddy really did not feel good about this, but it was my moment to feel that I am able to do all the right things for the most important person in my life. And that is the most beautiful feeling... :)

Norah is 6 months old!

They all warned me...those strangers who think because they see your growing belly in the grocery store or your newborn baby in the shopping cart that you really, really want them to tell you every bit of advice that they have to share. Ok, I'm being mean...but those of you who have been there know what I'm talking about.  They even warn you about them in the baby books!  Anyways, they were right about ONE THING...babies grow fast and time sure flies by!!!!

Norah is 6 months old!  Seriously, how did we get here so fast?  If we are at 6 months already, then she will be a year old in no time...and then two...and then 15, and then she'll be in college!  Tear....Sob...Heaving... :(

Anyways, I just can't believe it and we have loved every minute.  Even those first three months that she screamed and screamed and screamed because she was so uncomfortable with colic and reflux.  Once we figured out that she has a milk allergy and she got over the "fourth trimester" she is really such a happy, smiley, wonderful baby.  I feel so blessed that I get to spend most of each day with her and each day I thank God that life turned out so perfectly. 

Just a few days shy of her 6 month birthday, we started solids!  It's been such a fun milestone to watch her face as she tries new tastes and foods.  She is such a good eater! Peas were something she did not like at first but after a few days, she dove into those too!  So far we've had rice cereal, sweet potatoes (her favorite), peas, and carrots.  I think next will be green beans.  Once we get the hang of different kinds of solids, I'm going to attempt to make my own baby food.  I have a beautiful food processor from Williams and Sonoma that I got as a baby shower gift as well as a cookbook. Get a carrot, add water, put it in the food processor..think I can handle that! It's all very exciting!!

It's also been very weird to bust out the toys that were 6+ and the pacifiers and putting Norah in 9 month clothes...it's just flying by us and I feel like I'm trying to stand still while it passes me by!

There's lots to look forward to in the next few months and we are really working on hanging around on our tummy so we might possibly think about crawling someday in the near future!  Right now I'm still enjoying having a baby that I can leave in one place and know that I won't find her on the other side of the room!

So although your Mommy and Daddy wish you could just stay a baby forever, Happy 6 months Norah and we look forward to watching you grow...and grow...and grow.... :)

The High Chair

It's amazing how much life can make you grow and develop just when you think you've reached your "peak". Becoming a Mother has definitely taught me that I really had no idea who I was until this beautiful little girl came into my life.  Now everyday is such a learning experience and I grow so much as a person and of course, a Mom.

It all started a few weekends ago when Kevin and I had to be a part for the first time since Norah was born.  He was traveling back home to New Jersey to be with his parents while his Dad had a big surgery. We decided it was better for Norah and I to stay home and I was a little nervous at the fact of being home day and night by myself. What's amazing is that it went smoothly, effortlessly, and I had such a sense of pride for what I had just accomplished. Of course I missed my husband in the way that anyone misses those they love, but I was seriously fine being home alone with Norah for a few days.  I started to feel a new sense of independence, like when you first move away to college and think you can do anything.

The following weekend it was Norah and I's turn to go down to New Jersey and visit the Grandparents (as we were told Norah IS the best medicine..I agree). I hadn't made the drive to New Jersey by myself in awhile and especially not with Norah. I thought I would make things more exciting for myself and bring our highly stressed in the car beagle Lucy too! It's about a 3 hour drive on major interstates through Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. As I passed by the NYC skyline, threw my change out the window at the toll booths, and remembered exactly which exits that I needed to take without hesitation, I thought, "wow, I'm pretty awesome!" haha...

After a great trip, I came back home to build this....

The ULTIMATE independent move that I could make.  Sure, when my husband came home to find me sitting on the floor, the base and the chair separate from each other, all kinds of screws everywhere, and Norah and I singing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" because I was clearly stuck on step 7 of the 14, he was a little annoyed that I decided to do this on my own.  More for the fact that he LOVES to build...from legos to Ikea furniture...but I just had to build this high chair...it was going to prove what an independent little Momma that I have become. I did end up finishing it that night..after Kevin literally took a block of wood and flipped it over because that was all that needed to be done to move away from step 7...nothing like that to keep me grounded, wow...but I did it, I built Norah's high chair!!  Yay!!!

So I can't help but think what's next.  It's really an exciting feeling to gain this new sense of independence and know that I am capable of taking care of another human being on my own.  NOT THAT I EVER WANT TO DO THIS LONG TERM but it's very nice to know that for a few days I can handle it. Life is all about ups and downs and I was strongly aware of that before I became a Mother...but it sure is wonderful to watch each new day come at you and try to conquer it with some confidence and flexibility. 

If only I knew the cure for some major middle of the night teething!!!! 

