Cheap Entertainment

With the holidays coming up, I've been a loyal customer for "amazon.com" scouring the latest and greatest on baby toys. Let's face it: I am so out of the loop on what is cool in baby land. "Yo Gabba-Gabba," "Dora the Explorer," "Melissa & Doug Toys." Pretty much foreign language. All I've ever heard is Baby Einstein and Fisher Price. I have visions of sugar plums, Santa, and a happy (6 month old mind you!) as she opens her toys and squeals with excitement that Mommy got her the newest and prettiest Shape Sorting Cube.

No need.

Maddy is obsessed with tags.
TAGS I tell you.

No matter what toy, water bottle, book or shirt she is drooling on-she thinks it's mundane except for the tag.

So in this snail-paced improving economy I say this out of love: Save your money. But save your trash. Maddy's Christmas will be rocked if all she is given are pieces of cardboard, newspaper, sales ads and TAGS.

I guarantee she will love the wrapping paper and bows.

A Big Fat Piece of Humble-Pumpkin Pie.

I am anal.
I know this isn't news to anyone, but I usually never consider myself anal until I realize things are not going as planned. Then I realized during my temper tantrum that I am an anal control freak. Being said, when things don't go as planned it is usually due to HUGE blunders...not just tiny bumps in the road.

I COULD NOT WAIT TO GO TO A PUMPKIN PATCH AS A MOMMY.

Pumkin patch visiting with your baby is probably one of THE most cliche things to do for young mommies my age. Cheesey. Unoriginal. Boring. Dorky.

I COULD NOT WAIT.
Even being pregnant I would think about how Maddy would be at the pumpkin patch..still itty bitty baby but not NEWBORN. This was going to be one of those 'so-proud of my kid' moments for me. Like her first trip to Disney or something.

My parents were here this past weekend and pumpkin patches have been popping up at every church on every corner...not to mention the weather has been gorge. What an ideal time to take baby to her first pumpkin patch. I was so excited.

Here comes the embarrassing part: NO JOKE I went to THREE stores to find Maddy the perfect "Baby's 1st Halloween" Onsie. I know. Lame. LAME. At least I recognize my lameness. But what can I say-I wanted this day to be perfect. A lady at work made Maddy the CUTEST pumpkin hat with black ruffle pants...to go perfect with her Halloween onsie. I was ready.

Excitement in the air, I waited til just before we left the house to put Maddy in her outfit...excited but terrified at the same time. You see, I know Maddy's bowel schedule like the back of my hand. I can almost time her poops. And this particular day it was 1 pm and SHE HAD NOT POOPED YET. This only means one thing. It will be a blow out.

We arrive. The pumpkin patch is ADORABLE. I am almost giddy with dorky, cheesy excitement. I pick up Maddy out of her carseat and we begin to enter. And then. I feel it. On the front of her shirt.

SHE HAD POOPED EVERYWHERE. IT WAS ALL OVER MY SWEATER. IT WAS IN MY HAIR. IT WAS ON MY UNDERSHIRT. IT WAS ALL OVER HER PERFECTLY PLANNED COSTUME. EVERY WHERE.

I almost cried. Not even one stinkin picture. My dream had been destroyed by a 4 month old's poop. Jason lovingly changed her in the back of the jeep while I stripped down to my ratty undershirt (still covered in poop) and moped. Dang.

We took pics anyways. Maddy TOTALLY not matching but it was still adorable. And fun. And I guess I have to look at the bright side and tell myself what I tell my patients when they have an accident. "Hey--at least we know your intestines work."

Basically, I learned Mommy Lesson # 47. Things Never Go As Planned. But hey, if you first don't succeed, try try again. So- Stand by for round # 2 pumpkin patch. Oh yes, we're ganna make it happen. Get ready.

A Dual Purpose Blog: Shout out and Bragging.

Most importantly, I would like to propose a shout out to Sarah O. F. Peters. Without her, my parenting style would most definately be crap. And what little sanity I have left would be gone. And Maddy most DEFINATELY would not have gotten her "liquid gold nourishment" for as long as she has been. Sarie, you've made it to my blog. Middle and maiden initials and all. Can't wait for our little girls to be BFFAEAEAEAE's. just like their mamma's =).

BRAG TIME:

Maddy totally goes down in her crib on her own and puts herself to sleep. It took 1 day. Sure, it's not 100% effective yet. Sometimes it takes a couple of "putting paci back in her mouth" tries, but it works. I am obsessed. Greatest idea EVER. Why the H did I spend 30 minutes EVERY NAP TIME rocking that fighter to sleep?!!

That's pretty much my update. We're going on 2 weeks of this and it's been bliss.

Sarie: The blanket Gray gave maddy? Totally her "teddy bear" when falling asleep. She's like Linus w/ that blanket.




BABIES!