Daddy's girl

There must be something special about the relationship between a Daddy and his little girl, something unlike any other relationship. There is no one else that can make Hailey smile and coo like Korey can. She will be having the worst day and the minute Korey walks into the room and smiles at her she is a different person. I love seeing them together. She brings out the best in him.

Sometimes, I do actually find myself feeling a little jealous of their relationship. But, I think it's mostly because the man who protests so loudly when I ask him to spend some time with me that you'd think I asked for the moon, will sit for hours and just hold his little girl, talking to her in her little baby language and not even mind!! And, the wonderful husband who gagged and sats in the bedroom plugging his ears and singing songs really loudly, whenever I'm sick- basically, the whole first few months of my pregnancy, will clean up what seems like gallons of baby puke and change a diaper that is so monstrous it's on Hailey's neck, without even batting an eyelash. I know that it's a silly thing to be jealous of I don't waste anytime really dwelling on it- most days I'm just glad that there's a wonderful man there to help me out and that Hailey is so lucky to be loved by her Daddy that way! And, on the days that I do wish he'd spend a little more time with me, I just take Hailey and snuggle up with him on the couch.

Maybe this love between a little girl and her Dad seems so amazing to me, because when we first found out that Hailey was a little girl Korey didn't seem that excited and I cried because I thought that he was going to be disappointed in me for not giving him a boy(as if it's even something I can control, but with the pregnancy hormones raging through my body it just seemed like a good thing to spend my day crying about). Even as the day grew closer for Hailey to be born he seemed so worried about the fact that she was a girl and he kept saying how he was gonna teach her to play hockey and they were gonna go duck hunting together- he even bought her a little camouflage jacket!! I knew that Korey would be happy with her when she was born and would love her, but I just couldn't help but think that he would be happier if we were having a boy first. But, the minute that little girl was put in his arms at the hospital I knew that all my worrying was in vain. Even all the pain my body was going through and the excitement of seeing my little girl for the first time coudn't compare to the amazing sight of Korey holding her, with tears in his eyes, and looking at her with amazement. I don't think I've ever seen that much love in another human beings eyes and even now when I think about it I can't help but tear up. It's just so beautiful to me. I only hope that the love he has for her now will carry us both through the trying teenage girls years that we have in our future!

playing with toys

Hailey finally started playing with her toys today. It was so fun to see her. When I first put her on the table with them she just sort of looked at the toys like she didn't really know what to do with them. But, then she warmed up to them and picked one up. She didn't hold onto it for too long, but at least she showed some interest in them today! I bet she'll be playing with them in no time and soon we'll be after her to pick them up and put them away. :) Sometimes it's so hard to remember to enjoy each moment and not spend our time "wishing" our life away. I know that everyone says that I should appreciate this time of life and not keep pushing her to grow up too fast, but it's hard to not want her to roll over and then crawl and then talk!! I can't believe how much more "fun" she is to have around now that she smiles, coos, and responds to our voices. I don't think there's anything sweeter than having your baby smile up at you or hear your voice and start "talking" back. And, it's so fun to think about how much fun she'll be when she can actually reach for us or crawl around by us or even walk and talk to us.

We got Hailey's 3 month photos taken this afternoon- thanks Sheila for coming over and taking them!! I am so excited to see how they turn out. We took a few of just her toes with our wedding rings on. I can't wait to see them. Sheila is such a talented photographer and she really has some fun ideas of new things to try! (Plus, she's super willing to work at getting Hailey to giggle and laugh)

Generations

Today my Dad's Mom and her husband came to visit Hailey and I. She has only seen her a few times since Hailey's been born and I was feeling kind of bad about that this morning, but as I thought about it I realized that she's probably seen her once a month. It just seems like Hailey's been a part of our family for a lot longer than 3 months! And, as I watched my Grandma play with her first great-grandchild, it made me think a lot about generations and how special it is to have a grandparent, let alone two great grandparents! And, as you can see by the pictures, Hailey is very loved by her grandgrandmothers, which is always nice to see. I am thankful that my parent's have such great relationships with their mom's so that Hailey can see them and they can be a part of her life. I pray that both her great grandma's will be around when she is older so that she can remember them and all the love they have for her!

The truth no one tells you about being a Mom

Hailey's saying, "Here's to you, Mom!"

