Keeping our sanity

Being cooped in the house can be tiring and lets face it, boring.  I try my best to change each day up so Vivian doesn't become fussy or aggravated with me that we are stuck here.  Winter sucks. I long for spring. 

 Honestly, there is only so much you can do with a 7 month old.  Yes, we were sick for 2 weeks but that has finally moved out of the Kinard household.  Minus an occasional cough, sneeze or sniffle. 

In the past few weeks we've had randomly nice weather.  Weather in the 60's.  Love.  On those days we are out the door.  Whether we go shopping, to the park or just in our backyard.  The day before Vivian got her nasty cold we spent a lot of the day outside.  It was in the low 60's and had her dressed in her cute little spring outfit and enjoyed our day.  I didn't put a hat on her so I thought I was the reason why she got sick which was not the case.  The Dr said the day you become sick actually happens 3 days before you start having symptoms.  

We took Mr. Brody on a long walk, went to Dragonflies Boutique and hung out in the backyard playing with toys.

It was a great day.  

Then the sickness hit. Sigh.  Again, glad that's over with! 

When we are stuck inside we play with toys, scarves, household items, let her roll around on the floor, nap, eat, be silly, help mommy cook, hang upside down like a monkey, work on tummy time with a beach ball, read and whatever else I can come up with.  You have to be somewhat creative.

 For the past two weeks we've tried to go to a new gym facility called The Little Gym of Wilmington.  She needs to be around infants her age.  I need to around some adults...aka, other mommies. They offer a class for her age group on Wednesdays or Thursdays and I thought it would be a great way to meet some new people.  The first Thursday I scheduled for a class was the week we were seek.  I then rescheduled for today, then ice storm came.  Crossing fingers next week will work.  Not sure what exactly they do for the infant program, but since they offer a free intro class I thought it wouldn't hurt to see what it was all about.

Every Wednesday morning from 9:30-9:50 am at our local library, they have story time for Vivian's age group.  It's right before she eats and naps so, again, I thought it would be something fun for us to do.  Hopefully next week will work out for us.

Weather pending and my feelings about leaving her in the nursery, we are going to make our way to church.  Sadly, we have not been since October or November.  The last time we went, Vivian was talking away during the sermon. I had to leave so we wouldn't disturb anyone.  I haven't been ready to leave her with a stranger, so, I've avoided the whole nursery thing.  Plus, since we are in the cold/flu season I didn't want her to get sick or now that we've been sick to relapse.  I may end up staying with her for the first time.  I don't want to be crying and worrying about her during the entire time.  I know she would be in good hands and its only for 45 minutes, but the only people she has been left alone with are Brian and my Mom.  Hard for this Mommy.  

    The weather is suppose to be in the 60s this weekend so crossing fingers we will be able to enjoy the outdoors.

Come on spring, we are ready for you!!!

Wordless Wednesday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reminder to myself

One of the blogs that I follow had a cute idea of doing an interview tradition with their two daughters on their birthdays. They will ask the same series of questions and see how they change from year to year.  How cute is that?!  I thought I would do the same with Vivian.  We will video her each year answering the questions along with typing them out.  I thought maybe I would go ahead and answer the questions until she's old enough to answer...maybe when she's 2 or 3 years old.

1. What is your name? Vivian Kinard
2. How old are you? 7 months old
3. What is your favorite thing to do? Drink my milk
4. What do you want to be when you grow up? Brian and I were talking about this the other night.  Wondering what she'll want to be. Teacher? Vet? Model (hehe,jk)?
5. What is your favorite food? Breast milk
6. Who do you like to spend time with? Mommy.  What?  She's with me ALL the time...of course she would say me :)
7. What do you do really well?  Sitting up like a pro
8. What makes you laugh?  Having mommy or daddy making raspberries on my tummy
9. What are you afraid of? Loud noises
10. Who is your best friend? Mommy. Sorry Brian.
11. What do you like to do with your family? Play
12. What do you love to learn about?  She's learning everything right now.  Taking everything thing.
13. What is your favorite book? Peek-A-Boo Forest
14. If you had one wish what would it be? To be able to talk :) Mommy is ready to hear your sweet little voice.

