Long overdue!

I'm sure that's a mantra of every working mom, but I'm now getting requests to update my blog so that must mean I have at least one follower (happens to be Grandpa). Time has been moving at the speed of light these days, as has Ginger's growth! Hitting those milestones sure are fun. Since Halloween, Ginger has learned to crawl, pull herself to standing, and on December 17th she took her first "real" step! Since Halloween, she has also had 4 more teeth pop through, has had her first ear infection, and had the stomach flu. So it's been quite a roller coaster but we've enjoyed every minute of it!

We continue to see peeks into Ginger's personality, which is a blast to watch. She seems to be following in Dad's footsteps, in that she is very curious, cautious, observant, and has a quiet/soft presence. We thought this girl would come out larger than life, and in a lot of ways she is, but very unexpectedly she is calmer, softer, and sweeter than we could have imagined.

Now, that's not to say that she's not a chatterbox- they say some kids are walkers, some are talkers, and she is definitely a talker. She now has "mama, dada, dog, baba, nigh-nigh" in her vocabulary, in addition to all of the cute baby babbles she enjoys. Her first word was dada, which softened my heart and made Paul beam. :)

She adores stuffed animals of all varieties, I would have to say that some of her favorite toys are her stuffed monkey, teddy bear, and yo gabba gabba stuffed characters. She loves to hug and kiss her friends, she dives into them and rolls around on the ground with them as though they are her best friends. Some of my favorite moments are watching her show compassion of any sort to her little buddies. It's wonderful to watch.

Other than cows milk, sweets, honey, and juice, Ginger pretty much eats it all now. She loooooves pasta, definitely takes after her mommy on that one! Ravioli, bowtie pasta, tortellini, she loves it all. Funny though, that she doesn't like it plain like most baby books say they will. She likes pesto and tomato sauce, not a ton but just to flavor the pasta. Yum yum yum.

Ginger has moved up into a big girl car seat, which she adores!! She was definitely getting antsy in her infant seat, so we decided to make the switch and she is so much happier in the car now. She can look out the window and see all there is to see, and she loves it.

Sleep, well, you just never know what you'll get with Ginger. She cut out her second nap early, I've read babies usually don't drop the 2nd nap until 12-18 months (or later) but she much prefers to sleep 2-3 hours on one sitting, around 11:00 am to 1:30 or so, and goes to bed around 7 or 7:30. She seems to like to wake around 5am or so, so Paul or I will give her a bottle, she'll snooze for another hour or two, and we'll get ready for the day in the meantime.

Being a mom is so incredibly fulfilling- I get just as much back from her now as I give, and Ginger is such a sweet, snuggely, calm little girl. Other than when she's teething, of course, then Mom can't leave her sight, but outside of those parameters, she is pretty even tempered. Let's hope that continues!!

A Halloween to remember!

Our first Halloween, as a new little family, was everything I'd hoped for, and definitely a good little memory to tuck away for the future. We decided to go down to Temecula to my parents house, as they live in a good trick-or-treat neighborhood with homes right next to each other and a LOT of families. (My dad went through 10 bags of candy by 7:15pm!)

I'd debated (with both Paul and myself) for weeks about what costume to pick for Ginger. I knew that this would be memorialized in photos, etc. for the rest of her life, but I didn't want her to be uncomfortable or not in a good mood. So I decided on a '50s poodle skirt costume that was called "Bandstand Baby". The skirt was satin with her name embroidered on it, and she looked absolutely adorable.

She enjoyed going to Richie's Diner, a '50s restaurant for dinner with Opa, Grammy, Paul, and I. She tried spaghetti for the first time, and even got a tiny bite of whipped cream from dessert!

We walked the block and trick-or-treated with masses of other children- which was Ginger's biggest interest. Candy? Didn't care- it was all of the other children's laughter and conversation that was enjoyable for her.

Here are some pics from the night!

First Day with "Miss Maureen"...

