- "W" all around! -

Just found these pics on my phone and ahh!  

Binge blogging, commence. 

My specialty.

Backpedal to June 3 (!!!) ---> This day was 2.5-month-old Harper's first time at Busch, and she walked off with a "W!"  Slept for 6 innings, ate for 2, and pooped for 1 [notice outfit change, ha to the not ha]... 

I remember being mega nervous to take her along, because: a) ridiculous pants pooping is her trademark, b) pumping/feeding when/where/how?!, c) no afternoon nap is a slow torturous death for everyone involved, d) hot-ish weather be on the radar, e) loud cheering may damage her hearing, f) a potentially fussy baby would probably torque off the people around us, g) I don't know what else I panicked about but I'm sure there was an "g" at the time.....and probably also an "h," "i," "j".......etc., etc., etc...  

But worry wart momma was sooo pleasantly surprised! [I'm quickly learning that setting hideously low standards generally warrants pleasant surprises.] The day was so fun!  Harper fell asleep in her carrier right away and slept like a champ; plus, she got a "First Game" sticker and certificate from our sweet usher AND was interviewed and photographed for the Belleville newspaper by a smitten reporter!  

Oh yeah, and the Cards left with a "W," too!  I think they found their littlest new fan! ;)  Cheers for a fantastic day in the STL! 

*****

PS -- Brian later found this gem floating around the world wide web. I like how the reporter interviewed us for 10+ minutes and somehow seemed to come up with this short mash-up of a caption.  What!  That's not what I said! 

PSS -- "Abstetics"...?  [Insert hysterical laughing con tears emoji here.] 

- B&A [and another AFTER!]: Nursery -

[Don't miss PART I of the nursery remodel........]

Project: Goodbye House, Hello Home!

