It's That Time of Year...

It's that time of year.  I'm sure you've all heard about the tornadoes in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Alabama the last few days.  Tornado alley seems like such a scary place to live this time of year.  I don't actually live in tornado alley, but I do live in the south and we get our share of scary weather this time of year.  In fact, the storms that have caused such tragedy this week are headed to us now.  According to our weather team, they should be pretty bad about midnight tonight.  I don't know about you, but I'd rather not wait until midnight to start running around getting things together if we need them!

When I was younger, I was so scared of storms that during the summer, I would keep a bag packed with all of my "special" things that I could easily grab if I needed to get somewhere fast so I wouldn't lose them.  I'm pretty sure it was a tad ridiculous and over the top, but hey...I've always been a little high strung, ha!

I overcame my fear as I got older and quit packing a bag, but now that Hadley is here, I have more to think about than just myself.  So today, with bad weather looming and probably coming and going for the next few months, I set out to make "Preparedness Bag" on the off-chance that we need it.  Here is our "plan" that I put together (because David is just laughing at me!):

[one] Find a safe place.  Luckily we have a basement so that is where we will head should bad weather head our way.  The bags Iv'e packed sit at the door to the basement because some of the things in there we use regularly so we need to be able to access them.



[two] Chicco carrier.  Here is where my crazy comes in.  I don't want any tornado winds ripping my daughter from my arms.  Hopefully having her attached to me will decrease the odds of that happening.  That's probably the most ridiculous thing I packed.

[three] First Aid Kit (red box).  I already have this box that I usually keep in my car for emergencies, but I've taken it out to use for our preparedness bag.  It's pretty well stocked so I just went through to make sure dates hadn't expired.

[four] Tissues, Hand Sanitizer, and Motrin.  Self-explanitory if you ask me.  I'm a nurse, I live on hand sanitizer and you never know when medication will come in handy.

[five] Diapers, Wipes, Sanitation Bags.  Having a baby still in diapers, these were crucial products.  The sanitation bags are arm and hammer and I put her dirty diapers in these to decrease the smell.

[six] Blanket, Pacis, Burp Cloth, Socks, Lovey, and Toys.  All essential things for Hadley's comfort.  The toys are just extra in case we get "stuck" for some time, but pacis, lovey, and blanket are definitely worth packing.

[seven] Flashlight and Extra Batteries.  Self-explanitory again.  Assuming the power goes out, we need a light source.

[eight] All-Purpose tool.  Scissors, exacto knife, etc.  You never know when a tool like that will come in handy.

[nine] Waters.  Drinking water will probably be nonexistent in an emergent weather situation, so I've packed two waters.  Two for David, two for me.

[ten] Snacks.  Again, if we were to be stuck for a while, we would need something to eat.  Added bonus: peanut butter has some protein. (David laughed at me for this.  To which I replied that he's going to really wish he got to eat some of my crackers and peanut butter when we need them!  And he's going to wish he didn't laugh at me!)

[eleven] Shoes and socks.  If there is broken glass around, these will be crucial to preventing injury.

[twelve] Cat Food, Dog Food, Fold-up Water Bowl, Water, Leash.  I can't forget about our sweet fur babies.  I've packed them food and water, too.  Marley's leash is packed for the same reason I packed the chicco carrier.  Hopefully being attached to one end will prevent us from losing him, although one of us would be holding him. (Crazy, I know.)

I did pack a blanket for David and myself that isn't pictured.  Also, if Hadley were taking formula I would have that with plenty of water to mix it.  Luckily, she is still nursing so that isn't a problem for us.  Am I missing anything? :)

I know this seems ridiculous, but I  don't want to be caught unprepared, especially with Hadley.

What Have We Been Up To?

Shew!  I had every intention of writing a post each week and then life got in the way!  Which is totally fine by me.  I am thoroughly enjoying watching my daughter grow and making every effort to actually be present for it! :)



So, what have we been up to?

1. I've been taking Pure Barre classes!  For about 2 weeks now, I've been doing Pure Barre and I really like it!  "The shake" is real, people.  And I never leave the class feeling like I didn't get anything out of it.  And I'm sore each time I go, which is progress in my book!

2. Hadley is still trying new foods!  So far she's had: baby oatmeal, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, and squash.  Pears are next on our list.  I was going to wait to introduce fruits after all veggies, but at her 6 month check-up, the pediatrician said she likes to alternate a veggie and a fruit and I think that sounds like a great idea!



3. Hadley may have an allergy to peas.  Or she could have had a tummy bug.  But it started 2 days after she started peas.  The ped said he would be really surprised if she actually ends up allergic to peas, as it's not very common.  We aren't completely sure, but stopped peas for now and will try again down the road.