Today was Ginger's first day with Miss Maureen, who runs a small home daycare called Happy Kids Day care. It is about 3 miles away from us, in a nice community with parks and nice homes. Miss Maureen only watches one 2 year old little girl full time, and then has 2 children she watches PT for a few hours 3 times a week. She's licensed and CPR certified, which I was glad to hear.

We decided to ease Ginger in today by having Paul take her over there just for the 3 1/2 hours between her morning and afternoon nap. We decided Paul would take her because he took the day off today, and also so I didn't have to experience the trauma of first day jitters.

From what I hear, Ginger was a champ! We had already visited Maureen's house once, so I'm told that they arrived, went to the playroom, introduced Ginger to 2 year old Breannah (who Paul says is an absolute doll!) and Ginger and Breannah started playing together. He slipped out after several minutes and she didn't make a peep after he left!

Here is the email I received after Paul picked her up a few hours later:

Hi Wendy,

Paul just came to get Ginger. She had a good time playing with Breannah. Oh my gosh...she is so cute. She ate really well (everything) and is such a good baby. Never cried. A joy to watch.
I'll see you on Monday.

Thanks,
Maureen

Thankfully we did this so after I got to spend the whole weekend with her. But if she is this easy to transition, I will have considered myself very lucky. I know cute little Breannah is helping my cause by giving Ginger a playmate, but whatever works!

Commute? What Commute?!?

Today is day #1 of working from home, and I have to say that I am enjoying it thoroughly! Although I am behind closed doors in my office, I can hear my mom with Ginger out in the front room and it's so awesome that I can go out and visit with her at lunch and on a break or two. She's been a little under the weather these past 2 days- she has 2 new teeth coming in (top right and one bottom) so she's been drooling and in pain for a few days. Then on top of that, 2 nights ago she had just finished her last feeding of the night, and she choked on it because of all her drool and it ended up coming back up and out her nose. So little one was a bit stuffed up but is recovering swiftly!

There is a light sprinkle outside right now, this first bit of rain was what inspired me to talk to my boss about transitioning to working from home more often. He was completely supportive and is just great. We have found a small, in home daycare just a few miles up the hill, so Ginger will start going in the mornings, and most likely will come home right before her afternoon nap, on the days I work from home.

So, I can't complain. I'm a happy gal :)

Pickin' Pumpkins at Peltzer Farms

I have been having so much fun with Ginger these days, that's it's hard to even stop and take the time lately to write about it! Paul, Ginger and I, along with my mom and dad, visited Peltzer Farms on Friday evening, which is down in Temecula. Afterwards we went to dinner in Old Town Temecula, where there is a big hot rod cruise/show. We had such a fun night together, and I was so happy to watch Ginger gaze at her first pumpkin patch.

Ginger is becoming such a thoughtful, funny little girl. I can see just the cusp of her personality developing, and it is amazing to see her grow, right before our eyes. Yes, you see other people's kids grow, but it's really not the same as seeing this reflection of you, getting just a wee bit older overnight.

There was a sign at the pumpkin patch that measured kids height and it would be fun to go back next year to see her progress. The Peltzer Farm was really just what I was looking for- lots of families, a small petting zoo, pig races, a corn maze, pony rides, train that takes you around the farm. But it's not glamourous, and is kind of out of the way, so it really had that feel of a good secret that you only want to tell your friends about.

Ginger was a champ the whole night. She laughed, gazed, smiled, wondered, and I did the same. One for the memory books :)

First tooth!

Well, Ginger defied the odds and pushed through her first tooth on top, instead of the usual bottoms that come in first. We were playing her favorite game of hang upside down, and there it was finally poking through. 8 months, 6 days old. 9/19/09. We're so proud of her :)

It's on her top left, may be a little hard to see in this pic, but trust me- it's through. Right in time for Halloween- can't wait to see her grin with a tooth!

Fenugreek!

