MckMama Update - A Contest!!!

There’s a great new “linky” service available and I wanted to let you know about it. It’s called MckLinky – www.mcklinky.com. After realizing the need for a new, reliable linky capability, Brent Riggs and MckMama got together to create a free, easy to use linky service for all their blog friends.

MckLinky is a free link list feature that allows you to do include lists of other blog links like MckMama does on Not Me! Monday. You can use MckLinky any time you want your blog readers to leave a list of links on your blog. It’s simple, reliable, free...and loads of MckFun!

:) If you head over to MckMama's site you too can enter her giveaway of baby stuff and $100!!! And I mean why not? $100 is something we could use around here!!!

kortney elise xoxo

Not Me…Definitely NOT ME!!!

Here we are back at Monday again – another Not Me sort of one. What am I talking about? Well, click over to MckMama's blog and read about her and other peoples' Not Me's. These, of course, are things we are too ashamed to admit, but really need to get off our chest anyways. It's a guilt-free way to admit your wrongdoings every week…because of course, you didn't do them!

I didn't spend last night in tears, overwhelmed by my fabulous unsleeping daughter. I didn't cry for 45 minutes after she fell asleep after nearly 3 hours of trying to make an overtired, exhausted baby sleep on her own. Not me. I promptly went to bed and didn't waste time crying in self-pity, followed by blogging and "me" time. I wouldn't do that – I realize that sleep is important for me too and I take every opportunity to do so. I didn't sulk in self-pity that my once sleeping "angel baby" is anything but these days, and I certainly did not order two more books off the internet at 11:30 at night to try. I'm not faking my hopefulness that both these books, that (really) don't advocate crying it out, are going to work. I'm a very faithful person and believe in both my daughter and new methods. Surely that's me.

I don't have laundry piles nearly up to my room – one of clean clothes to fold the other of dirty ones waiting to wash. I promptly fold and iron ALL of my clothes when they come out of the dryer. Obviously. Who doesn't?

I don't have dirty dishes in my sink.

I have dinner planned for tonight – it has to be quick, because Alexys has swimming lessons at 6:30.

I don't have dust bunnies on my television – not the same ones my mom told me to dust weeks ago.

I don't have pieces of fluff on the carpet waiting to be vacuumed.

I don't have any books I want to read, just because, and not because I have to for school. Not me. I hate reading for pleasure.

I don't have schoolwork piling up quickly. I obviously have enough time to sit down and finish what I allotted to myself. I faithfully complete all my work everyday.

I'm not too lazy to italicize all the opposites in this blog.

I don't have a big spot of flour on the floor that only shimmers in certain light. There's not flour on the floor because I didn't throw it there the other day because I didn't drop an entire glass jar of oil on the floor. It didn't shatter. Didn't make a mess. And didn't take very long to clean up.

I don't have my best friend's wedding invitations sitting on my table waiting to be made and calling my name. I don't wish I had hours and hours to sit and complete them like I want to.

I didn't just fill out the passport applications that have been sitting on my desk since April. After all, I didn't need them till July. It's not just 3 days away from July.

Mostly I don't feel overwhelmed, exhausted, frustrated and every other similar emotion in the book…because I'm supermom, and have complained in the past about moms who complain. So that's not me. I'm not complaining about having too much to do and not enough hours in the day to do it. Not me.

kortney elise xoxo

A Contest Again

http://adventuresindiapering.blogspot.com/2009/06/wooden-play-food-giveaway.html

There. Just enter there and you can win some sweet swag.

Is swag the appropriate term? Whatever. Enter and win :)
kortney elise xoxo

PS: I really like this blog - the Mom is really creative, fun, and smart!!!

Operation Cloth

...begins today. After bath time. Alexys usually poops before bath time and I'd like to get that out of the way before we begin. Start small, right? I'm prepared for some messes and mistakes; I know that I'm not ever going to be a "100 percent-all-the-time cloth diaperer" but we're going to make the effort most days.

These are the diapers we're using. It's like cheating a little - they're half disposable and half cloth. However, the disposable part is great, because it can be flushed or disposed or wet ones can be composted (but we don't compost). The price is comparable to disposables for me and they're so cute. A couple people have recommended them, so I'm taking the plunge - I'll let you know how they work out.

Wish me luck,
kortney elise xoxo

Edited to add a picture of Operation Cloth commencing :) We got the diaper on correctly, so that's a good sign, right? Oh and guess what the colour of the day is? Yeppers, orange. That's the toy she picked out today, and well...I put her orange soother in so she could match.

Tupperware, Cardboard Boxes, and Sponges

Kids are funny. I never knew that children really always do prefer the cardboard box over the toy that is in it. But it's true! Well, we're not quite at that stage with Alexys, but she's SO funny. She's got tons of colourful toys. Ones that sing, and have buttons, and crunchy things, and all the fun stuff "kids like." And sometimes she really does play with these toys and enjoy them. But her favourite toy?

The toys inside her frog pod.

