Check it out!

Nothing else to do on a Monday night, but heist Heather's new, yet already neglected blog... note to self... don't give your sister's your password if you expect anything less!!!!! http://thedailybaillie.blogspot.com/2010/03/heisted-blog-courtesy-of-elizabeth.html

Enjoy! I have more to post, later, including Emilia's 1st EVER haircut, and Disney on Ice!!!

I love my Village

I have truly learned the meaning of the saying “it takes a village to raise a child…” and unfortunately it is not me helping others, but instead my child being raised by a village this past week. Thank you so much to my wonderful sisters for allowing for me to have the time I needed to prepare for my midterm and project I had this week. I took Emilia to their house to play with their kiddos, and set in the other room with my laptop and earplugs to study for several hours a day. So that is where I have been… not blogging, not facebook-ing, and not talking on the phone, and not even sleeping much… unless it involved embryology, neuro, fetal circulation, intrapartum conditions or an array of other topics, it has not been on my radar! It paid off… 96% isn’t too shabby. I was so stoked I did so well, and then I came home to this sweet card, along with ice cream and York peppermint patties to celebrate.

Emilia did a wonderful job writing my name, as well!

Thank you Chris and Emilia… it made my day! I then rewarded myself yesterday with a no homework day. I hung out with my sis, Heather, for the day… it was so much fun and reminded me of our pre- grad school life. We went to Starbucks, Target, out to lunch, and then took the kids to the park. After wearing them, and ourselves, out with a competitive game of tag, we headed back to my house for Heather’s “blogging 101” class. I promised her that I would not link her new blog to mine until she was finished setting it up, though, so the pressure is on Heather! Hudson and Emilia napped in my bed, and then they all actually stayed for dinner… it was so much fun and I miss those days, but now back to my daily grind…

I think the craziest part about this semester is how MUCH information I am learning about these little babies I have been taking care of for the past 5 years. When you work in such a specialty area such as the NICU, it is so much on the job training… this is not what nursing school teaches you. Nursing school teaches you everything about adults, children, and healthy babies, but not much about tiny sick babies. So know I am learning all this information about how fetal development occurs, and how their systems work… and many many many times I have been going, “OH! THAT’S why we do that… now it makes so much more sense!” All that to say... I have really enjoyed the information I am learning this semester. So anyways, I am so behind in blogging that I don’t quite know where to begin! But I know that posting a photo of Samantha’s new baby boy, Lincoln, is overdue, so here he is…

I actually was lucky enough to get to watch him for like an hour while Samantha ran a few errands last week. I just held him (while reading my textbooks:) ). He was so snuggly and smelled so good… I love the smell of babies. I also got to watch my friend, Kelly’s baby, Kate, for the day (two weeks ago), and she was as sweet as can be… she was all smiles and cooing. I don’t think I hardly sat her down all day. That’s the only thing I can promise… if I take care of your baby, I will hardly put them down… not even for naps! :) Here is a cute photo of Samantha and Kelly with their precious babies…

So since I worked Valentine’s Day, Emilia opened her presents that morning when she woke up…

Emilia got a few goodies, and her baby, Sara, got a new outfit! Don't you love the morning hair?

And then my very sweet friend, Audrey, and her daughter, Emily gave Emilia and me the cutest gifts…

Matching cupcake aprons! Audrey even made the card... she is so creative! I videotaped her opening the gift with my camera, but when I went to download the videos, this is what I found…

Unfortunately I think Emilia may have deleted many photos and videos while playing photographer with my camera, which I let her do quite often… lesson learned. So I have no cute video of her saying, “oooh… I love it. Let’s go make waffles! Thank you Miss Audrey and Miss Emily… why am I saying thank you to the camera, mama? Are they in the camera?” I have fond memories, but no video! Here's a photo of her pouting when I said no to making waffles this late at night, though...

How can anybody say no to this?? So then we went and made waffles...

Okay, so what else has been going on? My nephew, Hudson turned 3, and we had his party at T Rex Café. I actually, yet again, let Emilia play the role of photographer, and got some interesting and even cute photos. I will say, though, my daughter thinks it is funny to take photos of peoples bums. So if you see her with a camera, I warned you… and not to worry, those will not be posted here (just on facebook:) )! So far I have deleted around 30 bums… and that’s just since January! She’s a funny, yet odd, little girl… wonder where she got it from?

 

 There's Ty and Garrett!

 

and Hannah and Shahdad

I think it's funny that she always takes photos of feet (and bums)! Here's Lily and Hud!

Me and Aunt Tammy... and there's Hud and G opening up the infamous Buzz Lightyears! (Long story short, I bought one originally $140 robot on sale for $35 for Huds bday, and then found out Garrett had wanted it for Christmas, so found some on ebay... ended up getting all 4 that I was bidding on, therefore ending up with way too many! A bit funny in hind site, because I did not know I had them all set up for autobid!)

 

These are by far the most creative photos I have seen a 3 year old take... her and Heather were taking photos of each other taking photos, and Emilia just happened to get this shot! Maybe she'll be a photographer when she grows up!

Emilia with her pink dino, Gracie... brushing her hair and shopping for clothes.

They each picked out dinos at the Build a Dino shop.

My niece, Hannah, also turned 9 this month, and we celebrated at yummy GoJo’s, but I went sans camera, hence no photos… sorry.
And speaking of nieces… my brother in law, Danny, and his wife had their first baby this month also. It was a girl, and they named her Tala. She is quite the pretty little baby, with dark hair and the pinkest lips I have seen on a baby! Emilia got to meet her last week for the first time, and when I was putting her to bed that evening, she just point blank asked me, “Mama, will you ask Uncle Danny if we can buy his baby, Tala?” I laughed so hard I was crying! So Danny, just throwing it out there, but if you are looking to sell your baby, I think I know somebody who is interested!
Anyways, I finally received the necklace in the mail that Chris bought me. He ordered it for me for Christmas, but then they have to send you the kit to take your child’s finger print, and then you send it back for them to make. It is precious… I love it!

So other than babies, birthday parties and studying, we have been relatively boring. Getting antsy for some spring air and spring flowers… so anxious that we are growing flowers at home until then…

Emilia has also discovered a new hidden talent… If she pouts her lips, while wrinkling her nose and inhaling, she can totally occlude her nares… I know it’s really hard to describe and imagine, so here is a photo of her doing it…

It is so stinking hilarious… I laugh so hard I cry when she does it. Then she proceeded to do it again while I was trying to sit her in time out, and it had the same effect… how do you get your child to take you seriously when they can make you laugh uncontrollably during discipline?

And one more photo of feet to hold you over until Emilia takes more photos! :)