We celebrated Ginger's 8 month birthday earlier this week, on 9/13, I am in SHOCK that in just 4 more short months, I will have a 1 year old. Crazy! Having returned to work a few weeks ago, I knew it was inevitable that my milk supply would dwindle, even with pumping. It's just not the same as breastfeeding her 5-6 times a day. So I've been stressing a bit trying to figure out what to do. Do I try to pump more often? Do I begin supplementing with formula? Will that give her gas? Do I quit? Is it more of a pain to continue for 4 months, or will it be a pain if I start supplementing with formula, only to make another change to regular whole milk in a few months?

All of this stress ended up causing me to produce less milk, so I did some research and found that there is an herb (in pill form) called fenugreek that is supposed to naturally enhance mommy's milk production. I really didn't believe that it would work- but I gave it a shot. I've been taking it for 3 days now, and WOW when they say it works within 24-72 hours, it's REALLY true. I am back to producing enough to put Ginger within range of what she needs daily. So I thought I would post this for a few reasons- one, because I want a reminder when we're on our second child that this is what I did, LOL! Second, who knows who reads my blogs but if there is someone who could benefit from reading that it works, then great.

Something I thought was funny is that I read that Fenugreek is used in developing countries to create an artificial maple syrup. When I read more about it, I learned that taking the recommended dose can make your oil glands output a kind of maple syrup smell. And it totally does. I dream of pancakes all day, LOL. I also read that sometimes, your baby can end up smelling like maple syrup too. We haven't experienced that yet, but hey it could be much worse than the smell of syrup. It's kinda one of my favorite smells so I'll take it if I don't have to make the change for now!

First "real" week on the job...

I guess you could consider my first real week on the job complete, although I haven't been thrown in the fire. I have an extended training plan over the next month and a half that allows me the time to really learn the in's and out's of the culture and organization, which has been great mentally, given that my mind is still holding onto Ginger and what she's doing, how she's eating, if she's taking her naps,etc.

The people have been great, I must admit. I am surrounded by moms and dads with young children, so every time someone new comes in my office, they are immediately drawn to Ginger's photo collage. It's a great icebreaker, talking about your children- everyone seems to "get it" that despite being incredibly driven and committed, our lives are really all about our kids.

Pumping has been....interesting. I am able now to pump in my own office, which has no windows or glass so it's completely private. But it's still quite a commitment to get 1/2 undressed, set everything up, feel like a milking cow for 15 minutes, and then clean everything up. This happens twice a day, and part of me dreads it, part of me loves it(because I get to stare at Ginger's photo collage for 15 minutes and focus on my love for her) and part of me is proud that I'm so committed to getting her to 1 year and then transitioning straight to whole milk. But I do sometimes wonder about the day when someone knocks on my door, and I'll have to not answer, and then worry that they'll walk away wondering why I was so rude to not answer the door. I haven't really announced to the entire office (hundreds of people) that I'm pumping, so they'll just have to be confused and/or offended for a few months. This hasn't happened yet, so I'm always crossing my fingers that nobody will need me for the 20 minutes this whole process takes, twice a day.

Routine has started to set in, and I find it really interesting how my attitude about work has changed. I have always been so driven and usually at the top of the performance charts, which to a degree I still feel committed to, but I am also completely comfortable knowing that I'm not as desperate to be #1 as I once was. I just want to be really good at what I do. That's enough for me.

I sometimes wonder if it would have been easier or harder to have left Ginger at the traditional 3 months, vs. after 7 1/2 months. I've concluded that I would have probably lost it a whole lot more at 3 months, but it's still hard. At mid-week this week, a tiny thought crept into my mind- "Is this all worth it?" Of course, we don't have a choice- we are dependant on my salary, but there are still plenty of moments filled with wishes that somehow, it could be different. I'm sure every working mom can relate on this one, and that actually makes me feel better reminding myself of this, as it's not unique and just part of the challenge of working outside of the home. Don't get me wrong- this new opportunity is THE perfect fit for me, in fact I've said more than a few times that if I could have written what my returning to work would look like, it would be this. Exactly. But my heart still hurts a little bit.

