Girl’s Night

Posted in Family, Isabella/Munchkin by teamtradermom

Every Friday night is Girl’s Night at the Trader house. CJ has a standing engagement with friends so Isabella and I take advantage of the time to have some mommy and daughter bonding. Don’t worry, we include Samson too, even though he’s not a girl.

All day I was itching to get outside because it was so beautiful (67 degrees at one point)! Of course, by the time I got home, it had started to cool off a bit, and the wind picked up. But that didn’t stop Munchkin and me from putting on some jackets and heading down the street to the park!

The last time I brought Isabella to this park was in the fall of 2010 (probably Octoberish). Back then, she was new to walking and hadn’t started climbing or anything so there wasn’t much she could do. This time she was all over the place! I pulled her out of the stroller and she took off! The first thing she did was run to a big circle cut out and crawl through it. She loves to go through things like tunnels and what not.

Then she ran over to the slides. She hasn’t quite figured out yet that slides are for going down, not up. She always tries to climb them.

She actually got about halfway up before sliding back down again. I tried to take her down on my lap and she wasn’t interested. Some day she’ll get it and love it!

I took her around to show her the stairs and she quickly climbed up them. At the top there were all kinds of things to do, like driving a fire truck…

…crawling through a tunnel….

…and climbing in a bubble!

We spent a good 45 minutes there running around, doing all kinds of things. They had a rocking horse and rocking turtle thing there too but she said “No!” every time I tried to coax her in to riding on one. She wasn’t much interested in the sea-saw either (although she likes to yell out, “See-SAW! See-SAW!”).

When it was finally time to head home, because it was getting cold, I let her walk instead of riding in the stroller. She half walked/half ran the whole way too (which was only 2 blocks, but still, that’s a lot when you have short little legs)!

She even pushed the stroller the last half a block home, though I couldn’t get a picture of that because she was leaning on it enough that I was afraid if I let go she’s face plant in to the sidewalk.

As soon as we got home it was time to make shamrock cookies! She helped me put them on the cookie sheet but didn’t quite get that they are still raw dough and need to bake before they can be eaten. She cried when I took the pan away and put it in the oven. But, she was plenty happy when they came out 10 minutes later and were ready to eat!!

She’s in bed asleep as I type this, which gives me some much needed downtime. I plan to head upstairs soon, curl up on the couch with Samson and catch up on my DVRed shows.

I really love our Friday nights and am very hesitant to give them up, which is why I don’t accept many invitations to go out. I would much rather be home with my angel, getting some quality time in.

Another girl’s night down, many, many more to come!

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9Mar2011

Don’t Have it Your Way

Posted in Health and Weightloss, Isabella/Munchkin by teamtradermom

Yesterday was a long day. I worked a full 8 hours and then had a board meeting for a professional organization. By the time I left the office, it was about quarter to 7. I hit the road and headed out to pick up Munchkin from my parent’s house (CJ was at volleyball). On the way, I decided to swing by Burger King for a quick dinner. I debated stopping there since I’m trying to be healthy but in the end decided it was better to do fast food now, then wait to eat until I got home and put Isabella to bed. By then it would be almost 8:00 and I’d surely inhale every.single.thing in the house.

This BK has 2 drive-thru lines. One of them had a car in it already so I went to the other one. Then a third car pulled in behind the first guy. BK finished taking his order, then took the order for the car behind him, even though I was there first! *grumble* Finally they got to me and I ordered a kid’s meal – chicken nuggets, apples and white milk. Figured that was a good choice – smaller portions, cheaper, healthier sides and you get a toy!

I got to the window, gave him my money, got my food and left. As I got to the first stoplight, I reached in the bag and to my surprise found french fries, not apples! I specifically ordered apples because I didn’t want to be tempted by the fries! *GRUMBLE*

Now I was left with a choice – do I turn around and go back to get my apples or just deal with the fries? I was already short on time so I kept going, figuring I could just not eat the fries.

HA HA HA! I just reread that sentence. Have fries at my fingertips and not eat them? I mean, come on, have you met me? Besides, it’s not like I didn’t try to be good. I ordered the apples and milk. It’s not my fault they screwed up the order. Perhaps this was the universe’s way of saying, “Hey Sarah, give yourself a break…eat some fries…it won’t kill you.”

Why thank you universe – I think I will!

I do have to give myself props. I ate the nuggets first and then had a few,er, some, uh half of the fries. But not all of them. And I drank all my milk. Go me!

Isabella saved the night though. We always play a game during our drive home from grandma and grandpa’s. I give her a word and ask her to sing a song about it. Here is what she came up with last night.

“Dooooog, dog, dog, dooog. DOOOOOOGGGGG, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog. Doggie, dog, dog, doggie, dog. Elmo!”

Didn’t see that ending coming did ya? What can I say, she has a gift.

Then she sang this one:

“Moon, moon, moon, moooooooooon. Moonie, moonie, Muno. Sun, sun, sun!”