I think the frog pod is cute – it hangs in the bathtub and comes with little spongy toys that will be for putting on the side of the tub when she's older. I always give her a couple in the bath to play with. For whatever reason, though, she's picked her favourite as that little blue one (Can you see it in the picture? It's kind of hiding under the orange ball.). It's the most boring colour, the least brightest, and an odd shape. But she loves it. I lay all her toys out for her to play with and over and over that is the one she picks. She chews on it, drools on it, and tries to (unsuccessfully) bang it against her other toys to make noise. It's the only toy she'll reach for if it is out of her reach (she is kind of lazy in that regard). In fact, she face planted just a few minutes ago on the ground, trying to reach forward for it.

Really it's the best toy for her to lug around – it's nice and compact for the diaper bag, goes in the bath, in the crib…wherever. She won't choke on it, won't get hurt with it. I shouldn't complain. But it truly is odd how children take a liking to the strangest things. A light blue sponge. You sure know how to pick them, Alexys.

kortney elise xoxo

PS: I am having a Tupperware party on July 23^rd – you should come. Your children will surely enjoy playing with Tupperware. Let me know if you want the details. Tupperware has some really good summer sales, has a lifetime warranty, and you could just come and not even buy anything. Seriously – the lady who does it is laid back and really doesn't care if you come and don't buy anything. Bring the kids, bring some wine, and I'll provide the snacks.

Just Because

I have lots of friends that just had and/or are having babies in the next six months or so...or ones planning/trying for the near future, so I thought I'd share some thoughts that have been floating around my head. Even if you disagree I would like to have these thoughts somewhere I can refer back to for next time.

Things About Labour/Delivery I Would and/or Would Not Change:

1. I will use a midwife and not a doctor. I didn't have a horrible experience with the doctors, but I didn't have a great experience. Midwives are covered the same in BC, as a doctor, and I would still choose to give birth in the hospital. I would still give birth at Langley - I had great nurses and the OBGYN on call was fabulous. I would be sure to go over when I would like the OBGYN called in, with the midwife, prior.

2. I will have a doula. I thought this was creepy and weird, and expensive, but in doing my research now I can see how having another support person in the room would be very helpful. I love Jordon there, but he was not in his element and didn't really know what to do. Having a doula there is what I needed, I think. Hindsight is 20/20 though and I will save my money for this luxury next time.

3. I was glad I went on a hospital tour beforehand even if I thought I didn't need to. I was glad to know that there were free popsicles in the freezer and how to use the stool in the shower. I probably won't the next time, but only because I've already done it. I will still not take childbirth classes at the hospital.

4. I would labour at home longer (well, given the future child will be a 2nd and may or may not come faster...we'll have to wait and see). I think that, even though I felt like I wanted to be lying down at the hospital, that walking around and fighting through contractions that way would have been smarter and shortened my labour. I will also wait longer to go into the tub and deal without the water for longer, so that eventually getting into the water feels great.

Random Tidbits:

1. I would get a smaller stroller, the same carseat (Graco Safeseat).
2. I am glad I waited until 5 weeks to introduce a bottle and will do that again if possible, but I will be more consistent at that point, giving a bottle every other day. I am undecided on introducing formula in small bits or not.
3. I will pump right from week 1 pretty much as soon as my milk is in and all is well. I will freeze right away.
4. I would not cloth diaper right away (I can't imagine newborn poop and cloth diapering thanks!), but I will cloth diaper sooner. Like I need to get to the store and get Alexys the ones I have picked out. ASAP. I'm doing it soon, I swear :)
5. I will use the playpen top part (and not a bassinet) again in the future - I see bassinets as a waste of money when I was the playpen part. I will put the baby bedside in the playpen again from birth until about 2.5 or 3 months (again).

This might be an expanding post. Check back for updates one day :)
kortney elise xoxo

PS: New/expecting moms should check out some the links on the side there - Nursing Birth, Stand and Deliver, and At Your Cervix are some of my favourites!

Better Solution

Do you have kids? Do they watch Treehouse? Have you seen this filler that comes on in between shows? Yeah. Creepy. Creepiest thing ever. There are four different kinds of people that come on during this show, Four Square, and they are all equally creepy. One is the one I linked to – men in tights with creepy names. There is also the rap group (which consists of 3 black people and a token white girl with big teeth), the poem reader (who is Native American and makes me angry when she reads, except I can't figure out why. She has big eyes that are over-expressive – it's also creepy. Or maybe it's her large mouth. I don't know.), and there is the old lady group who sing repeat-after-me songs with some puppets. That one is the least creepiest. I definitely am most creeped out by the men in tights though. Anyways. The worst part is that Alexys is in LOVE with this show. I'm worried they're hypnotizing her or something.

She is absolutely frozen when this show comes on.

See this picture? She was mid-squirm mid-squeal when it came on. And then she froze for the entire show in this uncomfortable position.

We've actually resorted to turning this horrid show on YouTube when she has one of those teething fits that can't be stopped.

It's stops. Instantly.