The good news is that soon enough, once I've gotten through training, built relationships with the key players, and demonstrated that I know what I'm doing, I will begin working from home at least 2-3 times a week. It looks like Mondays and Thursdays will be office days, but Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday I will be able to work from home. I still don't know how that will work out with Ginger- if I'll be able to flex my schedule, if it will prove difficult to work from home with her here (with a nanny, of course), or if it can be managed. But I still look forward to that flexibility.

All in all, I would call this week a success. I've met some fantastic people, and can tell that I'm really going to be valued within the organization. That's a good feeling, all things considered.

Minneapolis adventure

We survived! And thrived, I might add...Ginger, Grammy, Opa, and I all traveled out to Minneapolis for my first week on the new job, and I have to say that it went even better than I could have ever dreamed.

The flight out was a cinch- Ginger slept on the way out to Denver, and then played on the 2nd leg to Minneapolis. It was nice to have two extra sets of hands to help with all of the luggage, toys, and baby, I must admit. When we arrived, we were excited to see how nice the set-up was at the hotel- it was a 2 bedroom suite with a full kitchen and living room, more than enough space for all of us.

Dad and I woke up Monday morning and got breakfast together, while Grammy and Ginger slept in together. The executive recruiter who took me along the hiring process met me in the lobby and we walked together the 5 blocks to the Target corporate center. Target actually takes up 5 seperate buildings in downtown Minneapolis- it is definitely Target town around there! I was led to the "lactation room" for moms, and was BLOWN away by the set up. I wished I had all of this at home- lockers, refrigerators, 10-12 seperate stalls with magazines, a place to put your baby's photo, electrical outlets, wipes, paper towels, kleenex- you name it. It was kind of funny walking in and hearing the "whoosh whoosh" sound of other moms breast pumps- but usually I was either alone, or just one other person in there, and always in the seperate stalls so the privacy was just awesome.

Target, I've decided, is where I needed to land for my first venture in returning to work. Every single person I met with was sharp, young, family focused, intelligent, and truly welcoming and glad to see me joining the team. My boss is FANTASTIC! He has a little baby boy only a month older than Ginger, and his wife also works at Target (and breastfeeds/pumps) so there was absolutely no awkwardness at all. We showed off our babies to each other, and he lit up when talking about his baby boy. We hit it off right away, and though I will report to him from CA, I can tell that it's going to be a great working relationship. His biggest concern for me is that I remember my priority is my family, and that work never trumphs my husband and baby. WOW is all I can say.

I spent the week really just going from meeting to meeting with various peers, and doing "GTK's". That stands for Get to Knows, so I told my career story about 50 times, but found it interesting to learn where others had come from. Many of them have been with Target for 10+ years, which is nice to see, as I'm hoping to plant my feet and stick around.

Everyone's advice for me is to "go slow now, to go fast later". Meaning just enjoy this time in training, absorb the Target culture, and despite wanting to jump right in, resist and just develop relationships. Most companies, especially in this economy, would have directed otherwise, so I can tell this is a long term investment on their part. One day, my boss's boss's boss (3 levels up) took the whole team out to lunch (about 20 people) and we laughed so much through the lunch that at times we were tearing up from all of the laughter. I fit like a glove with the team, and I feel really set up for success having come from Starbucks. I swear, you could just change the Target Red for Starbucks green and it is the same place. Overwhelming for some, but for me, it felt just like home.

I will admit that it was tough to leave Ginger every morning, but knowing she was in my parents hands made all the difference. I was more jealous that I didn't get to go on all of the fun adventures they had, vs. feeling sad and depressed that I wasn't with her. I would come home from work at night, and she would grin ear to ear and snuggle, hug, and want to be close with me right away. She slept well, ate well, and really adjusted just fine. As they say, it is more of a transition for Mom than child, and that proved true for us. Plus Ginger got to bond with Grammy and Opa, who have offered to watch her for another 2 months until my full time nanny (and friend) is available to watch Ginger. Which means I won't have to leave her with our next door neighbor, who is sweet and kind, but still a bit of a stranger to me. I couldn't be more thrilled.