4. We went with a few friends to Happy Cow Creamery this weekend!  It's a local farm that has local (obviously.), grass-fed, organic cows.  Healthy meat, healthy milk, cheese, ice cream... as well as local, organic produce!  I'm trying to feed Hadley organic right now because I'm that mom, haha! :)  We got to watch the cows get fed, eat some ice cream, and picked up a couple products.  Our friends go every weekend for necessities and I think we may start the same.  When Hadley is older, we may even do a tour of the farm!  We feel so lucky to have something like this so close!



5. Hadley got to swing for the first time and she loved it!  I am so blessed that she is such a happy child and I so enjoy watching her experience new things--and like them!  This park is pretty close to our house, too, so I can see many late morning trips and picnics in the park in the future!



6. I'll spare you a picture, but I got bitten or stung by something over a week ago on my back.  It started out as a simple itch, but quickly blew up--red, painful, and hot to the touch.  I finally went to the minute clinic and they gave me an antibiotic.  The redness and swelling are gone, but the itch is still there and the pain is awful!!  I have no idea what to do about it.  I've finished my antibiotic, but I guess I'm going to have to see someone else about it!  And the fact that I don't know what it was that attacked me makes it 10x worse.  You all know how much I love bugs....



My plan this week is to deep clean each room in my house.  We'll see how much I actually get accomplished. :)  My little sidekick takes up a lot of my time! :)

Happy Monday, friends!

Hadley's First Easter

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend, if you celebrate it! If not, I still hope you had a wonderful weekend. :)



Hadley celebrated her first Easter at 6 months old.  Hadley is definitely too young to understand Easter egg hunts and oven tombstone rolls, but I'm here to tell you, that girl knows how to open Easter baskets!



Perhaps it's because her great-grandparents, her Grammy, and her Great Aunt Diane and Aunt Amy all brought her baskets to open...she clearly had some practice by the time Easter Sunday actually rolled around!



Technically, Aunt Diane and Aunt Amy brought Hadley a half-birthday gift since she turned 6 months old the day they visited (the day before Easter.).  Wasn't that so thoughtful?!  I was so touched that people love her enough to celebrate her half-birthday!  (Of course they love her enough, she's pretty incredible!)





Her Easter basket this year was a "summer" theme.  She got quite a few bathing suits, a couple sun hats, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hooded pool towel (that I made! Crazy!), and some good reads.  Seeing her get so excited about her gifts was so much fun!











Then we all got ready for Easter Sunday.  I can't even describe to you how adorable this child was in her smocked Easter dress.



We didn't travel for Easter or have any special lunch planned (We went to Moe's.  Mexican on Easter. It worked, ha!), and we came home and took Marley on an Easter walk.  It was the perfect first Easter as a family of three!

 

Hadley- 6 Months

Hadley,

It's your half-birthday!  How in the world are you already 6 months old?  It's so surreal to me that 6 months have passed since you were born.  I still remember that day like it was yesterday.



You are learning so much these days!  I can see the wheels constantly turning in your head and your eyes just light up when you figure something out.  You are in to everything and that's just the way I like it!  You can't crawl yet.  You either roll over and over to your destination or you scoot your face across the ground.  Both ways are hilarious! :)  I'm sure you will be on the move any day now!

This month:

• You weigh 14 pounds, 14 ounces and are 25 1/2 inches long!
• You still wear a size 2 diaper.
• You are wearing a mixture of 3-6 month and 6 month outfits.
• We are still trying to teach you sign language!  I'm hoping at some point it will start to click.
• You nurse about every 4 hours during the day and once around 5 in the morning.
• You are going to bed about 7:30, waking up about 8:15 for a feed, and typically are down until 5 am.  You eat and go back to bed until 7 or 8!
• You still get one bottle a day.  We are up to 6 ounces! Yay!
• You started solid foods!!  You were eye-balling our dinner, starting to wake up at night, and just seemed ready.  You've had baby oatmeal, sweet potatoes, avocado, and carrots.
• Still no teeth!  Drooling like crazy, but your gums are still just pink as can be!
• You sit up like a champ!  Rarely falling over these days.  
• You have started to make "word" sounds.  Your very first--"mama mama" :)  I don't count it as your first word, but that is a beautiful sound to my ears.

Likes:

• Stacking cups!  You love to knock them down.
• Anything you can chew on!  Books, teether toys, cellphones...
• Your activity table!
• playing with tissue paper, you love the crinkle!
• Spending time with mommy and daddy.  You do not like to be alone!
• Sweet potatoes, baby oatmeal, and carrots!

Dislikes:

• Sitting in your high chair.  I'm not sure why this is such a struggle.
• Solid food.  You started off loving it, but have recently starting crying through it.
• Avocados!  You gagged through your avocado meal. Haha!
• Having your diaper changed!  You don't like to be still for that long, ha!