And the better solution? I just fed her an entire 5 oz of water of her bottle while she watching it. And she didn't move, except to suck (what a great reflex). I don't think she even knew she was drinking, as long as I didn't block the TV. So is that the trick? All along? A newborn bottle whilst watching Four Square? What a nutcase this kid is!

kortney elise xoxo

PS: We DO limit the TV time around here, but lately she's such a busy girl, always needs to be doing something, and napping so little (generally 2 20-35 minute naps a day), that I find she needs some quiet time. Because she's still so little it's hard to give her quiet time except in front of the TV...one day it won't be like that!!! Or so we hope ;)

At Last

Today Alexys napped after
5 minutes
10 minutes
25 minutes
60 minutes
90 minutes of trying to put her down. She was exhausted. She would not sleep. Eventually I gave up and left her in her crib, ignored her and went to do something else. I realized after ten minutes she hadn't made a peep. Sure enough. She fell asleep. ON HER OWN. She was wide awake and playing when I put her down. Is this hope for the future? A glimpse? Perhaps. We'll see. It gets better though. She napped for THREE hours! She's very cheerful at the moment.

And then this might make it too good to be true, but at dinner she drank 3 ounces of juice out of a BOTTLE. Yes I know it's juice, but it's a start no? That was my plan to wean night feeds two months ago eventually – when she wakes up wanting to eat, give her a bottle of water. That plan failed, but now we'll see. I'm not trying anything tonight. We're still working on the on her own, in her bed, through the night thing. We're halfway. I feel like progress was made. We'll see if we can repeat the bottle thing tomorrow. I'm going to try and pump over the next few days and see if I can get a couple ounces to try out in the bottle.

Which bottle you ask?
Not this one.

Not this one either.

Surely not this one.

Couldn't be this one.


This one. The original one. That's right. The one we had all along. With a newborn size nipple, with an extra slow drip.

What a strange child.

I'm not holding my breath that it'll be a repeat tomorrow, but who knows. If I can get her to drink juice out of it, maybe, just maybe, there's hope for the future.
(And I know. You don't have to tell me. Juice out of a bottle isn't good. But I'll take just about anything at this point.)

kortney elise xoxo

PS: Be thankful you're not a celebrity this week – Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Jeff Goldblum and Ed McMahon died this week.

Edited to Add: Jeff Goldblum didn't die. I DO believe everything I read on Twitter.

What I Wish I Knew…

About Breastfeeding that is. This is along the lines of if I only knew then, what I know now.

First, yes. I am still breastfeeding. Did I plan to this long? Yep. Although in my head, Alexys would go back and forth between me and a bottle much easier. I think breastfeeding is an important thing to work on with your baby and if you can at all, then you should. However, I totally acknowledge that there are some cases it just can't happen. I'm also okay with the idea of formula now. I wasn't for a very long time. And that's okay. It's my opinion though. Don't argue about it here. If you don't like it, don't read it. On to the list:

• You leak. A LOT. Everyone kept telling me it would get better. It did. Slowly. I wore breast pads for the first 5 months all the time. I still have to stuff a cloth down "the other side" while she's eating, because I still leak. It really sucks, and sometimes I forget, and it's awkward. I learned quickly to keep an extra change of shirt in my diaper bag, too.
  
• You can feel the letdown happening. But not everyone can. I didn't until Alexys was like 4 months old. And I can only feel it in the other side. It's a tingling feeling, and doesn't feel anything like what the term letting down makes you think of it. It tingles like you've got pins and needles.
  
• Alexys NOW gets real pissy waiting for the letdown. I didn't know that you didn't get milk right away (well, some do…a quick let down they call it). My let down has slowed quite a bit the last few weeks, so she was to suck for a few minutes before she gets anything. And she is REAL impatient. At first I thought she didn't want to nurse anymore, but really I just have to keep at it until the milk comes. And then she's fine. It makes for an awkward showing in public these days, because she bobs on and off so many times in her impatience.
  
• Nursing lying down is easy and relaxing. I recommend it. Often. Especially during the night.
  
• That just because your hubby can't "feed the baby" doesn't mean he won't get to bond. Alexys could care less that Jordon has only given her a couple bottles in her lifetime. She LOVES her dad and she smiles the biggest for him anyways.
  
• Having jaundice (a tiny bit, not extreme amounts obviously) is normal. Your baby does not need formula to get better. You need to keep breastfeeding…that's the best solution.
  
• Cluster feeding was hard! Alexys did that a lot when she was younger…not anymore except when it's hot, so much. It takes a lot out of you to nurse over and over for hours in a row. It'll get better. Enjoy those times instead of wondering when they will end.
  
• That breastfeeding is not necessarily "easier" than bottles in the beginning. It's hard work. But eventually it's way easier, faster, and always ready. And cheap!
  
• Milk sprays. A LOT. Far. If the babe pulls off while drinking it will spray them in the face. The best solution is get them to latch on again, and drink some more. It'll stop once you're a little emptier.
  
• Engorgement hurts. Still. And in the beginning. Your breasts look similar to what I would imagine implants look like. Sometimes you have to express a little milk before the baby can latch on enough to drink. If you're too full they will have trouble drinking.
  