All in all, it was a fabulous trip. I am happy to be home, enjoying my own bed, seeing Paul and Woody, and being lazy around the house this weekend. If you can believe it, I am actually looking forward now to work, though it will still be hard to leave her in the mornings. If I had any concerns about whether this was the right move, they were alieviated by my boss and Target's sharp focus on making sure everyone is family first. That means a lot to me as a new mom, and I can't wait to see what's in store for the next chapter...

Tomorrow...

is my last day as a full time stay-at-home mommy with Ginger. The guilt has officially set in, and it's not pretty. This is not going to be one of those "look on the bright side" posts, I can't muster feeling anything but incredibly sad that I will not get to see Ginger's smiles and hear her giggles at my leisure. I am miserable that I won't be here every moment of the day. I remember telling other people that I'd never make a good stay-at-home mom, in fact even when I was pregnant I thought that I would savor the moment of returning to work. Not a chance. I'm sure I'll transition, it'll be hard, but I'm just not even willing or prepared to deal with that right now. For now, I'm just sad.

Back to work...

...and I have mixed emotions, to say the least. I have been overwhelmed with joy that I have had 7 1/2 months at home with Ginger, it has been such a bonding experience for her and I, and I can't even imagine what it would have been like to return to work like most, after only 3 short months. I have seen her grow right before my eyes, and despite fussy moments here and there, I wouldn't trade it for the world. But, we are dependent on my salary to maintain our household. So, I return to work on August 31st, and despite an awesome new job where I'll be able to work from home, a big part of me is still sad that we are in the position that I have to return to work.

When I was layed off from the County, I remember calling Paul, then my mom and bursting into tears telling them the news. I thought my (our) life was turned upside down, I walked away from a great job at Starbucks, for one that on day 2 (!!) was a mistake. I was accustomed to having a flexible schedule, working from home or the office at my leisure, and working along side a group of talented, bright, genuine professionals. When I started my County job, I quickly realized that me being hired to bring "progessive HR strategy" was futile among the red tape, state order, and to be frank, a lot of people who didn't seem to give a damn. I knew that I had made a mistake. But I powered through, was successful in driving a cost-laden ATS (applicant tracking system) nightmare into the ground, saving the County almost $400,000. In just 5 months.

But when it came time for me to take my maternity leave, which was negotiated in advance, I was met with the news that I would not have a job to come back to. At the time, I couldn't see the blessing that this was. But now, looking back, I thank God that my path was led in this direction.

Back on topic, I now have a fantastic opportunity with a lot of people who seem to be very similar to those I've worked with at Starbucks, bright, progressive, and decisive coworkers. And I'm happy for that. But in all reality, I am already anxious about the first few weeks and how I will probably be gloomy knowing that I will not get to spend so much time with Ginger. The good news is that for the first 6-8 weeks, our next door neighbor will watch her while I work from home, and I can go over anytime to nurse her, play with her, and she will come back to our house around 2:30pm for her afternoon nap. So it will only really be from about 8:30-2:30pm. But still, those playtimes before and after her morning nap have been so fun for the both of us. We've taken off and run errands together, gone to the park and shopping together, and met Paul for lunch together weekly.

My hope is that once my job transitions past the new stage, I will be able to work out flexing my schedule to do things early in the morning, while Ginger is napping, and later at night so I can still spend time with her daily. This is going to be quite a transition in our lives. More to come...

Girls' Lunch

I remember sitting in Nordstrom's Cafe, almost 9 months pregnant, and watching other moms with strollers, diaper bags, shopping bags, and babies in tow. Part of me was frightened beyond belief, but another part of me was so excited for the day that I would be sitting and eating with my baby girl.