I hope I remember to do this every year.  Isn't it a cute idea?  Maybe do this every year until she's 18, print it out and give it to her when she graduates high school.  Something fun to look back on when she's an adult.  I'm a keepsake person and I hope she will be the same way.

Getting better

Little one is finally feeling better!  Minus the occasional runny nose and a little cough here and there, we have our sweet little Vivian back.  I did take her to the Dr on Thursday because she was making 'crackling' noises when she was breathing.  My paranoid self starting googling and of course the worse pops up.  RSV, Pneumonia, Bronchitis, etc.  Plus, I've had a warm mist humidifier in her room at night for over a week now and I read you could over use a humidifier which would could cause respiratory problems.  That caused for some concern.  

Vivian didn't act any differently.  She still played which caused the sound to be worse.  Especially by the end of the day.  She was still eating, minus two or so ounces less than she normally eats.  She was still making her squealing and 'mmmmmm' sounds.  She still had her sweet little smile.

When we went to the Dr on Thursday, her lungs were clear.  Thank goodness!  Just your standard cold.  I'm still trying to get over mine.  I have NEVER had a cold last this long.  A little TMI  here, I've blown about a gallon of snot out of my nose since Sunday.  I'm still  stopped up.  I've used a Neti Pot (a few times), Afrin (twice) and I even took Robitussin (only once..aka safe for breastfeeding).  Nothing has helped.  Guess I just have to let it run its course.

Since we are feeling better, Vivian and I are going to meet up with my friends Jenipher and Nichole this Saturday afternoon at The Dress Shoppe for Jen to try on a wedding dress.  It will be great seeing them.  Miss those girls!!  Plus, Vivian and I haven't left the house in almost 2 weeks...minus two Dr visits and a grocery run.  We have serious cabin fever.  Today is suppose to be in the low 50's which will make it bearable going outside.  Better than being in the 30's.  

We are ready for spring to arrive!!!  

7 months...

Happy 7 months to my sweet baby girl!!!  Every night when I pray, I thank God for this little blessing he has given to us.  I still can't believe I'm the mother to sweet Vivian Rose.  How did I ever get so lucky?

Vivian's Likes

• Squealing
• Bouncing
• Playing with 'real' objects, e.i. pasta noodles, toilet paper cardboard roll, necklaces, bows
• Taking the place mats off the table
• Throwing objects repeatedly and have mommy pick it up
• Playing Peek-A-Boo
• Loves when Peek-A-Boo Forest is read to her
• Watching Will.I.Am song "What I Am" from Sesame Street.  If she's fussy, I play this and calms her right down.  Amazing.
• Standing 
• Hanging up side down

Vivian's Dislikes

• Tummy time.  We have given up.
• Running the water in the big bath tub.  She cries until I turn it off. 
• Trying puree foods.  We've tried oatmeal, applesauce, avocado, sweet potatoes, carrots.  Once in a blue moon she'll take a couple of bites, but for the most part, she wants nothing to do with it. 
• Doing one activity for too long.  She gets bored easily.  

For Mommy and Daddy

You are a pro at sitting up.   You are going to do things at your own time (holding your own bottle, using a sippy cup, taking a bath in the big tub and not in the sink, eat mommy's yummy pureed food, crawl).  Mommy knows you it will all happen when you are ready.  I mean, you aren't going to be an adult that doesn't know how to eat, walk, take a bath.  You have a lot of attitude already.  You get mad quickly.  You have mommy and daddy wrapped around your little finger.  You are a thinker.  You are extremely cautious.  You all ready have 'stranger danger.'  You are the BEST little girl in the whole wide world!!!

Can't believe in 5 months you'll be a 1 year old!  Growing up on me too fast little one!

Go away cold!

We are so ready to kick this stupid cold!  Today is day 4 and seems to have remained the same.  Congested, runny nose, coughing, watery eyes and not sleeping all that great.

We went to the pediatrician yesterday.  Wanted little one looked at before the weekend.  Thankfully, her lungs and ears were clear.  No wheezing, ears were perfect.  Just a nasty cold.  He told me nothing new that I wasn't already doing.  Saline, bulb syringe, warm humidifier, warm bath.  He did mention having her sleeping at an incline to help with drainage.  