• Having formula is okay. I had a really hard time with guilt, and in the beginning that is why I chose to BF. I was so determined that my child wouldn't have formula that now I'm stuck. It's kinda a win-lose situation. I have no choice but to BF her now, because she doesn't like bottles or formula, but at the same time it's the best thing for her. Would I do things the same? Nope. I'll definitely do a lot of pumping and freezing right away, and maintain bottles every day! I introduced them at the right stage, but didn't maintain their use enough for Alexys to like them!
  

I'm sure there's more, but those are some things that have been wondering around my head as of late.
Off to bed.
kortney elise xoxo

PS: I am over Jon and Kate. I am giving them up and won't watch them anymore. That's my entire opinion and the subject and I won't give them the publicity they want by speaking of it anymore. Yes, I watched the episode tonight, and yes, that contributed to the problem, but I'm done. Officially.

Why I Wish I Was a Vampire

I finished Twilight last night (the 3^rd one actually, Eclipse), and I've decided that I wish I were a vampire* for the following reasons:

• I wouldn't have to sleep.
  
• I wouldn't have to eat (regular food, anyways…and not three times a day).
  
• My pale skin would be beautiful. Captivating anyways.
  
• I would never be hot, because my skin would be cold.
  

There are various other reasons I would NOT want to be a vampire, but I thought I'd share that I've enjoyed the well-written, teeny-bopperish books thus far. They make my imagination work to create what I'm reading in my head and I like that.

I'm not going to be at ease until I get my hands on the fourth book, so I better borrow it from someone this weekend.

kortney elise xoxo

*I know vampires don't exist. I'm just saying if they did, as they exist in the book, then this is why I would want to be one.

3 in a row...

This no expectations thing is working. Alexys slept 12 hours last night, waking just once for a feed, and once for her soother. AND she was in bed by 8:30. She still fell asleep in front of the television, but we'll work on that. Later.

My plan today is to go to Courtenay's house to visit for a while (if she's home...I haven't called her yet), get the papercutter, start Jackie's wedding invitations, finish the 3rd Twilight book, and do more schoolwork. I'm presently 18 percent done the section that needs to be done October 24th - it's a big section and I'm no where near perfect, but practice makes perfect.

Not much else to blog about really. I've been thinking about having a contest and prying you stalkers into commenting...we'll see. Alexys is napping (!), I'm going to shower.

Oh, and we're buying Alexys a new carseat this weekend. Need a carseat? Need some information? Check out Kirsten's blog because she's the carseat queen. It helped me :)

kortney elise xoxo

2 in a row!!!

2 decent nights in a row - no expectations for tonight. 21 days to form a habit right?

Alexys slept in her own bed again from 10:45 until 6:15 without waking, not even for her soother. She ate, and went back down again until 8:30. 10:45 is not an ideal bedtime, but I'll work on that part after. It does suck a little having no 'me time' all day, but I function much better with sleep, so I suppose it's alright. She's also napped well the past two days.

The downside is her chosen method of sleep. She moved past rocking to sleep, has never nursed to sleep, won't swaddle to sleep, and she won't even let me hold down her arms and legs anymore. She falls asleep in her chair in front of the television, and we carry her to bed after. That's gotta stop, but every time we put her in her bed she rolls over and over until she's stuck in a corner and mad. We'll work on this once we get a few more decent nights in.

She's really sitting up well on her own now, and enjoying it (even if mom still puts pillows all around...just in case!) - it allows a lot more freedom to "play" in a new position, so that makes her more content. I had a couple friends tell me these next few months get a little easier, as she learns to play and sit and crawl - more work in some ways, but better at the same time. I find it hard to keep Alexys entertained now. She wants to constantly be playing and doing something, but she gets bored so quickly still - we rotate between JJ, playmat, ExerSaucer, and sitting. I spend time with her playing on the ground, but I can't wait until she plays even more with toys. I know she'll be happier. I think that this is the hardest age yet - at least newborns want either food, sleep, or cuddles. With this age, you never know what they want, and they need to be entertained.

Anyways, off to bathe my sweet, sweet girl.
kortney elise xoxo

This and That

Well, we had a good night. Not perfect by any means, but I'll take it. If we can have a couple weeks of last night all over again, I'll be very happy. But I'm really trying to take my mama's advice, and "have no expectations," because then anything progress is good progress. Alexys even let me sleep till 10 this morning (!)...guess she was tired after being up from 5:30am to 10:45pm yesterday, with just two (2!) twenty minute naps. Monkey. Here's hoping we can get our schedule back on track a little better.

In other news, Alexys drank about 2 oz of formula yesterday - cold and in a "big girl" cup - like the glass you and I would drink out of. She think she's 6 years, not 6 months, but oh well. I don't want to switch exclusively to formula yet, but a little bit everyday would help me out a lot. I like nursing, and enjoy my time with Alexys while it's happening. I'm not taking that away yet! Even if she doesn't want a sippy cup. I guess we'll just have to worry about taking away a soother, and not a sippy cup or bottle when she's older. LOL.