Maybe a better title for this would be, "what no one ever believes about being a Mom." Now, I really do understand why no one believes this stuff- if they did there would be a lot of women seriously rethinking their desire to have babies. You have to think that it's going to be all wonderful and cuddles and that you'll never regret your decision a day in your life. And, where that first part may not be anywhere close to the truth. The truth is that you will never regret your decision. Being a mom is worth all the nitty gritty that you have to go through!! There are some truths, about being a Mom, that I have picked up in the 3 months that I have been a Mom and for each one, I'm sure there will be another one that I'll pick up in the next 3 months! (apparently motherhood is a like that dream you have when you show up to class in your slippers and realize that the final is today, except that you never studied and you've never been to class before...but, the dream never finishes and you never find out how you did on the test- you just live in that perpetual state of panic and worry!) So, here's to the truths I've learned about being a mother:
1) Stretch marks are real!! They never go away!! They are your friend for life!! It's probably a good thing that you don't know this before you have babies, because who would really want to believe that in a few months there would be awful purple lines going all the way accross your butt, thighs, stomach, legs...(do I need to mention anymore places??) The worst part is that you see all these commercials for stretch mark reducing creams and you think- Oh, that poor thing that has those...good thing I never will, only to realize that a few years later, you're looking at your own body thinking- oh you poor thing too bad I have those! (but you don't even have enough free time to go to the store and try all those advertised creams, so you tell yourself that they wouldn't work anyways) :)
2) Weight loss is inevitable. Now I know that we all see those perfect women who are size 2, 1, or (God forbid) even size 0 after having their children, but are they even real?? Who does that honestly happen to? (definitely not any of my friends, 'cause even if it did we wouldn't be friends for long!! ;)) Before I had Hailey I was certain that I would watch my weight the whole pregnancy and I would do situps after I had my baby and work hard to get back to my pre-pregnancy body! Boy was I dissilusioned. I had no idea that I would be so hungry and devour everything in sight for 9 months straight and then when the baby finally came I would be so tired that I would think of the extra fat as more of a close friend that I really wouldn't want to be without, anyways. (plus, all husbands like the extra padding, right??)
3) Regardless if the kid is yours or not, baby spit up and poopy diapers are never fun to deal with. So many people said to me, "oh, it's different when it's yours" But, I'm here to tell you that the only difference is that if I don't clean it up no one will! (hmmm...is that what they were getting at all along...)
4) No matter how much you love your kid, naptime will always be a welcome respite in your day. It's so wonderful to just put your sleeping baby down in a crib, walk away and think "ahhh, now what will I do with the next hour of time!" Good thing I never have to think about that- I'm always running here, running there, trying to get everything done so that I can cram a little bit of time in to sit at the computer!
The biggest thing that no one ever told me about being a Mom is
5) Every morning you will sit and pray that God would grant you more wisdom, more patience, more love, more grace and just basically that He would make you more like the one person that you swore you'd never be like- your Mom! And, you will pray that in 26 years your daughter will be praying the same thing, so that you, too, can earn a "job well done!"

Always learning...

Yesterday was the last day of my Thursday morning Women's bible study. We've been studying "Entrusted with a Child's Heart" and I am going to really miss it. Not only will I miss the excuse to get out of the house on a Thursday morning and spend some "quiet" time with some dear friends, but I'll miss learning something new and being challenged each week. There were many days that I left completely overwhelmed with all the stuff that I had to work on or learn, but in the end looking back I can think of a few things that I have really taken away from this study and hope to remember and put into practice in my life! The biggest thing that I learned is that children are a blessing and motherhood is meant to be a joy. A verse for that day was, Ps. 217:3-5, "Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." One thing that Betsy Corning said about that is that a day is never wasted if you spend it holding your baby! There have been a few times that I felt guilty holding Hailey or rocking her to sleep at night or just holding her as she slept. Or, I've looked around at the house, as I sit on the floor and play with her and I've honestly thought that I had accomplished nothing and I really should get up and do something, but then I remember what Betsy said and just enjoy the minutes that I get to spend with Hailey. I try not to feel guilty when I take the time to just hold Hailey and talk to her. I don't do it because I know she needs the interaction to learn how to speak or because I need someone to talk to, I do it because I truly enjoy my daughter and am trying to cherish each moment that I can spend with her! I hope that as Hailey grows bigger and (God willing) we add more babies to our nest that I can remember to enjoy each minute that I can with Hailey and develop a relationship with her that can turn into a friendship when she's older! I pray that the Lord would keep reminding me to take joy in the little things and not worry about the things of no consequence! (like a clean floor or 3 course meal for dinner!)