Before going to our appointment yesterday, baby girl was coughing like crazy and so congested.  She ate a little and then she started coughing and milk came up.  Both Vivian and I were covered.  Her nose was pouring mucous and her little eyes watering like crazy.  Child couldn't breathe.  Heartbreaking I tell you.  

By the time we got home from the Dr, she was exhausted.  She had been up since 6 am with no nap.  We were at the pediatrician office for 2 hrs and we were with the Dr for no more than 15 minutes.  Ridiculous.   Sweet baby slept for a couple of hours after we got home, but stayed up the rest of the afternoon.  I gave her a nice warm bath and rubbed her chest and the bottom of her feet with Matys All Natural Chest Rub.  Her pediatrician said she was too young for Vics Vapor Rub, but Brian found this at the store that is safe for infants 3 months and up.  Thought it couldn't hurt.  Seemed to help a little.  She only ate 2 ounces of milk before she was out cold.  I let her sleep in her napper and thought maybe she was going to only sleep for a couple of hours thinking it was nap time instead of bedtime.  I heard her coughing and sneezing on the monitor during the night, but just let her do her thing.  She woke again at 4 am this morning coughing so I went ahead to check on her.  She let me use the bulb syringe and she ate 2 more ounces of her bottle from bedtime.  I ran a hot shower and we sat in steam for about 10 minutes which helped a little.  I rocked her to sleep and put her down at 5 am.  

Baby girl woke around 7 am this morning and only had an ounce of milk.  She wanted nothing to do with it.   She just wanted to cuddle...not complaining on that part.  She wanted to go back to sleep but was fighting so hard.  I got her to eat 2 more ounces of milk.  Stupid congestion.  I hate using the bulb syringe.  She now fights me so hard.  Arms everywhere and head moving all around.  I finally pulled out the snot sucker.  Man, I should have using that all along!  Even though she fights me, I can suck out the mucous a whole lot easier.  Highly recommend this aspirator.  After sucking out all that junk,  I attempted another bottle and she FINALLY drank an entire bottle and has now been napping for almost 3 hours.  I hope this is a sign of improvement.  

Side note, BK feels like he's coming down with something.  He's actually has felt this way since Tuesday as well.  Like father like daughter I suppose.  Crossing fingers Vivian will have my immune system.  I have not been sick in 4.5 years.  That's pretty good for someone who worked with the public. 

Sick little baby

My poor baby girl has her first cold.  Yesterday she woke up with a stuffy nose on one side and runny on the other, a little cough and an low-grade fever (99.6).  You could look at her little eyes and tell she didn't feel well.  Thankfully, she lets me use the bulb on her to suck the mucus out of her little nostril.  At times she fights me, but for the most part, she lets me get after it.

She managed to drink her bottle when she woke at 6 am (out of the norm for her), but drank very slowly.   We cuddled on the couch and watched tv.  Her little nose was still stopped up and runny so I made a quick run to Wal-Mart to get her some saline while B was still home before he had to go to work.  She did not care for saline being dropped in her nose, but it did help.  We repeated several times during the day.

I fed her another bottle but she did not want to drink it all.  She only had about 3 ounces.  That's a for sure sign she did not feel well.  I got her to sleep and she napped for about 1.5.  When she woke around 12:30, I gave her another bottle and yet again she didn't drink it all.  I grabbed a few of her favorite little rattles and we curled up on the couch underneath a warm blanket and watched tv.  She played with her rattles for a little bit before falling asleep.

 She slept for about 2 hrs.  It was so nice just laying with her.  Putting everything else aside and just being with your sick baby.  When she woke, she looked at me with the biggest smile.  She still wasn't feeling well, but she did finally was able to finish her bottle which was a good sign.  She still had a slight fever, 99.3 which was down from 99.6 when she woke up yesterday morning.

She got her warm bath at 6:30, bottle and was put down to sleep.  I checked on her around 10 pm last night and when I opened the door she was awake.  She saw me and smiled and starting kicking her legs.  I closed the door quickly.  I told B she saw me.  Crap.  I'm always afraid she's awake when I check on her and last night she was.  I listened closely to see if she makes a sound and thank goodness she didn't.  She did cough a little, but didn't cry any.  She knows its night, night time.