Thank you so much, my sweet girl, for making me a mommy six months ago.  These have been the hardest, most blessed six months of my life.  I love watching your little personality blossom and know you are headed for wonderful things.  I love you, love you, love you, Hadley!

Photo Dump!

Last week was full of lots of fun activities!  And this week is shaping up to be the same because my mom is in town for her spring break.  Hadley is going to be spoiled all week.

Last week, my grandparents stopped by on their way home from the Braves opener to treat us to lunch and give Hadley her Easter basket.  Hadley is such a big girl.  She was able to open her basket all by herself!  She got an Easter book and a few bath toys.   But her favorite toy was the tissue paper inside.  She had a ball with that stuff! :)







One of my work friends got married this weekend and we had a great time!  I work with a great groups of women and we are all so happy for the bride and groom.  Both of them also attended Clemson, so they had  the tiger in attendance!  I so wanted a picture of Hadley with the tiger because both of her parents bleed orange.  Y'all, she was a CHAMP.  She went right to him and was so enamored!  I was beside myself, haha!







It's finally been warm enough to actually do stuff outside, so we've spent some time on our deck!  I just love seeing her little head in a sunhat.



Sunday morning we met my best friend and her husband for brunch downtown.  They moved to Nashville so he could attend grad school.  They are moving back in May(!!) and I am so excited.  I miss having her here!

In other news, I finally go around to making some food for Hadley.  So far she's tried baby oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and avocado.  She likes the oatmeal, loves sweet potatoes, and hates avocado.  I though for sure she would like avocado, but she was gagging the whole time.  It was so stinkin' funny!  Sad for her, funny for me.  Bad mom moment, haha!  This week we are going to try carrots!  And she loves pear juice...go figure.

I was getting ready the other morning and looked over to see my daughter playing in the dog bowl.  Whatever...what's good for Marley is good for Hadley, ha!  So I stuck a rubber duck in there and let her have at it.  She was having a ball! :)  I think the girl needs a pool...

And since it's Easter week, I put her monogram bunny shirt on and what can I say?  She has a mind of her own...no idea where she got that! ;)

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!  I know I will...I'll be hanging with my mom!  (And working one night...boo.)

PS- I'm trying a Pure Barre class tomorrow morning...wish me luck!!

Big Girl Stuff and Warm Weather! 5 on Friday

Two posts in one week, what is happening to me?!  I only worked one night this week, that's what!  I've gotten SO much done, too.  It's been fantastic!  So, let's get down to business.

{ONE}
So, this happened at our house this week...





When did my baby girl get big enough to start solid foods??  Hadley has been waking up more at night, can sit up without support/hold her head up, and seems incredibly interested in what is on our plates.  Our pediatrician's office is of the new mentality that waiting to start solids until 6 months is the way to go, so I got in touch with them to see what my options are.  They said that since Hadley is about 2 weeks away from being 6 months, we could start a bit early. :)  We started her off with some infant oatmeal cereal!  She took a couple bites and wanted more.  Success!  She was done after about 10 bites, but I was so proud of her!  We tried again this morning and she kept "talking" and it sounded like she was saying "mmm!"
*I have questions about solids for her 6 month check up, so we aren't using this as nutrition, but more as practice.  I know there is a lot of debate about using cereal as "fillers" with no nutritional value vs. real food.  She's getting all the nutrition she needs from my breast milk right now, so there's my take on that.

{TWO}
Talking about a big girl, we've also been practicing holding her bottle!  Hadley has been trying to hold her bottle recently.  Even though her hands are pretty fat, the bottle is still too big for her!  David found these handle additions that go with the Avent bottles we use, and she loves them!  She makes it through about half of her bottle before she gives up and we have to finish holding it for her.  (Good find, Daddy!)



{THREE}
It has been so pretty here this week!  And warm!  After Hadley's afternoon nap, we've been playing outside until Daddy gets home!  Which has given me some time to work on my photography!  I have a ways to go, but I have a beautiful subject. :)







{FOUR}
This girl has been making some crazy faces lately.  She just kills me.  She definitely gets her personality from her momma!  Which I love, but I'm also a little scared by.  I remember all too well just how much "personality" I had growing up, ha!







{FIVE}

Hadley was just 2 months old at Christmas this year and we asked for toys she could use throughout the year as she got older.  Each month, we get a new toy out!  Since it's April, it was time to get out a new toy!  This one will change into a walker once she gets old enough, but for now she enjoys flipping everything!  The look on her face in this picture just cracks me up.  She is trying so hard to figure this thing out!

Happy Friday, friends!  Enjoy your weekend! :)