Which must be the sequel to last week’s song:

“Moon, moon, moooooon. Moon, moon, sky….BRIGHT sky! Sky, sky, sky, suuuuuuun!!!”

I see a record contract in her future…

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28Feb2011

Shell Shocked

Posted in Isabella/Munchkin by teamtradermom

As I write this, I feel like what I imagine people go through after they’ve experienced some catastrophe. Only, on a much smaller scale.

No, our house didn’t burn down and don’t worry, Isabella is safe and sound. CJ is fully in tact and nothing has happened to me either. I can hear Samson outside jumping up and down so he’s a-ok as well. Nothing crazy or cosmic happened here tonight. It was just a series of small events that added together created this snowball of chaos.

It started just after bath time.

I had finished drying off Isabella and putting her in her pajamas. I set her down and off to go play. She immediately ran out to CJ who was in the living room watching TV. As I cleaned up in her room, I heard him say something to her about the remote control and good job changing the channels. After a minute or so he took the remote away from her and she burst in to tears. And screams. And more tears.

I came out then and was able to distract her with a “purse” that she has. I put a few toys in it and she came over to see what I was doing. She started playing with it too only it wasn’t zipped up and when she grabbed it the toys fell out. Like a good girl, she picked them up and put them back in. I was showing her how to zip it up and you’d have thought I was showing her how to murder the little stuffed turtle because she started screaming again.

This time I was able to distract her with some blocks that stack on to little pillars. She was playing with them and telling us the shapes and colors. Only she said “octagon” instead of “pentagon” for the red one (I know, right?) so CJ was tickling her and saying “P-p-p-PENT-a-gon!” which she thought was hysterical.

That started the tickle wars which was a lot of fun until she lost her balance and fell backward. Right on to the wooden pillar thing.

Cue the tears.

At first we thought she was just crying from shock or fear until we saw the blood running out of her mouth. I carried her in to the kitchen so that we could see better. Her mouth was full of blood. She wouldn’t open wide enough for us to see inside though so all I could do was blot it up from her lips and chin. I gave her some water to drink, which she did. That seemed to stop the bleeding but she was still crying hard.

In the middle of all that, Samson saw someone outside walking by and thought it was important to alert us of this and let out a huge “RUFF!!”

We all jumped. Isabella cried harder.

CJ escorted Samson to his kennel for a time out.

We finally got Munchkin calmed down and fixed up. We sat on the living room floor to read some books and get ready for bed. She usually wants to sit in my lap and have me read to her (because CJ reads to her all day). Not tonight. She only wanted daddy. I was slightly hurt but reminded myself that she’s a toddler and fickle sometimes. CJ kept trying to include me by handing over the book or saying, “Let’s have mommy read!” Only to have Isabella grab the book back and give it to CJ. After doing this a couple times, she’d had enough and, you guessed it, more tears.

OK, bed time! We brushed her teeth, got her hooked up with woobies and off to bed she went.

And scene.

I am still on edge. I think I’ll have flashbacks the next few times she cries. It’s PTSD that only parents can understand.

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Posted in Isabella/Munchkin by teamtradermom

After a week of long work days and busy nights, I was craving some Isabella time. I had spent a total of 45 minutes with her over Wednesday and Thursday combined, which is just not enough, plain and simple. I really, really missed her and was afraid she would grow apart from me or something.

I needn’t have worried.

I purposely made myself leave the office at 4 p.m. in order to get as much time with her tonight as possible. I got home just as she was waking from her afternoon nap and heard her saying “Mama! Mama!” on the monitor (she can tell which of us is coming home based on the garage door that opens). I went in and was greeted with a big smile. I pulled her out and she gave me a big hug too.

Ah, just what I needed.

I changed her diaper and she was in a great mood. She was talking and giggling and being silly. I started singing, “Where is Munchkin?” to the tune of “Where is Thumpkin?” and she yelled out “MUNCHKIN!” That was the first time she’d called herself that.

I decided it was a good day for a walk so we got our coats on and headed to the garage. She even climbed down the stairs all by herself for the first time! I was so proud of her! I strapped her in to the stroller. We walked for about half an hour. She sang and talked to me the whole time. Being outside in the sun and fresh air was so amazing. I felt my head clear up immediately. And to share it with my daughter was even better.

Mmmm, just what I needed.

When we got back home, I made up some French toast, using the fresh Italian Bread I had bought from Whole Foods (what can I say, I’m multi-cultural). OMG was it good! We had that along with some plums and yogurt and then she had a Mickey Mouse cookie for dessert.

I think Munchkin sensed I needed lots of love because all night she stayed close and gave me tons of kisses, hugs and nose pokes. She wanted to be carried a lot too, which I was happy to do.

Just what I needed.

We played for a bit and she had fun dragging her caterpillar toy up and down the hall saying, “Pulling…pulling…”

Then it was time for her bath. It was a short one as she wasn’t really in the mood for bath time, but that was ok. We had fun splashing and playing with the boats. I put her in her pajamas and she helped me clean up the living room saying “Pick up!” and “Cleaning!” while she did it. I love that she narrates everything she does. It cracks me up and makes me smile every time.

