Happy Half-Birthday, Miss K!!

It's hard to believe that 6 months ago today my world changed forever!  At 1:38 AM on Christmas morning I received the best gift ever- my so sweet and adorable Miss K!  For the last ten years, I didn't think it was possible to love anyone more than I love Big Poppa, or even love him anymore- Miss K has proven me wrong on both.  Every day I find myself wondering how on Earth I could ever love anyone or anything more than I love my little girl.  I've always dreamed big and pushed myself to be the best I can be- student, wife, teacher, friend, daughter, etc.  A lot of my self worth and who I am has come from knowing that I have hopefully contributed to and made a difference in those people that I have been associated with in the various facets in this game of life.  And while I am still that same person driven to succeed, my focus for success has changed.  I will always strive to be the best of those listed earlier, but now I have a much more important role to succeed in.  That of being Miss K's Mommy.  I can only hope to be a tenth of the mother that my mom has been to me, and I pray everyday that Miss K knows just how much I love her.  There are no words that can describe a mother's love and I only hope that one day Miss K feels that kind of love herself.  I think only when a woman becomes a mother does she truly realize how much her mother loves her.  So to my wonderful and sweet baby girl, Happy half-birthday!!  I love you more than you will ever know! 

Happy Birthday, Miss K!

One month

Two months

Three months

Four months

Five months

Six months

Big Momma!!

So I just recently ordered a gazillion prints from my Shutterfly account that go all the way back to the beginning of my pregnancy.  I know, I know... slacker mommy is in the house.  Anyways, we took pictures every 4 weeks or so of my belly throughout the pregnancy but I stopped at 36 weeks.  Even then, I only took one because my sister wouldn't quit bugging me about seeing the belly (love ya M!).   By that point, I was pretty much over being pregnant.  Don't get me wrong, I probably had the easiest pregnancy known to mankind- no morning sickness, hormones relatively in check, only gained 27 pounds, and all that jazz.  But I remember around week 37 or so being so uncomfortable and calling my mom on the way home from school and crying that I just wanted to not be pregnant anymore!  I prefaced the comment with how bad I felt even thinking that, more the less saying it.  I know that there are plenty of women who would give their right arm just to be able to get pregnant and trust me, I can empathize on a certain level.  We struggled for 2 years, through a miscarriage, and Clomid before being blessed with Miss K.  But I think at some point, every pregnant woman hits the "this rodeo ain't fun anymore" wall!!  Looking back, no wonder I was miserable...I was ginormous!  I knew I waddled instead of walked, and I knew I had a big belly; but when you look in the mirror, you still don't see it from a third person perspective.  Until you see it in a picture.  I didn't know until recently that Big Poppa took a picture of me (from the side) the morning we checked in to the hospital (Christmas Eve morning) to be induced.  Holy baby, Batman!  I was freakin' huge!!!  I am SO glad that I was unaware at how big I really was those last few days because I was already a raving lunatic.  Being 8 days overdue before they finally have room to bring you in will do that to a person.  In crazy snow.  During the holidays.  Carrying a very large baby.  I can't believe that all this was almost 6 months ago. 

                                            Do you see where my legs are in relation to my belly?!!

                                                                          (and yes, that IS a maternity shirt!)

This would be why I was so huge!!  9lbs 2oz and 22 inches, and absolutely beautiful!

Water Baby

Given that Atlanta is already miserably hot, the D's have taken to the pool!  Miss K had her first pool adventure Memorial weekend and has been in the pool almost every day since then.  We only go for maybe an hour at a time, and always in full sunscreen, sunglasses, and hat (Miss K, not mommy)!  She is becoming quite the water bug.  I figured she would be all about the pool since bath time has always been one of her favorite times!  She loves to kick and splash and when Big Poppa or I bounce her in the water.  I've looked into signing us up for some Mommy and Me swim classes once we get settled, and the neighborhood pool at Casa de D is superb!  Here's two glimpses of the adorable Miss K at pool time...

Mi Casa es Su Casa...almost

HALLELUJAH!!!  We are officially under contract on our home!  Our final offer was accepted and now we are moving on phase 2 of replanting our roots.  Inspections are this week and as long as everything goes well we are clear to close.  We know there will be a few things needing attention and/or fixed since the house is a foreclosure that has been vacant since October.  But it is in a great neighborhood, on a cul-de-sac, and was well taken care of so hopefully the all the fixes are minor and not deal breakers!

It's a huge house- 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.  We will be able to stay in this house as long as we are in Atlanta and not have to worry about outgrowing it.  It also has an unfinished basement that we will finish over the next year!  I will keep everyone posted as we progress.  Here are a few pictures of the future Casa de D.  Keep your fingers crossed that it all works out!!

Casa de D

We LOVE the screened in porch...ceiling fan and all!! 

   Big Poppa's favorite part of the house 

              

My favorite part of the house

Teething Beauty

So much going on the D household these days!  We put in an offer on a house about a week ago and have been negotiating back and forth since then.  Hopefully we will have a final answer sometime today -I am SOOO ready to be have my furniture and things back and just get settled.  I think I can speak for the rest of the family, including the dogs.

Miss K is growing like a weed!  She is becoming such a big girl, it makes me sad.  We started solids about 2 weeks ago and so far she's a fan of peas, squash, and sweet potato.  Avocados, not so much.  HATES cereal.  Green beans are on the menu next week to try! 

I know I posted a while back that Miss K was cutting her first tooth.  Honestly, I would have never known that she was cutting a tooth.  I was just feeling her gums one day and felt it poking through.  None of the real obvious signs that you read about- a little drooling and some ear batting but that's it.  Since then, the tooth is in and visible!  It's so cute  :)

However, my sweet Miss K has disappeared.  She is now Teething Monster Beauty.  We have a second tooth coming in right next to the first one and I think it's made of Kryptonite.  We are in full on nasty mode.  Bless her heart, I know it has to hurt and Tylenol isn't helping.  Today we are going to buy every teething remedy out there in hopes to find a winner.  Wish me luck.  Between this and still no "me" time or running, I'm turning into a monster myself.  I tried to go get that much needed mani/pedi last week with Miss K in tow.  Just one word.  Hu-freakin-larious.  And not in a good way.  There was nothing relaxing about the experience listening to Miss K scream and the poor nail people clucking and talking to her in Vietnamese all the while trying to paint said nails and toes Dutch Tulips.  What stinks is she was an angel the first 10 minutes, just long enough for me to quasi-relax.  Sigh.  And to top it off?  I completely jacked up my thumb while trying to load her into the car, still screaming.   Did I go back in to have it fixed?  Nope, accepted defeat and drove home. 

I promise to have two other posts done this weekend, but right now I need to go tame the monster!  Any suggestions from other mommies on teething wonders would be much appreciated!  :)