BAD Dream!

I took a morning nap with Norah today and had the worst dream!!  I went out to get some ice cream in the next town over and ran into some friends from high school (that were strangely visiting my town). I went walking downtown with them and visiting and all of a sudden I thought, "Where is Norah???". I made some excuse that I had to go pick up Norah from a lady that was babysitting her, and started to run towards my car. It felt like I was many blocks away and it was one of those dream runs where you are actually slowing down with each step rather than getting faster. I thought she's either in the car still or at home taking a nap...why couldn't I remember where I last put her???  As I was running to my car I imagined the police surrounding my car waiting for me to get back. I finally approached the car and there were a bunch of old ladies standing around watching Norah as she wailed in the back seat.  I flew into the car and then woke up.  Thank God I was in my own bed, in my own home, baby monitor next to me, realizing that we were all just taking a nap.  What a scary dream!!!  Has anyone else ever had a dream like this?  I feel like a total failure for even dreaming it! Plus, I was getting ice cream in my dream which is something that I'm not supposed to eat because Norah has a cow's milk allergy. Does that make me even more of a failure????????  Well I guess it doesn't matter because we are all home safe and I will NEVER make a mistake like that in the "conscious world". Phew....

Yummm....I do miss you ice cream!

Snow Days...aka Spa Days!

I know that everyone is getting so sick of all the snow storms that have been coming our way, but I kinda like them.  Actually I flippin' love them!  Although it would be nice to not have to worry about pulling out onto a road completely blind by a snow bank, there have been a lot of perks for me this winter.

I like to think of my Snow Days as Spa Days!  My husband (Kevin) is a teacher so he has been home A LOT this winter.  I know he's going to have to go to school way into the middle of the summer, but right now, I'm just loving the time he gets to spend with me and Norah.  Especially in her first year of life here!  :)

Anyways, the "Spa Day" part.  Kevin is amazing to me on days that he is home.  I get to sleep in while he wakes up with Norah and feeds her.  When I finally wake up, I make us a yummy Sunday morning kind of breakfast (today was french toast, last week was snowman pancakes). Then we all either get cozy on the couch or play on the floor with Norah. Kevin is very hands on with Norah when he's home so I can just relax and watch the beauty that is Daddy and Daughter Time. Then lately I get to do some P90x without worrying about the baby waking up before the workout is done (today they watched and laughed at me at the end of my workout) and then I got to take a leisurely shower. Oh and then on days that I don't sleep in, I even get to take a midday nap!!! It's just wonderful! 

I'm definitely used to having Norah on my own all day now but it's such a nice change and relaxing "Spa-like Day" when Kevin has a Snow Day.  In the words of Tony Horton (P90x dude), "Bring It!". ;)

This is Norah enjoying her Snow Day with her Mommy and Daddy!  SUPERBABY!!!  Also, my shirt was brought to you by the wonderful Craig and Liz Carroll! :)

My First Blog!!

Hello!! Welcome!! Is that how you start your first post?? I have wanted to start a blog ever since I was pregnant with "Little Lowery" but never had the motivation to sit down and start. I have recently been inspired by friend's blogs and reminded weekly by my husband and all of the grandparents to create a Snapfish account, so I thought a blog might be a way to stay connected instead.  The thought of loading all the pictures onto a Snapfish, Walmart, Walgreen's, etc account scares the be-jesus out of me and at least on here I can ramble on as well!! Anyways, this blog will be a place for stories of Little Lowery's (Norah's) adventures and all of the emotions that come with being a first time Mom.  I have really learned in the last five months since Norah has been here that it makes a big difference when you have at least one other "new Mom" to talk to. If you have more than one, well that's even better, but we really (new Mom's---in all various forms) could not get through this without each other.

Now that that's all over with, I just L-O-V-E Little Lowery. She just turned 5 months old and is just so pleasant now, rarely fussy, super smiley, and growing and learning every day. We had a pretty rough beginning of colic, reflux, and always wanting to be held (poor girl). I'm almost thankful for the rough beginning so now we can truly appreciate the little baby that she is today! I am REALLY thankful that I get to spend so much time with her, and dare I say happy that we've had such a rough winter so that my husband can spend lots of time with her too on all of his snow days!! She is sitting up on her own, babbling all the time, and she is even working on her front tooth! I don't want to rush things, but I can't help but be excited every day for the future with The Little Lowery! I absolutely love being a Mom and thank my lucky stars every day that Norah is finally here!!!

So my intention for this blog is just to share pictures and thoughts and stories with my family and friends. To be able to vent about something and hope that others can relate to me and feel some comfort to know that we are all human and that NO ONE is perfect. We should all be on this Earth to support each other, never judge, and be a network to get through the tough times.

With love,
Rachel