~ Guest Bedroom #1 ---> NURSERY! ~

~~~~~

 

Paint color:

• BEHR - Dolphin Fin

A few details I love: 

• The additions to the [original] chevron canvases.  I'm a little bit of a freak when it comes to collages, and I had this idea brewin' in my brain for the baby's nursery for a while.  Thanks to my dad for helping me turn my ideas into reality! 

• Teal accents.  At first we were strictly sticking to the gray and yellow color scheme, but I quickly realized it was monotonous and wanted to add a pop of color! Since all this was planned before Harper came along, we decided to go with teal to keep the nursery unisex.  Love the finished look! 

• White furniture.  Brian isn't a giant fan of white, but how can you argue against a hormonal/pregnant wife?! ;)  I remember him always saying, "But what if our little buddy is a boy...... He'll be a pansy sleeping in white furniture!" I disagreed, BUT luckily our "little buddy" is a girl! 

Posting the progress:

• Chevron Canvases

• B&A: Guest Bedroom #1

• Harper's Nursery!

Goodbye house, hello home!

- Harper's Nursery! -

I know you will be sooooo elated to read ALL about our prepping of "guest bedroom #1"...

...here!...

...and here!

When we first moved into this house, Harper's nursery guest bedroom #1 looked like this: 

And after the remodel but before an offspring was on the radar [but kind of on the radar?], the finished guest bedroom looked like this: 

[I shalt not beat a dead horse even deader; in the rare chance that anyone is actually interested, the entire B&A: Guest Bedroom #1 post is over here!]

I've known since like 7th grade that I wanted a unisex nursery so I could use it for each new baby without having to repaint/redecorate.  Additionally, yellow and gray has always been one of my favorite color schemes; so as we were initially decorating the house, I decided to put the hammer down and get right on it!  Hello gray walls and yellow accents! We absolutely painted/decorated this room knowing it would morph into a nursery someday...

And then that "someday" eventually came along, and I put Brian to work again! 

New light...

...new furniture...

...and new baby decor!  I've been taking sewing lessons from my mom, and she graciously helped me make some pillows for the crib [well let's be honest: she actually did most of the sewing because I didn't want them to look janky/jacked...]! 

We also made a garland banner of teal-patterned material + gray burlap.  It hangs proudly over the changing table! 

[Baby Harper was along for the crafting adventures, too! 34w2d and 35w in these photos!] 

When the crib + dresser arrived and the crafting was finished, I called the troops together to help assemble the room! Goodbye guest bedroom #1, hello NURSERY!  My dad helped nail up the collage as Brian hung some shelving.  And while the men slaved away, my saint of a mother washed our first load of BABY LAUNDRY!  We didn't have many clothes yet for our unknown gendered fetus, but I wanted a few sheets, blankets, and changing pad covers ready to go. 

Oh, what was *I* doing while everyone else was slaving away?  Standing, pointing, directing, and bossing the masses. 35w4d rendered me waaaay too ginormous to move/bend over/exert effort.....

Fast forward a couple months annnnnd...

...it's a Baby Harper! She loved laying in her big girl crib as we hung photos and put the FINAL touches on everything! 

Thanks Brian, Mom, and Dad for making Harper's room JUST PERFECT!  I love it so much, and so does she!!! :-* 

[Another post with finished photos coming ASAP!]

- Add a caring, loving woman + a tiny bit of psychosis and what do you get?... -

...a MOM.

I never thought I'd be a psycho mom.......

...

...

...but I totally am.

No no, actually, I've totally definitely officially been completely ridiculous/obsessive/psychotic since I first decided I WANTED to be a mom:

But for the sake of dignity and my husband's preserved masculinity, we'll leave out all those FUN! so fun fun fun details.  

Anyway, after gestating then expelling a child from my uterus, my overall level of [previously tolerable] absurdity has become exponentially worse.

Oh ---

FYI  FYI  FYI:  If you don't have kids yet, you should probablyyyy bypass this post.  It's most definitely gonna .freak.you.out., and I don't want the responsibility of informing you how embarrassing you will become when you start to procreate.....

Ok.

Onward.

When Harper was a new new "new"born, my only hideous mom-habit was standing over her Pack 'n Play and staring at her with my iPhone flashlight in the middle of the night.  [You know, because a) I had to make sure she was still breathing, and b) I had to make sure she was still......there.  Not like she could roll out of her little bassinet or anything, but she spent 39 weeks + 3 days inside mah belly and it was a little learning curve for me to thrive and survive her sans umbilical cord!] That "sleep when the baby sleeps" was such great advice during the day, but I was too worried at night that 3am would be the perfect hour for my kid to whip out the SIDS card.  Dear darling Baby Fleming[s] #2 and beyond: I have come to realize this is a FIRST-time mom problem! You will [most likely] not be treated to that type of luxurious nighttime mom-perching!  Hindsight is 20/20, and sleep is a good, good thing...