I also wanted to share a the picture of my fabulous new scrapbooking corner. I'm not a hardcore scrapbooker by any means, but I enjoy basic scrapbooking - the momentos (tickets, etc) and pictures on fancy paper, with some fancy letters in an album. This makes everything much more accessible than how I had it, and it's in such a corner that once Alexys is moving around I'll be able to block it off...how it was before would have been disastrous with a crawler. It makes me really excited to have everything neat and tidy - I've been trying to do 2 pages a day to finish my wedding (yes, wedding) album...and then move on to Alexys. I'm also slowly working on a pregnancy album. Perhaps I'll develop those photos today!!!

Anyways, isn't it beautiful?


kortney elise xoxo

Cutest Monster Ever

I give up. On sleep training, on the whole bit. I think we'll leave it alone for awhile, and I'll just follow what Alexys needs. She's been eating at night lately again, which she hadn't done for a while and she's taking a full meal (sometimes even both sides), so I know it's not just a comfort thing or whatever. I know at her age and weight she is capable of not eating at night, but I'm going to wait a while and then we'll see. She's doing the anxiety/separation thing at night, I think, and I need to give in right now. At night she has been crying a scared cry, and is comforted when I hold her hand. I'll give her a month or so of her leading, and see where that takes me. I've been comforted by my mom's reminding me of how Antonio was when he was little (read hellion), and I think Alexys is very much like Antonio…in both good and bad ways. I can recite nearly every episode of Barney from that era, because that's how Antonio fell asleep every night. EVERY night.

In other news:

• I am enjoying my practicum for school, but it is hard, and I can only do it when Alexys is sleeping and I can concentrate.
  
• Alexys can sit for very long periods of time now and play. It makes her very happy. She's somewhat close to sitting up on her own, and if she can grab something she pulls herself up. Needless to say, we're lowering her crib this weekend, because I don't want any accidents.
  
• Alexys could give Houdini a run for his money. We've tried various ways of swaddling, pretty much anything but duct taping her arms and legs to the bed, and she can get out of anything. She views swaddling as a challenge, not a comfort thing. I know it would work if she would just calm down enough to enjoy it. Oh well.
  
• My bedroom is finally clean, save for the books on the floor – awaiting a bookshelf (still). I got rid of all the hand-me-downs, donations, tubs, etc. I'm thankful for that. It looks very bare now though, as though it is awaiting a bigger bed. We're desperately hoping that my dad is going to get a new bed, and donate his (king-size) bed to us. A double is NOT cutting it. Especially in the summer months. I can't share a bed with Jord because I get too hot. Bleck..
  
• I made cinnamon buns successfully. They're really good but take a freakin' long time to make. Lame. I even used half whole wheat flour to add a little "healthy" side. Psh.
  
• Alexys is giggling more, and I love it. I put up a link to her YouTube videos. I've been trying to add more and more.
  
• I'm starting Jackie's wedding invitations today. Go team.
  

kortney elise xoxo

Not Me Monday

Here we are again, Monday all over, and I'm back to telling you about things I didn't do. Would you like to get something off your chest? Something you didn't do this week? Share it in the comments or write your own "Not Me" post. If you choose to post your own Not Me, head over to Mckmama's blog, My Charming Kids – after all, she's the creator of this blog carnival and she deserves all the credit.

This week I most certainly did not have a repeat of the laundry disaster mentioned here. I learned my lesson that time. I didn't wash the same clothes three times, after leaving them in the washing machine for days on end. I didn't proceed to put them in the dryer after the last time, and realize they still stink, that I'll have to separate them into smaller loads, and rewash again. Seriously. That's disgusting, and such a waste of water. Said clothes are not sitting on my floor in a pile, and the washing machine isn't empty while I write this post. Nope, not mine!

I did not give up and buy the third book, Eclipse, in the Twilight series, because my mother-in-law did not get me addicted to them while I was in Alberta. Not me. When do I have the time to read a 600+ page book in my life? I won't be avoiding schoolwork when I sit down to read it, that's for sure.

I did not sign up to complete my judging courses and workbook in the skating realm. What a dumb idea that would be. After all, I already skate on a team and have my own schoolwork to finish. I didn't make this decision without consulting anyone either – after all, it couldn't prove to be a big commitment if I go through with it. Nope, not me. I didn't decide, definitively, that I would rather be a judge than a coach long-term. I don't get my workbook, etc. in the mail in the next couple weeks, and need to finish it by the end of August in order to judge this year. Not me. Oh, and it's also not dependent on whether or not Alexys takes a bottle (or sippy cup or something to that effect) by mid-to-late August. Nope.

Alexys was not wearing the same outfit as another little girl in her play class today. I wasn't embarrassed that with a very full closet of clothes that she would be caught dead in something the same as another girl. Not me. After all, that's a little vain.

Alexys also did not sit and fully watch Beauty and the Beast today while I did my school work. I don't ever let my television babysit my kid in order to get things done. Not me.

