Happy Campers

For those of you that know Kurt and I, you know that camping is our passion. We bought our first tent just months into our relationship, our first pop-up camper the year we were engaged, and we purchased our travel trailer on the day that Mary was born. We. love. camping.

So this weekend was absolutely beautiful and we decided it was time to break out the campers. We spent the weekend at a state park just a few miles from here with my sister Stacy, her husband, and their twin boys. It was such a great time. Mary just loves being around her cousins, Clayton in particular. Those two just 'get' each other. They laugh so hard together and have a blast screaming and being silly. They roll around, Clayton gives Mary hugs and kisses, and, in general, they can't get enough of each other. It was great to see them having such fun.

On the first night there we went for a walk around the campground. Because we were camping, we HAD to bring along some beverages and we tossed a couple cans of Bud Lite into the wagon. Imagine our surprise when we look back and Clayton and Mary are "drinking" the UNOPENED cans of Bud Lite! It was too funny! I think Mary just enjoyed the cold feeling of the can on her gums and since Mary was doing it...Clayton had to join in as well!

And for those of you that missed it before...the cans are unopened!

I also picked up a fun garage sale toy for Mary. This Radio Flyer "bike" is the perfect size for her and she loves to honk the horn. The best part..only ten bucks!

Sooooooooo tired!

Mary is in the process of weaning herself from two naps per day down to one nap per day. I was actually sort of sad when I realized this was happening. I rather enjoy those few moments when she's resting in her crib and I can get some things done without chasing after her! Not to mention that this is throwing off my daily schedule (says the ridiculous type-A mom)!

The whole process of going down to one nap is so confusing for her. She fights sleep constantly and ends up so, so, so tired. She can't decide if she's a morning napper or an afternoon napper (and somedays it's still both). All this craziness lead to her first highchair nap experience. I was literally in the middle of feeding her when I looked up and realized, "oh my gosh...she's asleep!" After giggling to myself, I whipped out the camera to snap a few shots.

Would you believe that she even continued to sleep as I took pictures, got her out of the highchair, changed a dirty diaper, and put her in the crib???? What a weirdo!

Busted!

Lately I've been trying to be better about letting Mary 'roam free' a bit and not have her caged (i.e. in the exersaucer or playpen) or in my arms 24-7. It can be tempting to just shelter her from EVERYTHING so that I can go about my day faster and more efficiently, however I know that I need to just let her stretch her legs every once in a while too.

Well, last week I was doing just that when it dawned on me - "hey, I haven't seen her for a few minutes...I wonder where she is?" So I look. And I look and I look and I look. And where do I find Miss Mary?



In the bathroom...


With toilet paper....


Strewn e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e!

Rather than get mad....I whipped out the camera. Sometimes you just have to laugh.

In this pic, she knew she was totally busted!


I love this one because she was so frustrated that the TP was all gone!!
Motherhood....it certainly is humbling! :)

The Ugly Face

Before I begin explaining the title of this post, let me first say that I AM a good mom, I DO think my daughter is the most beautiful thing ever created, and I WILL nurture a strong self-esteem within her.

Now...that being said. You can look at the photo below to gain a front-seat look at what Kurt and I have dubbed, "the ugly face."


Yes...that's Mary's ugly face. She started doing this about a week ago. Whenever she's excited or pleased she makes this odd...ODD face. She used to have this adorable smile (seriously - drop dead gorgeous). However lately she must have discovered some new facial muscles because she looooooves to scrunch up her nose, curl up her lips, and expose this monstrous upper gum of hers. It's absolutely HILARIOUS! We're so used to calling it "the ugly face" that we've actually forgotten that it's not socially acceptable to call your child...ugly. This has lead to some embarassing moments in public. :)

Anyway...just thought I'd share this pic of my beautiful...ugly...baby girl!

Suburban Housewife? Yes, I am.

Yes, folks. I have officially earned the title. I am a housewife...and I have a minivan to prove it. Last week we traded in Kurt's truck and my old car for a Ford Freestar. It has remote sliding doors and dual control heat in front (two MUSTS in my book) and I simply adore it! Kurt has a work truck that he can use for personal use, so it would've been silly to keep the extra vehicles around. Even with logic on my side, poor Kurt was saaaaad to see his truck go. You can see him saying his final goodbyes below (thumbs down) and then me with my stylin new mommy-ride (thumbs up)! So now I've got the kid, I'm a stay at home, I drive a minivan....does this mean the super short hair cut is next!?!?!?! Lord, I hope not!

Putting myself out there

So being a new stay-at-home mom, contrary to popular belief, does not leave me with a glowing social calander. Most days are filled with primary colored toys, baby food jars, and some cartoons. Every once in a while we turn up the i-Pod and do a rousing rendition of "this little light of mine" but mostly it's pretty tame around here.

However, seeing as I am a bit of an extrovert, there are times when I find myself missing the social scene. We're in a new place, in a new (new all over again) town, and in a new job (where my daughter is my 'boss'). To be blunt, Kurt and I are totally on the friend hunt. Nerds? Yes, we are.

So, as we are on the friend hunt, I've been doing all I can to put myself out there. I joined MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and have met some nice moms there. We went out to dinner with some coworkers of Kurts. I even answered an ad on craigslist.com where a new mom was looking to have coffee with other stay at home moms. Actually turned out to be a good experience (yeah bravery!). Most recently (yesterday) I attended my first "Baby and Me" class. It was such a blast! Everyone there had babies under 12 months and we just played, sang songs, talked about mom stuff, etc. I was so glad I went! And don't kid yourself...I totally scoped the room out for potential friends. A girl needs her amigas!

Helping me on my friend hunt is my crazy daughter. Mary has developed quite the little personality and lately she loves to beller out this big, fake laugh whenever she can - just to steal the spotlight (imagine that...the daughter of Kurt and I wanting to be the center of attention!?!). Well whenever I'm in MOPS or Baby and Me, she finds just the right moment to let our her laugh. It's like she understands 'grown up conversation' and just wants to add her two cents. She literally has all the other moms in stitches from laughter (me too!). I have to admit, I secretly love her bold nature. She's just this unabashed little person...and I'm proud to call her mine.

Anyways, so I'm doing what I can to put myself out there. Hoping to meet some new people and grow some roots in our new place. And so far...it's working.