Today, when Ginger woke up from her morning nap, I decided it was going to be today that we took our first real "girls lunch" to the Cafe, and we had a blast. Two older ladies were sitting a few tables over, and one of the ladies came up towards the end of our lunch and commented on how cute Ginger is, how well behaved she is, and how great she was while I was feeding her the plum puree I brought along with us. I have to admit- it was just as I'd imagined it, even better really, and I believe that this will be our little tradition together in the future!

Taking the elevator up to the 3rd floor!


Lots of people in the Cafe today...


Mommy and Ginger enjoying lunch!


Snuggles at the end of lunch...

New stuff...

We rarely have to buy much for Ginger, as we got a ton of gifts from our baby showers, as well as great friends who have handed down toys, jumpers, clothes, you name it (most stuff is really barely used!!). Once in awhile, I still like to go out and get Ginger new stuff, it's fun and I really can't help it sometimes.

Here are a few "new things" that Ginger has taken a liking to recently!

Sure, it never snows in California, but we are ready if it does! This is supposed to fit her until 12 months, we'll see!




These were actually given to us, and I didn't know if Ginger would like them or not. It's a mesh netting that holds frozen fruit/vegatables in it, and it's supposed to teach them how to eat, as well as be a good thing for teething. I give Ginger 1/2 an ice cube size portion of banana, and she goes to town on it!



I couldn't help it on this. I never, ever find stuff in the store that has Ginger's name on it, so the other day I was looking at a personalization website, and found this cute stepstool that you could have personalized. It also doubles as a puzzle, as the letters and flowers/butterfly are removable, so my thoughts are "It's educational!" LOL

6 month drs appt (almost a month late!)

Ginger's 2 month doctor's appointment was scheduled 2 weeks late because we were working through new insurance, and her 4 month appointment had to be scheduled no sooner than 2 months later, which pushed us out to being 3 weeks late for that. This 6 month appointment again had to be scheduled no sooner than 2 months later, and so we are now almost 4 weeks behind schedule. Gotta love stingy insurance plans that think about patients as a file number, and not a person. But that's a whole other story...

Today, we learned that Ginger is now 17.2 lbs (25-50 percentile), 28" tall/long (90-95 percentile), and head circumfrence is 45 cms (90-95 percentile). All of these are normal and are coming along to her growth all along, according to doc, so I'm happy to hear that!

Though our insurance has been a mess while I've been unemployed, what I can say is that our doctor's office has been really, really great. Today, the nurse came in and explained that although usually Ginger gets a total of 3 vacines (two 3-in-1's, and an oral), they were out of one of the 3-in-1 vaccines, meaning that we would need to give her 5 total instead of 3. She asked me if I wanted to come back at the end of the week, or just give Ginger the 5 today. I was hesistent but had already planned around Ginger's shots today, so sadly I told her "I guess we can give her the 5 shots". I wasn't excited about it, and the nurse could tell by the look on my face that I wasn't happy. So she said "let me go prepare the shots". When she came back in, she told me she went to the doctor's office next door and worked out borrowing one of their 3-in-1 vaccines, and she would repay them when they received their shipment by the end of the week. WHO does this anymore these days? This nurse is so sweet and loving with Ginger, and although no parent likes to see their child in pain, she does everything she can to deliver them gently and smoothly.

Here is a pic of Ginger post-shots, of course I've saved the bandaids of all her shots so far, and these are keepers too.


The expression here is priceless, you know she is thinking "mom took me to get shots today and all I got were these bandaids?!?"

Ginger's 6 month portraits

I've been horrible with keeping up the blog these days, what used to be daily posts are turning into weekly ones! Anyhow, here are several of the final portraits of Ginger at 6 months- we think they turned out fabulous! If you ever need a pregnancy or baby photographer (other than my fabulous friend Kymberli at www.webbedfootphotography.com of course) you should really look into Tina at Barefoot photography (www.tinadoane.com) She does amazing studio work!













I had to include what we call the "Diva" shot. :)

6 month photos- SNEAK PEEK!