3 months

Hailey is 3 months old today! It's so hard to believe!!! Where has the time gone?

It seems like just yesterday that we were at our first appointment and saw her heartbeat. At that time, I remember thinking that it was going to take forever to see her and that 9 months was such a long time! Good thing for me that it really wasn't forever and that she did finally make an appearance!

I can't believce how much she has grown in 3 months time!! (or how much I've grown and changed!) I pretty much have become the mom that I never wanted to become- I've done every single thing I swore I never would do- and the weird thing is--I love it!! I love every minute of time that I spend rocking my baby to sleep and I love picking her up when she cries. I can't get enough time spent holding her and take whatever chance I can get!

She just loves getting a bath and she had her last bath on the counter, today! She splashed so much that the entire floor was soaked by the time we were done-so, I guess it's on to the bath tub for her! :)

Here's a look at Hailey's life at 3 months:

-she's been sleeping through the night for over a month, but now she sleeps until almost 7 am! (unless Dad can't help it and he wakes her up to say goodbye before he leaves for work!)

-she eats pretty much every 3 hours, but the last time is somewhere around 7 or 8 o'clock at night

-she giggled, for real, for the first time last night and it was because I was blowing on her bare belly and tickling her with my hair

-she smiles and coos at her Dad the most, but she'll do it for almost anyone- as long as she's in the mood and their willing to act super silly

-she's still wearing 0-3 clothes, but she can fit into a few 3-6 pants and onesies

-she loves her nuk and whenever she's cranky that's what she wants

-her favorite show is American Idol and she and I watch it almost every week(changing her feeding schedule to fit with whatever time it is on, so we have a good excuse to just sit in front of the tv and do nothing else!)

I love being your Mom, Hailey!! I am praying that you grow up to be a little girl who loves Jesus!

my sweet little four legged friend

I've noticed that our dog is feeling a little bit left out of life. Today, while I was laying on the floor playing with Hailey she just kept jumping around, trying to get in on the action. Then, later when I was bundling Hailey up to go to bible study, Allie just kept following us, thinking that she was gonna get to go somewhere, too. But, she just keeps getting left out! She doesn't get to climb up on the couch with us anymore, because we have another little thing on the couch! And, every time we're taking pictures, we don't even worry about what Allie is doing. Poor thing. There used to be a time when we got out the camera simply to take pictures of her! She doesn't even try and pose for the camera anymore, because she knows that we are not worrying about taking pictures of her. But, just because you think that we don't notice you anymore Allie, doesn't mean that we don't! For instance, I noticed you last night when we came out of the bathroom, trying to look innocent, but the toilet paper on your paw gave you away! Or this morning, when you sat and dropped your kong at my feet for 5 minutes- I noticed you then!
So, this blog is for you, Allie!! You have always been there for me, in the good times-when you dance around the kitchen with me, and in the bad times- when you lick my face as I lay on the bed crying! You, my sweet friend, never get mad when I choose Hailey over you or when I kick you in the middle of the night or make you come inside and stop chasing squirrels. In fact, you never get mad at all- even that time that I accidentally kicked you in the head while trying to show Dad my tae kwon do moves! I love you, Allie, and just remember- if you think that your life is bad now, just wait until Hailey can move!! Then you're really going to be in for it! Good Luck, you're gonna need all you can get.

Here is Hailey wearing a sweater that Korey had when he was a baby!! Isn't it cute? I took this this morning and, as you can tell, she is feeling so much better. She was a big hit at the salon last night and then at the coffee shop this morning. I'm so glad that I can take her with me, but I never realized how much I'd miss just being able to go by myself. I love having Hailey and her beign around, but I do kind of miss my "me" time! For the past few years each time I got my haircut I'd come home, take a shower and practice doing my hair, but all of the sudden I had to strategically plan my hair appointment around a feeding schedule, come home and make dinner, then feed the baby and put her to bed and before I knew it it was time for bed and seemed silly to take a shower and do my hair! and I really missed not having that! :)

Last night was also the first night he came home to find me without my makeup and hair done!! I know that a few of you might think that's a silly thing to worry about, but for me it was a big deal. It was probably one of the first times since we've been married that I've met Korey at the door not looking my best. (I'm the girl who wore makeup the day I gave birth and brought fun clothes to wear home from the hospital- not sweatpants!) But, I guess this is just one more thing that I have to get used to. :) (or maybe I just need to use my time more wisely and plan my hair appointments for earlier in the day...hmmm...there's a thought!:))

to work on a schedule or not to

Hailey is getting so much bigger these days! She almost rolled over from her back to her stomach last night. It was pretty exciting, but she hasn't tried since. (I think we scared her 'cause we got so excited!! ooops!) She just loves her little playmate(thanks, Angie), she lays on it and just talks to herself for hours.