At 4 am this morning I heard her on the monitor talking to herself.  Again, I didn't go to her because it wasn't time for her to get up and she wasn't crying.  Yes. I'm one of those Mom's that doesn't run to my child at every beckon call.  If she's not crying our sound like she's in distress, I let her do her little thing and fall back to sleep.  

Vivian woke a little after 7 am this morning seemed to be feeling a little better.  He fever was gone, but her nose was still runny.    She had her bottle and played a little.  We did cuddle on the couch more.

You can tell by her little eyes she's not 100%.

She's napping now and I hope she'll sleep for a little while.  We are going to take it easy and be completely lazy.  Hoping she'll start feeling better very very soon.

I love you baby girl! 

Being a stay-at-home-mom...

Definitely is hard work.  By far the hardest job I have ever encountered.  Trying to entertain a 6 month old all day will wear you out, but I wouldn't change it for the world!  This job is very rewarding and I'm lucky to be in the SAHM club.  

My day starts at 6 am, 7 days a week, to pump for 45 minutes.  I prep bottles for the day, make breakfast (oatmeal and toast with peanut butter) and start a load of laundry (if any).

Miss Vivian wakes at 7:30 am like clock work.  She doesn't cry , just lies in her crib until I go to get her.  I always walk into her room seeing biggest smile on her face.  Melts my heart. We change our diaper, but stay in our jammies.  Unless she has a blowout in her crib...which has happened 4 nights in one week already...I will change her into leggings and a comfy top.

We eat around 7:40 am while watching Sprout.  We like Chloe's Closet :)  We'll do a little burp then play with our toys on the floor in the living room.   We like to play with our VTech Sit-to-Stand Walker, blocks, rings, Fisher Price make-up vanity and Violet (our play puppy).

If we had a blowout in our crib we'll go in her room and change her sheet.  Usually about a 20 minute process with taking off the bumper, change her sheet and put the bumper back on.  Changing that thing is a workout in itself, ha!  It's great that she's sitting up now...I can just plop her on the floor while I tend to her crib.

 

I'll also restock her drawers with diapers and wipes if needed.

We'll play more and then around 9:45-10am we will get our bottle.  She will take her nap around 10 am and sleeps until around 11:30 am.

While she's napping I will clean the house, have a snack, have a cup of coffee if I make any (usually takes an entire morning to drink) and I will pump for 35 minutes and prep more bottles and freeze milk.  After Vivian wakes from her nap we will fold laundry and watch more Sprout.

She doesn't eat again until around 1 pm.  After eating, sometimes she will take another nap and if not, we might run errands, do more playing, I'll eat lunch.  With it being cold, we mostly stay inside.  I don't want her getting sick.  We will sometimes take a stroll...again, since its been cold, we have skipped our stroll. The afternoons can get exhausting...especially if she decides she doesn't want to nap.  We will watch our favorite video, Will.I.Am on Sesame Street a hundred several times, work on eating solids,

Beaba Babycook Pro

High Chair

Rather play with food than eat.

more playing.

Read our favorite book, Peek-A-Boo Forest.

 

Sometimes she'll nap around 3 pm for about 45 minutes.  So thankful if she does.  If so, I relax a little...if not, we play more (work on tummy time...still hate it, play with a jar of macaroni noodles...she likes how they feel, practice crawling on the stairs).

At around 4 pm she will eat again.  I will pump again after her bottle for 35 minutes when she's happy and content.  After pumping we will go into the kitchen and prep/ freeze milk and wash all our bottles. 

We will then start on dinner.  After dinner we'll watch more Sprout, lay on the bed and play.  At 6:30pm we start our bath.  We love baths!

We spend about 15 minutes in the tub and then lotion up and get into our jammies and have our last bottle of the day.  Little Miss Vivian is put into her crib before 7:30 pm.

I will take a shower (I found it is easier to shower at night so I know I will be clean for the next day), sweep and clean the kitchen counter, watch TV and I'll pump between 9:00 - 9:30 pm for 35 minutes.  After pumping I will wash the remaining bottles, prep bottles and freeze milk.  I'm in the bed around 10 pm.

Thankfully B has been home until he starts back next week.  He helps out some, but Vivian wants her Mommy right now...wants to be held by me and play with me.  I do love every second of this and wouldn't change it for the world!!!