We took Ginger last Saturday to take her 6 month photos, and here are two that our photographer gave us as a sneak peek. I was a little concerned about how these would come out, as I booked the session for 5pm, and Ginger is a little worn out by this time of day. So we didn't get as many smiles as we'd hoped for, and while trying to sit on her own, I looked away for a second and of course she feel straight back and bonked her head. So the rest of the session was a little teary, but of course it was mommy's fault!

Anyhow, I am SO happy with these two shots, I can't wait to see the rest!

Ginger's first trip to Palm Desert

It was 20 years ago, this year, that my Dad, Mom, Chris and I visited Palm Desert for the first time, in our (then) new villa at the Marriott Desert Springs. I was 10 years old, and still remember that first trip, and how it felt to be vacationing in HOT heat, LOTS of pools, and TONS of fun. Now 20 years later, it was Ginger's first trip to Palm Desert, and while I don't think she'll remember it, we experienced everything that I did on my first trip.

First, it was H-O-T! 118 degrees on the hottest day, and so that mean a lot of evening swims, and more time in the villa with my family. Julie, Sean, and their kids came out, and my nephews Zack and Josh came out from Texas as well. It was great to have the opportunity to spend a week with Ginger interacting with her cousins- we usually only get a day here, a day there, so she had a LOT of playtime with them, which was great.

Although a lot of people assume Ginger is a quiet, mellow baby, she definitely comes out of her shell after a few interactions and boy, was she vocal and playful on this trip. She is learning how to sit up independantly, and with the exception of a few bonks when she toppled over, I can officially say now that we are home that she is a "sitter". She also is now able to place almost all her weight on herself while standing (assisted still) but I'd like to think she learned these new skills by watching her cousins sit and stand with/around her during this week.

She went with us to a fancy restaurant (Lakeview, at the Marriott Hotel across the golf course) and was a perfect, well mannered baby. She ate (pureed bananas), drank (water from a sippy cup) and giggled and laughed at the adults, and baby at the next table (who brings babies to fancy restaurants?!? I know, I know, but it was a special occasion).

All in all, we had a great time, and although Paul could attend with us because of work, I was so thrilled that Ginger is now part of our annual tradition of the Palm Desert vacation!

The small things...

I always worry that by the time our family expands and grows older, I will forget the small stuff that is so cute about my little girl. So I thought it made sense to blog about just a few little things that I don't ever want to forget.

*I love the way Ginger falls asleep lately. I'm starting to put her down in bed not completely asleep, and so when I lay her down she turns to her side, grabs the blanket I lay over just her feet, and cuddles with it to comfort her to sleep.

*When she nurses, she is SOOO active lately. Her legs are usually up in the air, her hands playing with her toes, she hums while she's chomping away, and when I lift her up she now burps on her own, and thinks it's hilarious (sometimes we'll play the burp game where I make a sound that mimics a burp, then she'll follow up with a real one and she's so proud of herself she grins ear to ear)

*She has started to capitalize on her fake cough and use it strategically. At first when she started, Paul and I thought it was cute and we would do a little fake cough back at her, and all of us would giggle. Well, that was the WRONG idea because now she fake coughs all the time (just a little tiny huh-huh) and waits for us to play back with her. Sneaky little one :)

*She now knows the word "kiss" and will slober on your cheek when presented to her. It's still open mouthed, but we play the kiss game back and forth and she loves to give kisses. I'm hoping she'll start closing her mouth soon!

*She also knows the word "ribbit" and associates it with her frog on her jumper. Which is interesting, because her sign language DVD is teaching her frog both verbally and in sign, but when I use that word she won't look at/point to/reach over to the frog. But when I say "ribbit, ribbit" she goes right for the frog. Maybe the word ribbit just sounds more fun, who knows!?!

*She spits up. A lot. I think more than others, though the doctor says it's not reflux. She likes hanging out on her tummy, and when I put her down on her back, she flips right over on her tummy, which often time forces a little spit up back out onto her play blanket. I never go anywhere without a burp rag, and I swear it seems like more than other babies I know!