I am not dreading that my husband is on his way home from work as we speak, and not going to the gym, because he's "not feeling well." I can't wait to baby him, soothe him, and make him feel better. I can't wait to hear his complaints…I can't wait for him to be home to spend quality time with a sick husband. After all, I am a loving wife and always take pity on my poor husband after working all day. Always.

What didn't you do this week?
kortney elise xoxo

Save Labels, Save Lives

I didn't notice when I was posting, but that last post was number 500. Holy schmoly! Anyways.

I wanted to share something with you about Heinz (jarred) baby food. I still make about 1/2 my baby food, but really need to get my daring and experimental with mixtures and what not. I will be looking on my favourite site soon, and getting around to it. I swear. But when there isn't homemade baby mush being served, I use Heinz or Gerber (and never Nestle cuz I don't like them) jarred food (or sometimes Walmart brand...there's is actually really good...I just never seem to get to Walmart at the time I need baby food). And I'm going to especially try and stick to Heinz for now because of the program they have with their labels, called Save Labels, Save Lives. It's simple - for every label you send into your local "Miracle Foundation" area hospital, Heinz will donate money to them. In BC it is Children's. The other ones for other provinces are on the website. Anyways, all you have to do is send in your labels to the address below, and they'll donate!

British Columbia's Children's Hospital Foundation
B321 - 4480 Oak St.
Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4

Oh, and in thinking about Children's Hospital, remember when I posted about my friend Paige's daughter, Lauren? Unfortunately, Lauren is still in the ICU at Children's - she's just over 7 weeks old now. They're still not sure what is exactly wrong with her, except that she has a metabolic disease (meaning that it's genetic basically), and she is still semi-sedated, whilst trying to find a medication that works for her to control the seizures she's had. Please keep praying for her as you think about this. I'll be sending in my labels in honour of Lauren!!!

kortney elise xoxo

Another One

We had another one of those nights last night. Alexys went to bed around 8:30, nearly back on schedule; she needed less attention at bedtime, but I still needed to hold down her arms and legs, or else she flails like the wild child she is! It was fine, till 12. When she woke up. And stayed up till 2:45. I tried crying it out. Officially like the book from 12:30 till 2:30. She screeched. And yelled. And screamed. And cried. And then I heard the neighbors upstairs on the deck, as though casually in conversation on their deck at 2:30 in the morning, loudly "talk" and say: "That poor mom. I wish her baby would stop crying."

I nursed Alexys back to sleep after that. She still didn't fall asleep from that, and I pinned her arms and legs down again. She fell asleep not long after, but slept horrible all night long. I'd know, because she slept in the same bed as me. She woke up to nurse again at 5. And 8. Hopefully tonight is better. She's quietly in her crib awake right now, so we'll see.

kortney elise xoxo

PS: She sure is cute. She got her 6 month shots on Friday, and cried for approximately 6 seconds, and then was fine the whole day. What a relief!
PPS: She LOVES to read. And hold the book. It's adorable.

Better Day

Today was a better day. Including last night. Phew. I guess the post from the day before was overreacting, but what can you do? That's how I was feeling at that moment, and it helped to get it off my chest. I really appreciated the comments and emails I got though – maybe my unconscious mind was telling me to post my rant, so that I could hear the encouragement from my readers. So thanks.

Alexys napped today for 2.5 hours this afternoon, and even had a 30 minute nap this morning, too. It was just what I needed and I accomplished a lot during that time. Actually, by the end of her long nap, I checked on her so much I woke her up, I think. Oops. I didn't mean to, it was just out of the ordinary for her, and I found myself lost by the end (even though I still had much to accomplish). I made dinner, folded laundry, did schoolwork. It was perfect.

Last night Alexys slept from 9:30 until 7:30. She went down in her own bed, and woke up at 1:45 – she took her soother until 3. I brought her in my own bed then, and she fell asleep without feeding. She woke up to eat at 5am, and then up at 7:30 for the day. I was really feeling guilty about having Alexys in my bed, but through encouragement, especially from people I didn't expect it from, I realize that it's okay for now. I don't want her in my own bed forever, nor do I want her to start her night there, or nap anywhere but her crib (mostly), but it is okay for now. She sleeps better, I sleep better. I think it's a good situation. She'll end up in her own bed eventually. Even the doctor today reassured me that it's a phase that a lot of babies go through. I never thought I'd participate in "co-sleeping", but as my BFF put it tonight, "You never know what you're going to be like until it's 3am and you're exhausted." True story.

Alexys went down mostly on her own tonight. I was still in her room a bit, and helped her settle more than I used to have to, but I didn't have to rock her to sleep tonight. That was encouraging for me too. I'll pull out the couch before I go to bed, just in case, but I will sleep in my own bed as long as possible.