As the days of motherhood rolled on, I started pumping and freezing a lot of milk.  All was good and well in that realm until oh em geeee --- SOME SPILLED.  Since then, I have been .s.u.p.e.r...c.a.r.e.f.u.l. when transferring the liquid gold.  And so has Brian, mostly... But currently, he owes me 63 minutes of backrubs for wasting 13 oz over the past two weeks [!!!] to which I may or may not've overreacted just a little too much... [How did that large number come about? 13 wasted oz x 5 minutes of massage per oz = 65 minutes.....and he's offered a measly 2 minute backrub since all of this occurred so! 63 manattes to go.]   Call me crazy, I don't even care.  Pumping while I'm away from my baby is hard, treacherous work that I hate so so much!  BUT:

Oh, and while we're on the topic of MILK... It is actually kind of comical that Brian and I [two full-grown add-ultz with large appetites!] share one refrigerator and freezer upstairs while Harper [4-month old, also with large appetite!] has her very own deep freeze in the basement filled to the brim.  *Insert belly-laughing emoticon here.*  Of course, we can't entertain the thought of starving our little piggy. One night when we were [of course!] out of town for the evening, a gianttttt storm rolled through... 

Bridget 

April 9 ·

Power flicked on and off a few times earlier this morning, and I heard half of Glen Carbon is still out... Let me just take a hot second to say that Mother Nature will be meeting the wrath of Harper's mother if the storm decides to cut out power again tonight while we're gone and spoil 100+ oz of milk that we have frozen!!! Nothing like crying over spilled milk!!!

 — feeling nervous.

...to which my very own MOTHER replied, "Oh stop. It's not like you can't make more."  Apparently the tedious task of nursing/pumping for two children has escaped her memory.  [You will rest easily knowing that the power did not go out that night, and we came home to a fully intact + still frozen milk supply!]

Soooo, who wants to hear about milk all day long? 

No one. 

I get it.  

Really, I do. 

On to another embarrassing mom-ism: I force Harper to take naps with me when I'm tired [seriously loving the non-mobile stage of child rearing!], and on the RARE occasion that I wake up before she does.......

My iPhone is packed with an embarrassing amount of Harper + Momma selfies, but if my phone got stolen, the robber would ALSO be not-thrilled to find a stash of actively-breastfeeding-baby pics.  I have no idea why, but half most of the times when Harper nurses I just can't refrain myself from taking a pic.  ...Because omgggg she's sooooo cute, and I can't forget this moment even though she'll be in the exact same outfit in the exact same position doing the exact same activity again in exactly 2.5 hours. #momprobs #embarrassing #seriouslywtf

While we sit in the recliner and spend HOURS a day nursing [if I'm not taking baby-on-boob pics and sending them to............no one?...]:

[Add to the list: "Does it make you mentally unstable if you take a pic of your child every time she nurses?" "How do you become the "fun parent?" "Do stretch marks heal slash go away before you get pregnant again?" "Is it normal to need to cut baby fingernails twice a week but toenails twice a month?" "What are the chances of my kid getting Rickets if I don't ritualistically force a Vit D3 drop down her throat?" "Advantages and disadvantages of sending a toddler to daycare?" "Advantages and disadvantages of sending a school-aged child to private/Catholic school?" "Advantages and disadvantages of piano playing or some sort of musical instrument playing for children?" ....and so on for hours on end, as I'm so sure you can just imagine...]

Alright, I'm not even gonna beat myself up over this one, because I know this is basically normal... 

[Reality, be my resume.]

And this is normal, too...???

Oh, then there's this: I used to "babysit" a newborn when I still lived in St. Louis.  I think her parents had a lot of moolah or something, because they hired me to come to their house for a few hours each morning and hold her [of course, she usually slept in my arms the entire time!] while her momma took a nap and shower.  What what?!? Yes, it's true.  #dreamjob!  And every day, I would walk out with a nice stash of cash for my hard-earned labor.  Shall we reiterate the hashtag?  Yes. #dreamjob!!!  One of the funniest things I remember about that adventure, though, was this one morning when the momma had her first success using that blue booger bulb.  She squirted a giant nasty green boog out on a Kleenex, and I could tell she was SO PROUD of herself.  And THEN.....she did the unspeakable...the unbelievable... She took a freakin' picture of that disgusting booger and text it to her husband!!!!!!  I didn't know if I should be shocked or disgusted or amused or wtffff just happened......... So I judged her a little bit on the inside and then went about my job of snuggling a sleeping baby like nbd.

Now, here I am: four years later, and I'm basically obsessed with picking Harper's nose and making sure there isn't one little flake of a crusty left that could possibly obstruct her breathing holes.  And if I ever get a big juicy one, of courseeeee I'm hella proud.

...And not only did I take that booger pic and text it to my husband... I wiped that booger on my knee THEN took that booger pic, text it to my husband, EDITED it on an iPhone app, e-mailed it to myself, AND am posting it on my blog. Holy sh*t.  I'm repulsive.

Oh dear Lawd, I'm totally coming to grips with how crazy I am...

This post is getting soooo out of control.  

But! 

Banana bread beer with a brown sugar + cinnamon mix on the rim is my fran.

So!

One more thing...

[The thing that inspired this post!]

