now that's "tutu" cute

What I discovered/tools for success:

Step 1- Have props set up beforehand.
Step 2- Get adorable baby picture ready. (i.e. - stripped down to a diaper and wrapped in a blanket; undressing usually equals tears)
Step 3- Feed baby right before hand - babies are much happier with a full belly.
Step 4- Ditch the basket idea. (she hated it!)
Step 5- What ever you do DON'T TRY TO MAKE HER ACTUALLY WEAR THE TUTU! It goes much better if you just lay it over her and pretend that she's actually wearing it.
Step 6- Take lots and lots of shots because each one is unique and adorable in its on way.

 

and last but not least

 

Step 7- Admit that even though you'd never be able to explain using them for the Christmas card, the previously taken "angry tutu baby" photos are in some horribly sick way still your favorite!!

sleepy baby

Do mommies ever stop staring at their sleeping babies in sheer amazement and wonder?

I certainly hope not :)

 

 

This and That

This:

Mayson and I finally got Greg's first package together. It cost $38 to ship the darn thing!! I made Greg a Christmas tree using felt cutouts of Mayson's little hands and that was the smallest box I could fit it in.

And that:

 Maybe it's just me but once I really got to looking at Mayson's footsie pajamas I noticed that Santa Clause appears to have quite the tan!

 It's politically correct Santa I guess. And seeing as Greg finally gets to venture off base in a few days and I told him to be on the look out for an Asian Santa. I'm pretty sure Santa isn't very prevalant in Asian cultures but if he is I wonder if their Santa is a big, jolly, fat, white guy or Mr. Miyagi's twin only in a red suit and beard?!?

 

Plus a little extra:

 

I took these of Mayson yesterday and they almost make me sad because she's starting to look like a baby and not a newborn.

But you wanna know what's really mind blowing... Mayson is now the size I was when I was born. 9lbs of baby seems like a whole lot to be coming out of your... well... you know, lol!

 Bless you momma!

 I'm forever grateful for the sacrifice that you and your lady bits made for me. And for all the other momma's out there with similar size bundles of joy- God bless you all! Me, Mr. Miyagi, and black Santa all agree that ya'll definitely deserve an extra present under the tree!

Christmas Card Fail

Dare I even try this again?!? I'm guessing poor Mayson's vote is a resounding "NOOOOOOO!"

 

"Tutu" cute for Christmas?!

Looks more like "tutu" pissed off, if you ask me!

 

 

good mom

Today was a hard day.

Mayson Pearl was up last night @ 1, 4, 6, and then 8am.

And this was following a day of cat naps and wanting to eat only an ounce or so every hour and a half.

Poor thing was gassy and fussy.

Which made this poor mommy sleepy and grouchy.

Top that off with missing Greg.

And hating the thirty plus extra pounds I see every time I look in the mirror...

It was all creating a recipe for disaster.

 

I moved up here to North Carolina so that I would have help with Mayson while Greg was away...

so why do I feel like a failure for letting my mom watch her half the day so I could catch up on some sleep?

 

Being pregnant I quickly realized that women never really talk about how hard pregnancy can be. It's like some unspoken code that everyone follows. Maybe it's because no one wants to seem like they are weaker than everyone else - or be thought of as being unappreciative of the wonderful gift they are carrying. I usually only heard people's real pregnancy stories when I opened the door and admitted how I was struggling with mine.

 

I think the same thing can be said of motherhood. We are so afraid of others judging us or finding us lacking that we tend to only share the wonderful moments. We pretend that days like today don't exist.

We want to be seen as always happy.

Always in control.

Always fulfilled by our children.

We want to be supermom.

 

What's funny is that, quite frankly, the most critical judge of our mothering skills is usually ourselves. 

 

At the end of the day I have to remind myself that I don't have to be a perfect mom, only a good one.

There are going to be days where I simply can not wait until she takes her first nap.

Days where I accidently scratch her with my wedding rings.

Realize halfway on the drive home that I forgot to relatch her into the carseat.

Or accidently feed her a booger trying to clean out her nose! 

Days when having someone watch her for a few hours is really a blessing and not a failure.

I'm a good mom... not a perfect one.

(And I've gotta learn to let myself off of the hook about that.)

 

our Saturday according to Mayson

Today we woke up super early- at my insistance of course.

After Uncle Joshua came home from his 5K,

we went with him and grandma to eat at Johnson's Restraunt.

I then created a giant poop explosion for mommy,

followed promptly by projectile vomit.

After grossing mommy out I felt much better,

so I spent some time on my play mat having a conversation with Captain Calamari.

Afterwards I slept through the festival of trees.

And a trip out to eat at Tokyo Express.

When we finally got home I helped make treats to send daddy.

(Of course my silly mom burned herself!)

I ended the day by being forced to watch cheesy Christmas movies,

but don't worry because I paid mom back for this injustice by keeping her up half the night!!!

 

Oh and ps- mom says you better enjoy these pictures taken with her brand new camera that daddy gave her for her birthday. She's never had a good track record with camaras but she managed to destroy this one faster than most. She blames it on "baby brain" but she somehow managed to drop the camera out of the stroller in the parking lot. By the time she realized it was missing and went back for it the camera had already been ran over by another car :(

 

At least the memory card survived so you can see these pics of my oh-so-adorable face!

2 Months!

My Dearest Mayson Pearl-

On November 24th you officially turned two months old!!

You are now 8lbs 7 oz,

21 inches long,

and I think your head was 14 inches around or so.

You still wear newborn sized clothes and diapers,

eat every 2-3 hrs during the day,

and every 3-4 hrs at night.

(Mommy can't wait until you sleep longer at night but luckily you're pretty adorable and quite the snuggler so I can't get to grouchy with you during those middle of the night feedings!)

You still aren't a fan of tummy time.

 You can lift your head and shoulders up for a few seconds

but you mainly like pulling your knees up

and somehow managing to wiggle yourself across the floor!

You' ve got pretty good head control now,

but still turn into a little bobble head baby whenever when you are tired.

You turn your head towards sounds now

and are starting to really notice things around you.

Plus you are finally starting to smile;

the best little dimpled smile ever- just like your daddy's!

We celebrated Merry November 24th;

aka our first family Christmas just a little bit early.

You had your first sleepover this month at Mrs. Brittany's

and your first long car ride.

A six hour journey,

which you had to do three times in one week!

The first two times you were an angel;

the last time you were understandably over it.

Your daddy left for deployment this month which was horribly sad

but you've already had lot's of skype dates where you got to "talk" to him.

You are growing and changing so much already.

As your mommy, I think that I'm still a little bit in denial that you are 2 months already!!!

 

And just because you are so cute and because it was officially your 2 month birthday- pics from our Merry November 24th celebration.