EFF. I just wrote the longest post about the rest of everything. But it lost it all.
Therefore, all I will say is my doctor is a moron, but Alexys is healthy and 97^th percentile for height and 75^th for weight. She's a daddy's girl.

kortney elise xoxo

I Get It

I'm home now, and will share Alberta adventures another time, maybe. For now, I have something else on my heart. I feel like I should share about Alexys and her sleeping patterns these days, because I know there are others out there struggling. I've done my research and reading of other blogs this morning, and there aren't too many that share about the struggles of sleeping (believe it or not). Perhaps everyone needs to pretend that their kid sleeps through the night, and if blogging about the times they don't means that they fail, well…whatever. That sentence didn't make sense. I've been encouraged by reading this friend's struggles (can I say friend? More like friend of a friend? Friend of a friend of a friend? Fellow blogger. Whatever. It's the blog world, deal with it). Anyways. Here's my struggle.

Alexys was an angel baby when she was born – the kind that slept for long stretches at night, no problem. She hit her milestones early, had no trouble with anything. She's still hitting her milestones (and most early…except for that tooth. She's literally been teething since she was 8 weeks old, and nothing!!), but all of a sudden her sleep has regressed like no other. Call it whatever you want – 6 month sleep regression, 26 week growth spurt – but it sucks, whatever it is. She was doing so good at night, and I was getting so excited. I know I shouldn't, but it's the one question everyone asks. Normal conversations often go like this:

"Awww, she's so cute, how old is she?"

"Thanks, she's almost 6 months!"

"Wow! Congrats. So, is she sleeping through the night?"

It's one of those questions – you know, when you get married, it's when are you having kids. When you have one kid, it's when are you having another. That question fits in. Anyways. I usually say yes in response to that question. I wasn't lying before, but now I am. Why? Because people stare and seem to think you're a failure if your baby isn't sleeping through the night. In fact, I feel like a failure. I feel like I'm doing something terribly, terribly wrong. I feel like I'm a bad mom, and that the only thing that matters is whether or not my baby sleeps through the night. It's a frustrating thing. This is an incoherent, babbling post, but that's what my brain feels like at this moment.

Anyways. I've never had a problem with Alexys getting up at night. As long as I go to bed with the expectation that I'll be getting up. When I start thinking I'll be able to sleep all night, that's when the trouble starts. That's where the trouble was last night. I thought that being home in her own bed would help Alexys sleep all night. Or a good portion. It didn't.

She was wide awake from approximately 2am until 3:45am. I don't mean, like a little awake. I mean, full-on smiling, giggling and wanting to play awake. Even after I fed her. Even after I rocked her. Put her in her swing. Put her in her carseat. Put her on her tummy. Her back. Her side. Even after I lied her on the floor. Even after I gave her soother. Her sippy cup. More milk. Even after anything my incoherent 3am brain could think of. I say this with a grain of salt, so please don't take this the wrong way, but for about 1 minute I got how someone could shake their baby. I want to yell at her to go to bed. I just wanted her to get it. And then I snuggled her close, and remembered she doesn't get it. Why should she sleep through the night? I don't even sleep through the night. I get up at night to have a drink of water. I get up to pee. So does Alexys. She just can't do it by herself yet, and unfortunately then, it's on my schedule.

I'm doing everything "right" according to all the books I've read. Everything except her soother. We tried taking that away last night too. But I can't let my baby cry it out. She doesn't cry when I take it away. She screeches. Like actual temper tantrum screams. And I don't think that my neighbors appreciate that so much when everyone's windows are open in the summertime.

I was reminded of a book my friend Aimee had wrote in regards to her daughter long ago (well, sometime ago). I've ordered that same book and will see. I think that's Alexys. I think she's "More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, Energetic." I did my research and sure enough, I really think Alexys fits into this category. We'll see. If this is the case, I need a new approach.

This post has been all over the place and not quite how I envisioned it. But oh well. Such is life.

kortney elise xoxo

Please Pray!!!

This is a picture of me and my BFF Anne (please ignore my apparently see-through shirt) - we met at CLBI, and are as different as can be. And yet, we're SO the same. It's funny how things like that work.

Anyways, I just want to get this posted so that you can pray (and I know you're out there...I've had over 13,000 visitors in just over a month!!!)...so please pray.

Anne is having brain surgery today...she'll be okay in the end, it's a common surgery...but please pray. Pray for the doctor's hands to work well, that they won't get tired. Pray for healing to come from this surgery. Pray for Anne's anxiety and fears. Just pray it overall goes well. The surgery started at 7:30am (Edmonton time) this morning, and is 7 (SEVEN!) hours long.

I love her dearly. I'll post some more details later on.
kortney elise xoxo

Edited to Add:
Through Anne's roommate we've received word that Anne is doing really well!!! Surgery went well, and lasted the seven hours, as expected. She is in the Neurology ICU for now and will be home in five to seven days. She's responding to all the regular questions (like what's your name and where are you) with the correct answers, and even with a bit of typical Anne "attitude." The "growth" in her brain doesn't seem to be a tumor, but I believe it was removed, whatever it was. Keep praying for her recovery, and that her scan in the morning is how it is supposed to look (whatever that might be!). Pray Anne can get some rest too - nurses checking on you every little while is no fun!!!