Last week, Harper slept in her BIG GIRL BED for the first time!! She has been sleeping through the night [10pm to 6am!] since she was 11 weeks old. <--- Hate me all you want, I know we are so lucky. Anyway, now that she's 18 weeks, we decided it was time to kick her out of the Pack 'n Play and get our master bedroom back in order... On the first night, Brian just dumped her in the crib and went to bed himself like noooo biggie, and Harper just laid in her new crib and fell asleep like noooo biggie.  I stood over the crib for at LEAST 10 minutes and watched her sleep [regressing back to new new "new"born problems!!!] and then shed some tears and THEN turned on the baby monitor in my bedroom and watched her from my bed for at least 10 more minutes.

"Whatchu starin' at, Mom? I'm gonna be in this position til 7am, so you might as well get some shut eye, too!"

*tear tear tear*

How is my munchkin so big?  And how is she so much tougher than me already?!  So proud!!!

I know I just outlined a legit case that concludes how obviously nuts I am, BUT...I think [and tell me if I'm thinking wrong?!] that motherhood is like a little club. And once you're "in" the club, you just understand all the unwritten rules and regulations that come along with! Right?

Basically, it goes something like this: 

...Come on, give me a little vote of confidence...  I know I'm not the ONLY psycho out there?!?

- FOUR months... -

Four months, holy schnikeeees!

As much as I say I want Harper to stay little forever, she just keeps getting more and more and MORE fun! She is so much more alert and interactive as each month passes, and I love celebrating each little milestone that she achieves.  Everything now goes straight to her mouth, and she isn't picky about what she chews on: teething toys, non-teething toys, cell phones, burp cloths, pacifiers, her clothes, our hands, EVERYTHING!  If she gets a good gnaw session goin', it doesn't take long for her shirt to be soaked with drool... [Maybe time to invest in some bibs? I don't know, though, for some reason I'm just not a bib lover?]  

The 4-month well child visit was last week, and she measured 24.25 inches [50-75th percentile] and weighed 15 lb, 6.5 oz [90th percentile!].  Her pediatrician said she's perfectly proportioned, but I ain't no dummy ---> don't those percentiles basically scream that she's short and fat?!  ...Not like I think she needs to lose any weight, but maybeee she just needs to tack on a few inches to grow into her Buddha belly and thunder thighs... ;)  [Brian's mom told me that he was 12 lb, 7 oz and 25.25 inches at 4 months.  Baby's already got 3 lb on her old man!]  At the beginning of the appointment, Harper was happily nuzzled in to Brian's lap in the exam room.  And as soon as the pediatrician came in and plucked her away, she looked back [bugged eyed!] like, "WTF yo!"  The ped immediately said, "Oh, guys! I think she's starting to get some stranger anxiety... See how she looks at me with those eyes like she doesn't know who I am and she's searching the room for one of you two?  Stranger anxiety can appear anywhere from 4-9 months and is normal."  ...Ok, so "stranger anxiety" may be normal at 4 months, but I just nodded my head and decided not to tell her that [for a while now!] Harper hasn't really enjoyed being held by anyone except Brian or me.  She lovesss to snuggle her momma after she breastfeeds + she'll nuzzle into Brian for some tummy time or a nap, but all other family and friends just don't make the cut.  Cold truth.  Ouch.  Harper be like, "I'll look at ya'll from afar, but don't try touching me...!"  It's strange.  I hope she grows out of that...  

ANYWAY, other news from the appointment that no one cares about except me me me?  

--- No solid foods until 6 months.  Exclusively breastfed babies apparently don't need it yet, and it interferes with their intestines and absorption or something [made sense when she was explaining it, although if I try now I will just be talking in circles and probably making up half of the info!].

--- Normal/ok/no big deal for Harper to want to nap in her swing since she sleeps all night in her big girl crib.   Phew! 

--- Big growth spurt expected at 4 months, during which Harper may want to nurse every 1.5 hours all day every day............ [Currently trying to make a long list of activities I can do while recliner-ridden during the daylight hours, but the only thing I've thought of so far is: watch moreeee TV...].  Ped said a lot of people give up breastfeeding during this time because it gets frustrating and it feels like the baby is constantly eating and not satisfied.  But stay strong! Don't get discouraged! Try not to give up! [Cheerleading central.] Because.......exclusively breastfed babies have a less chance of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity in adulthood...PLUS they're smarter.  Sweet.  [Wondering how genetic and environmental factors are controlled in those studies, though?  Who cares I guess...I'll take those stats!] 

Two mean ole' shots, and we were out the door and in the clear 'til 6 months! 

We love you, little peanut!!! Proud every day to be yo' mama! 

- Funs and Faves! -

