11 months down...

... 2 weeks and counting until we hit the big 0-1 and there's so much to do before it gets here.

This past weekend really made me realize exactly how much stuff we have to actually get ready and prepared for her upcoming birthday party, and yeah, it's got me in a little bit of a panic. But have no fear -- I have been known to perform my best under pressure, so rest assured, Samantha's party will be spectacular!

Like just today Chris went out to price banquet tables, and we drew a map of our backyard to figure out the placement of said tables, nd I'm starting to work through the menu and decor, and I'm not going to lie, but Pinterest has been giving me some fantastic ideas. And with 50+ people coming, and this being the largest gathering we'll have had at our house to date, I better make sure I have my shit together.

And yes, I do remember that this is for Samma, and everything I am doing, I'm doing with Sam in mind, but that doesn't mean I can't do it up right, right? Right.

That being said, there's much still to do, which means much still to talk about in the next couple of weeks, so stayed tuned!

1st Birthday ideas

The Date: Saturday, September 17, 2011

The Place: Our house, in Braintree MA

The Time: 1pm

The Theme: I think I'm gonna have to go with Cupcakes for this one...

The Menu: Something grilled, something smoked, all awesome

The Cake: Nikki is going to help with this one, so I think we might have a small decorated "smash" cake to hold the candles and allow Sam to destroy, and then there will be supplemental cupcakes for the guests.

The Presents: Samma's WishList

The Ensemble: Something Carter's -like, I think. I already have a Birthday onesie that would be cute with jeans and that damn tutu for her 1-year pics, so maybe we'll wear those at the party... other than that I have no idea.

The Guest List: Created, the FB Event has been established, and invitations have been bought. Family and friends no so much on FB should expect them after this weekend!

More to come! :D

I have done it...

I may have bought Samantha a tutu....

... and a headband.

Now all I need are the pearls... -_-;;;

Guess who's 10 months old!

And a chunkah to boot! Within the last month, she's almost gained a whole pound, now weighing in at 19 lbs, 12oz! Growing girl... and here I was worried about her eating habits.

Nothing TOO dramatic has happened in the last month. Still crawling, still pulling up to standing, still cruising. She wants to walk SO bad, you can just tell by teh way she reaches for things while she's standing. Soon, little girl... soon enough.

Samma has been getting my nerves and axiety up lately, that's for sure... over the last weekend or so she's been starting to do this head-bobbing thing similar to a nod when you're drifting off to sleep mixed with the spasm you might do if you have a shiver going down your spine. Honestly, it's really been freaking me out, and after she did it multiple times the other night, I finally decided to bring her to the pediatrician's office yesterday to have the doctor look her over to see if there was anything glaringly wrong. Well, she made me feel like a fool because according to the doctor, developmentally and behaviorally she is beyond where she should be, and her reflexes and reactions as exactly what they should be. Of course, she reassured me that I wasn't in the wrong for being concerned, because she remembered hows he was when her daughter was Sami's aged, and she even thought for a while she was having seizures. Yeah, seriously. But she also said it wasn't abnomal for ticks to occur while they're growing, and there's a possibility she could be doing it voluntary as she learns what her body can now do. So she told me to keep an eye on her, monitor when it happens, and what's going on when it happens, and try to get it on video, and then we have a follow-up on Monday to see how things are. My sister and I both saw it happen last night, and after a bit of research via Google (sometimes not the best thing, I know) and what we found was that it seems like babies similar in age to Sam have done the same thing across the board, and that it goes away as quick as it began... so I'm hopeful this is just a thing, and not something more serious...

So other than feeding anxieties, that's about it. We went away for not just one night, but TWO nights last weekend, and we entered Sami into a Diaper Derby race.... she came in second place, along with all the other babies who didn't move, but hey, the effort was there, and it was fun!

Up next? First birthday plans!!!

Feeding Habits

With Samma now 10 months and close to walking, her feeding schedule and what she's been eating has been on my mind a lot, so please allow me to take a moment to air out my thoughts more than write an actual blog post worthy of publishing.

As of right now, food-wise, this is how her day looks:

• 5-6am: 6 oz bottle of formula
• 7am: 2 tbsp cereal with 1/2 jar (about 3oz) of Gerber 3rd Foods fruit
• 9:30-10am: 6 oz bottle of formula
• 12pm: 1/2 jar (about 3oz) of some sort of Gerber 3rd Foods veggie or pasta
• 2pm: 6 oz bottle of formula
• 3:30-4pm: yogurt or puffs
• 5:30pm: 2 tbsps cereal with 1/2 jar (about 3oz) of Gerber 3rd Foods veggie or meat/veggie combo
• 6:30-7pm: 4 oz bottle of formula
• (Water is has with every meal)

And this is what BabyCenter.com says I should be feeding my 10-month-old:

What to feed

• -Breast milk or formula PLUS
• -Soft pasteurized cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese (but no cows' milk until age 1)
• -Iron-fortified cereals (rice, barley, wheat, oats, mixed cereals)
• -Fruit cut into cubes or strips, or mashed
• -Bite-size, soft-cooked vegetables (peas, carrots)
• -Combo foods (macaroni and cheese, casseroles)
• -Protein (egg; pureed or finely ground meats, poultry, and boneless fish; tofu; well-cooked and mashed beans)
• -Finger foods (lightly toasted bread or bagels, small pieces of ripe banana, spiral pasta, teething crackers, low-sugar O-shaped cereal)

How much per day

• 1/3 cup dairy (or 1/2 oz. cheese)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup iron-fortified cereal
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup fruit
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetables
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup combo foods
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup protein foods

So, long story short, I don't think it's the amount we're feeding her that I need to worry about... it's the actually getting her to eat real human food that's the issue. And it's not her wanting to eat that's the issue... this is 100% on my shoulders.

I am terrified.

What if I don't give her the right thing? What if I don't cook it enough, or cut it up small enough? What if she then chokes? Or worse???

And here's where my anxiety steps in.

I'm just glad Chris has a stabler and sturdier head on his shoulders, because I don't know what I'd be doing without him. Yes, clearly and obviously, she can't stay on Gerber foods forever... and we have been giving her whole foods like bananas, bread, pancakes, and potatoes when we have them, but to get her on par with us and what we eat is the hard part.

We both work, and we both have different hours, so when I get home with Sam in the afternoon, it's a good 2 hours or so before Chris gets home to make dinner, and then by that time Sam is usually ready for or in bed.

So what does it all mean? It means I need to get my shit together and start prepping food. Easier said than done, yet again, as I hardly plan ahead for my own meals... and I'm sure by now plenty of you are out there saying "well, if you have a kid, that should be your top priority -- make time -- blahblahblah" and I know, I know... trust me, Samma is my #1 priority, and believe you me, she is NOT starving (the little chunkah gained almost a pound in the last month!), so that's why I think I need to start focusing on the WHAT and now the HOW MUCH.

We're going to take this weekend to work on it I think.... I hope...