Edited Again (thanks to Anne's roommate, Jan): "Anne is one day post surgery. She still has a really bad headache and is not happy with the pain meds. She had one of her IV's taken out and they are trying to start getting her to sit up. She is not really up to having visitors yet but thanks for the prayers and well wishes. She is really hoping tomorrow is better with less pain."

Frugality 201.1

If you go to Safeway today (June 2nd) and use need diapers, here's a deal for you:

http://f.chtah.com/i/0/2068055018/emaildirect_22_2009.pdf

Click there and you get a 100 airmile coupon. First Tuesday of every month is also 10% or 10 times the airmiles (but I'm not sure if it applies to coupons...if that's the case, take the airmiles...that's 1000 airmiles, and that's a LOT!).

That's all.
kortney elise xoxo

(PS: It's 12:10 and I'm blogging because I'm too freaking hot to sleep!)

Not Me!

I have not gotten mad at my sweet, sweet little girl multiple times this week because of her teething. What kind of mom gets mad at a nearly-6-month-old baby? A cute, fat baby at that. Not me, that's who. I certainly didn't call up her Auntie Courtenay (who doesn't blog and probably should because her kids are hilarious), and tell her I was going to dropkick my child across the room. Not me. How horrible does that sound? (Just for the record, I obviously don't yell or really get mad at my child…nor would I ever dropkick her. Instead I just put her in her ExerSaucer and ignore her for five minutes).

I most certainly have not given in to my sweet girl's teething at night (the results of which cause said girl to wake up every other hour, as though she's 2 days old)…and in the end pull out the spare bed, put her on there with me and fall asleep. Not me. I'm a firm believer in sleep training and doing something like snuggling with her all night, simply so I could get some shut eye, is something I would never do. Not me! I'm patient and loving, especially at 2am
3am
4am 5am, and always take time to teach my kid how to go to sleep on her own.

I'm not avoiding schoolwork by posting this Not Me – not me! I'm a dedicated student.

I didn't laugh at Alexys yesterday when she sobbed at Auntie Gina once
twice three times! We're not sure why but Alexys BURSTS into tears…the sobbing, screaming, tantrum type tears…every time she looks at Auntie G. It's hilarious. I mean, I didn't laugh at my screaming daughter, and obviously soothed her, instead of laughing.

I'm sure there's a million more but it's a start right? Maybe this post will evolve throughout the day. Guess you'll have to keep checking to see. Have your own not me's? Either post them in the comments, or else post your very own edition on your blog and link up to MckMama at My Charming Kids – after all, she's the creator of this blog carnival! Don't get it? Click over there and figure it out!!!

kortney elise xoxo

Not Me’s Coming…

But first, a list. These lists are more for me, less for you – I thought instead of just making them by hand and/or typing them and saving them to the desktop, I'd publish them. I look at my blog more frequently than publishing something to my desktop from Word. Trust me.

Cleaning List:

• Dust…everything and anything I can find
  
• Laundry – there's only three loads left, but I have a LOT to fold and put away.
  
• Vacuum
  
• Put away Tupperware and re-organize drawer…again (this includes putting Mom's stuff aside and giving it back).
  
• Organize my closet – it's driving me nuts!
  
  

Dad's List:

• Shelves above computer
  
• Oil Alexys' door
  
• Put up Alexys' pictures/letters/etc.
  
• Pick up shelf at Ikea
  
• Square things on wall need to be fixed/attached better
  

Scrapbooking List:

• First things first – decide on photos and print!
  
• Finish wedding pages ASAP…at least do pre-wedding stuff like NOW!
  
• Engagement pages
  
• Maternity album (I stole this idea from Courtenay…I wasn't sure how to do preggo pictures, etc, but I have a plan now!).
  
• Alexys' album.
  

Other List:

• Put away those darned hangers that have been sitting on the floor for days
  weeks a month.
  
• Put maternity clothes downstairs into storage (yes, I said maternity, and yes, my daughter is nearly 6 months old!)
  
• Put away the box of books I'm storing downstairs.
  
• Take pictures of all the clothes I'm selling and list them on Craigs' List.
  
• Make list for Alberta, and pack. Sigh. I hate packing for Alexys. I always over pack, but am so afraid to under pack.
  
• Check weight limit on Alexys' swing.
  
• List baby tub on Craigs' List.
  
• Replace photos in skating frame with the ones that are already printed with Alexys' new photos!
  
• Decide on something to go where the swing is, and save up for it…so that once the swing is gone, we'll have something to put there.
  
• Organize DVD shelf
  
• Organize "Craft" shelf…actually, I need to figure out how to organize the crafts – I think I'll put them on the shelf Dad is going to put up.
  
• Paper stuff in corner building up again!
  
• Reorganize Alexys' clothes – go through 12 month stuff (sigh, yep…12 months stuff!). She's out of her six month sleepers now (well footed ones, anyways).
  

These are my things to do. I'm going to do them. Most of them, I hope, before we leave on Friday to visit the in-laws to celebrate Jord's grandparents' 50^th Wedding Anniversary. We'll see how they go. It's an evolving list and I'll probably add and delete as we go. You'll see. Or not, I don't care.

kortney elise xoxo