I'm not sure how [only FOUR months in!] I've fallen sooo miserably behind in the competition, but even a creepy window-peeping stranger could glance into this house and definitively conclude that Brian has already...easily...won the title of "FUN PARENT."  I've maybe definitely subconscioulsy tried to un-acknowledge that little piece of not-fun truth for several weeks now, but there will be no more denying from here on out.  Truth hurts. Tonight at dinner, Harper could not remove her eyes from Brian.  Her gaze was fixed, and her head followed his every minuscule move.  She coos and babbles constantly until he throws her a little bone of attention; and when he finally does, she blushes and kicks and drools all while babbling even louder.  Her smile for her dad is ginormous.  Allllll these hours logged with Mom, but I guess all she really needs me for is her beloved milk tap, anyway. ;)  The stereotypical "Daddy's girl" thing is fo' real... 

...and the onesie says it all! This girl has a heart of pure gold silver for her dad!!!

...And if you couldn't tell, the feeling is mutual.

Sooooo while we're on the topic of all things fun and favorite, let me just archive *TEN* of our current funs and favorites!  We currently love: 

BOOKS.  [All family and friends: thanks for stocking Harper's bookshelf! We love opening a new book and reading your notes signed on the pages!] A whole separate post dedicated just to the bookworm! 

THIS DOLL.  [Special thanks to Andy, Angie, Miles, and Lily!]  Never thought an infant would be so attached to a toy.  Thought wrong.  Not sure if it's the super soft fleecy outer-part that she likes OR the silky underside, but she doesn't let this doll get very far out of sight/reach these days.  Poor dolly's right pigtail is currently crusted over with dried drool; and when Harper gets teeth, I imagine those pigtails will just be dangling by a thread...

BATH TIME.  And hair washing.  [I love kickin' back in my awesome jacuzzi, Meghan! Thank you!]

THIS SWING.  [Thanks to Grandma, Rosemary, Katie, Theresa, Joanie, Jenny, and Margy! I think of ALL of you and smile every day!!!...because...] This is our numero uno favorito baby item by FAR far far.  Harper has loved this contraption since day ONE, and we would be lost in helpless-first-time-parenting-world without it.  I juuuuust looked up the weight limit yesterday [which is 25 lbs! Phew! Another two months at least!], because I am already nail-biting in anxiety of the day we have to ween from it.  It's kiiiiind of turning into a love hate relationship at this point, though, because: with it = 3-hour afternoon nap, no problemo! And without it = continual sleep fighting frustration, meltdowns to the max, and noooo nap.  Shoot me in the foot when we tip the scale at 25 lbs.......

BEING OUTSIDE.  This girl can't really be my daughter, considering I'd rather be inside in A/C sans humidity and wildlife and ...bugs...  BUT!  A short session of basking in the sun or a little stroller ride through the subdivision shockingly hasn't killed me. Yet.  Top left photo: coming home from work at 8am and seeing this little face [actually, both of these faces!] on the porch is my favorite greeting to date! *googly eyes*

LITTLE COUSIN KATE.  Harper's best buddy!  We usually see Kate and her parents [Brian's cousin + wife] about once a week, and the four of us have loved watching these two girls grow up together! They were born a month apart, and I am so excited for them to go through school hand-in-hand and always have each others' backs. Nothing like an [unofficial] twin sister, huh? :)

THE BACHELORETTE.  Another Monday night has come and gone, and we can't turn our heads... #willyouacceptthisrose  ...I know I'm not the only one who despises Kaitlyn and her zilch-o morals! But I also can't throw the towel in on the entire Bachelor/ette franchise... So what do you other avid viewers think?! Shawn or Nick?!?!? I am torn 51/49, barely favoring Shawn obvi.  [NO SPOILERS!]

HAND-ME-DOWNS.  [THANK YOU, Kindra!] Oh, happy day.   A little girl can never have too many clothes, right?!  Since we didn't find out gender during the pregnancy, we came home from the hospital to only a handful of unisex onesies and a couple sleep sacks!  I immediately wanted to buy Harper so many things but was shocked at how fast she would outgrow each size! Insanity.  Little booger grows like a weed! Giving her a cute wardrobe while keeping the bank account on the [+] side was a tricky balance......... ;)  Luckily, a sweet girl I work with kept us in mind as she was getting rid of all her little girl's clothes! Three big boxes to sort through + a couple loads of laundry later, and Harper has her closet stocked through 9mos for a suuuuper small amount of dolla dolla bills! Hashtag: stoked!  Nothing like a good stash of hand-me-downs!  Harper is loving all her "new" clothes!!!

FAMILY NAPS........but what's new?  "Sleep when the baby sleeps" miiiight be the best bit of advice anyone ever gave us!!! 

And lastly, but absolutely not leasty...

THIS PLAYMAT.  [Thank you thank youuuu, Anna and Becca!] God bless Skip Hop and their awesome products [we only have a few, but have been nothing short of THRILLED!].  When we first busted this out of the box a couple months ago, we ooh-ed and ahh-ed at the way our little nugget laid so contently and noticed all the dangling animals... Then a few weeks later we couldn't get the video camera out quick enough to capture her [probably accidentally] swinging her arms and swatting at the toys... And NOW, the mat provides hours of daily entertainment as she holds an animal in each hand and a third animal between both feet... I love watching her tiny hands grasping and her fine motor skills developing on this play gym!  [This might be the last day that poor blue elephant has ears or a tail........ Girl ain't gentle!]

More funs and faves coming another day! But you'll have to excuse me for tonight; it's time to go hang out with my little family of three and creep/crawl back into the competition for fun parent...

*humph*