*I've found her more than a few times lately napping with one arm resting up on her bumper. It doesn't seem to bother her, but gosh it looks uncomfortable to have one arm practically in the air while sleeping.

*She no longer likes to snuggle in tight on the shoulder unless she is realllly sleepy. Most times she uses her arm to push off our chest and look around at the world. She'll rest her hand on my chest to stabalize herself, put she is interested in the world around her very much. I talk to her often as we're doing things, whether making coffee, picking up around the house, or walking from one room to another.

*This girl is OVER diaper changing, it requires too much stillness for her! She wants to roll and flip and do anything other than sit still and let me position the diaper. I hate to admit it, but when she does flip her little bum is soooo cute that I just stare at it and smile for a moment before I flip her back over.

That's all for now- just wanted to get it down on the blog before she wakes up from her nap- 2 hours and counting, I am blessed!!

Ginger's Dedication

I think I might possibly have the most wonderful child in the world. I know parents always say this about their kids, but Ginger was a CHAMP yesterday for the entire day and I just can't believe how blessed we are.

We arrived at the church just a few minutes before the service, which was technically 5 minutes late, but I was just happy that we made it showered, dressed, and ready to go. Ginger LOVES the first part of church service, because we go to a church that is contemporary and plays worship songs with a full band, lights, and great music. So she is usually thrilled to hear the music and dance along. Then came baptisms, which as part of our faith is a conscience choice you make, so babies aren't baptized- rather they are dedicated to the church by the parents, who commit to raise their child to love and know God. Anyhow, after about 5 baptisms, the pastor came to the front and invited Paul, Ginger and I (and godparents Shanna and Randy) to come on stage. Ginger was handed over to the pastor, and he held her up to the congregation (probably at least 500-600 people) who ooohed and awwed at how beautiful she was. Pastor even commented that she was gorgeous and how lucky he was to get to dedicate her. He spoke to us about how excited he was that we were committing to raising Ginger as a Christian, and then said the most perfect prayer for her. As we were praying I was tearing up with joy, so happy that my little girl was getting to experience this. She was an absolute doll- no fussing, no crying, just curiously staring at the congregation and pastor, it was so fantastic to watch. We were seated again, and Opa took Ginger into the family room to play with her while watching the sermon through clear glass doors. Apparently they had a blast together- my Dad found a plastic cup that cracked and crinkled when he squeezed it, and that's all he needed to keep her entertained.

After church, we took a few pics, and then came back to our house for a bbq celebration. A few friends came over, but it was mostly family...

Oh my gosh, I forgot to write about the BEST part of the morning!! So when we get to church a few minutes early, my whole family was already there standing around the area roped off for the dedication family, and I look over my shoulder and see....my big brother Mike. I'm tearing up as I'm writing this because I love him SO much, and after he and his family moved to Texas 3 years ago, I've missed them all SOOO much. Mike and I have a special relationship and are a LOT alike in many ways. It was a COMPLETE shock and so unexpected, I started crying when I saw him! I wanted to stop time and just hang out with him for a whole day but the show had to go on!

Anyhow, so he was at the BBQ along with the rest of my family, and Ginger got to play with her bestest friend Ryen, who is 3 months older than her and always teaches her a new trick. This visit, Ryen was crawling and standing with the support of the coffee table, and of course Ginger watched her in awe. Later that night, Ginger was rolling all over the living room and pushing up with her arms, trying to figure out to get her legs to move. She was FULL of laughter throughout the BBQ, squeeling and laughing while playing with her cousins and auntie/uncles.

The BBQ came to a close like a whirlwind- we turned around and it was already time for people to leave. I wished again that we could have just stopped time and enjoyed the company longer, but Ginger was pooped and others had a long trip home. It was the most amazing day, and I'll never forget it. My girl is now a child of God, and that makes her mommy so happy! :)

Here are a ton of pics from the day!