I don't know what to do about a schedule for her. I know that I should try and keep her on one and that she does better if she has one, but I'm struggling with how to change it. According to the book, "on becoming babywise" by the time kids are 12 weeks old they should be eating only every 3 to 4 hours and Hailey is still eating every 2 1/2 to 3 hours...sometimes she'll go for 4, but that's pretty much only once a day. Ok, so I'm struggling with this because I don't know if I should try and keep according to the book ('cause it's been working out so well so far) or just let her go with what she's doing because she's happy and it's working for us. She sleeps through the night, so that's not a problem! (thank God for that!) I guess it's just one of those things that I'll have to figure out for my baby, but it sure would be easier to just have someone standing over me telling me what to do. :)

so much to raising a baby!

This is a picture of Hailey, Samuel, and Josie when they were all about 2 months old! (a whole month ago!!)

Today, I saw that a few of my friends think that their babies are teething already! Is it really possible for a 3 or 4 month old to be teething?? What does that look like?? I wonder when Hailey will start teething. She's been drooling a lot, which isn't the most pleasant, but I've heard that's a precursor to teething-so, I'm sure we're gonna see a lot more of that as time goes on. I guess I'll have to buy some more bibs...she seems to spit up or drool all over them fairly regularly. It's nicer to change bibs than clothes, though, so I shouldn't complain too much. It just seems like there's always something and it's always something new and different that I'm not prepared for! I guess I really do find myself wishing that these babies came with manuels on how to deal with them!! I don't know if it's a first mom thing or what, but I'm constantly worried that I'm gonna miss something or that I'm gonna do something wrong and premanently ruin Hailey for life....I know that the chances of me doing that are really small, but I can't help but worry about it!(well, I guess I can help it, I jsut choose not to...apparently I like worrying!)

Hailey's little friend, Samuel, is 3 months old today! I can't believe it. Hailey will be 3 months on Wednesday. On the one hand it doesn't seem like that much time has gone by, but on the other hand it seems like she has been a part of our life for so long that I can't even imagine it without her anymore!(in fact, she's so much a part of my life that she's sitting on my lap watching me type-I don't think I possessed the ability to type and hold a baby at the same time a few months ago!) ;) Please be praying for Josie, Hailey's little twin(she was born on the same day as Hailey- only one hour later!!). She is still in the hospital and they think that they're gonna have to be there for another week or two. Her parent's are Ben and Megan and I think they could defnitely use some prayers, also. I'm sure it would be hard to spend a lot of time sitting in the hospital. Plus, they have another daughter, Ellie, who they have to worry about!

Korey

Korey just got home from working all day- first at his friend from works...they cut down 6 trees all before 9 o'clock!! (pretty amazing- I think!) Then, he headed over to church to help bury a cable from the church to the new sign. He worked at that from 9 until about 4:30!! When he gets home he sets off to take some brush to a yard waste site and then unloads some rocks from his truck. Does the man ever stop working?? It makes me tired just to see him work!! I'm so thankful that God gave him to me, though. What a great worker and provider for our little family. I know that he is a treasure, because there are many men who don't work so hard and can't be counted on to do stuff around the house/yard! I'm also glad that he has the stamina that he has, because the Lord knows that I coudln't do that much work and still be standing at the end of the day. The best part about this man is that he not onlyhas time for work, but he carves out time at the end of his day to hold Hailey and listen to me talk. In fact, the minute he walked in the door he gave me a kiss and then headed directly to his daughter. And the same little girl that was cranky for me all day just giggled and smiled the minute her daddy walked in the living room. How does a man that works so hard find it in himself to come home and make his little girl coo??? It must be the amazing love of a father!

the first post!

Today is the first time I have posted on here!! It's so exciting. I told Korey that blogging is like having an online journal that everyone can read! He, obviously, didn't understand the desire to have a journal- let alone one that the world could see! I guess what they say about opposites attracting is true! I'm beginning this post so that our family members can keep up to date on our lives and see some newer pictures of our baby girl! I hope you enjoy it and leave me comments. I'd love to hear what you think about the incredibly exciting life that we live here in Mosinee. ;) Hopefully, you'll enjoy it- if not at least i know that my Mom will read what I have to say.