As we neared bedtime, she climbed in to my lap and we read some books together. At one point she leaned back and snuggled in to me. I wanted to freeze time and savor that moment forever.

It was just what I needed.

Now she’s in bed and sound asleep. Part of me is ready to have some quiet time and part of me wishes I could climb in the crib with her and snuggle all night. But, this weekend I will be with her all day both days and can’t wait. She’s my little sweetheart and I love her dearly. A friend asked me last night if I was ever jealous that CJ got to be home with her all the time. My answer was yes. He gets to see and experience moments with her that I can’t. But at the same time, being away from her, helps me appreciate our time together all the more. And I wouldn’t trade that time for anything.

It is just what I need.

P.S. Samson was our buddy all night too. He even let Isabella crawl in the kennel with him and snuggle. Good boy dude!

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15Feb2011

V-Weekend, part 1

Posted in Holidays and Seasons, Isabella/Munchkin by teamtradermom

I’ve never been one to go all out for Valentines’ Day. When I was single it was because I was alone and just wanted the day to get over with as quickly as possible. Then, when I was in a relationship, I still didn’t make a big deal out of it because it sort of felt silly. But, over the years I have relaxed and can now enjoy it for what it is. It also makes a difference having a child. Every holiday seems so much more meaningful and fun when you have a little angel to celebrate it with.

Our Valentine celebration this year had 2 parts to it: one with Isabella on a “date” while CJ and I went out and the other was Valentine’s day itself!

Last year, we celebrated Valentine’s with our friends Heather and Jeremy, and their son Owen, who is Isabella’s boyfriend. The parallels in our friendship are kind of spooky sometimes. Jeremy and I work together, Heather and I were pregnant at the same time, had the same due date, had doctors within the same clinic and we all go to the same Chiropractor. Weird, huh? It’s like it was meant to be! Owen ended up making his debut in to the world 5 days before Munchkin so technically she’s dating an older man. Like mother, like daughter!

We had so much fun celebrating with them last year that we decided to do it again! Boy what a difference a year makes! For Valentine’s 2010, the babies were almost 5 months old so they pretty much just laid around, rolling back and forth and batting at toys. This year was much different. They are almost 17 months now and both are super active. They were running all over the place, talking away, climbing on couches, throwing stuff, eating solid food and actually interacting with each other. They are both such great kids and I think they will grow up to be good friends (at least that’s what I’m hoping).

Think they’ve grown up at all?

We got together on Saturday, to start the Valentine’s weekend off right! Isabella jumped right in and started playing with Owen’s toys – that’s the whole fun in being at someone else’s house!

(She’s also showing her runway strut – work it girl!)

Owen had a lot of fun hanging out with us too. He really liked my necklace and camera!

One thing that I think is really cool about our relationship is that Owen knows us and Isabella knows Heather and Jeremy, so neither kid is shy around the other set of parents. I’m glad because I want Owen to be comfortable around us and visa versa. The kids will basically run to whichever adult is closest when they needed something. Always fun to be a universal parent!

For dinner, we ordered heart shaped pizzas. Isabella gobbled hers up. I have to admit, it really hit the spot for me too. I think it tasted that much better because it was shaped like a heart – and because we were eating it with such good friends. We also had chocolate covered strawberries for dessert, because we’re fancy like that! Plus, calories don’t count when you’re celebrating with friends. Like, duh.

After dinner, it was time for CJ and I to leave. We had tickets for a play so Munchkin was going to spend the night at Owen’s. It was her first non-family sleepover. I tell ya what, it never gets easier to say good-bye. We put on our coats and she hardly even noticed. She was playing away and giggling up a storm. I gave her a hug and kiss, which she quickly squirmed out of in order to get back to the toys. As we walked out the door, she came running up to it and pressed her face against the window. My heart started aching. I knew she was in good hands and would be totally fine once we left. But seeing her little face pressed up against the window was like a magnet pulling me back to her. CJ said, “Keep going and don’t look back.” So I blew her a kiss and walked away. As I got to the driveway, I turned to look and saw her toddling off down the hallway, chasing after Owen. I knew then that she’d be perfectly fine and it made it easier to get in the car and drive away.

Apparently, she did more than fine – she did great! The kids got in their jammies and had some more playtime. They stopped for a bit to watch the puppies outside too.

Then it was time for bed. The plan was for Owen to sleep in his room and Isabella to sleep in a pack-n-play in the guest room, but the kids had other ideas…

“Come on mom! Please can’t we sleep together? It’s a slumber party after all!”

Looks like we might need to have “the talk” sooner than anticipated….plus Isabella still thinks her girl area is a “pocket”.

Both slept like a charm, which was good for Heather and Jeremy. I would have felt awful if Munchkin had kept them up crying for a woobie or something.

The next morning, they woke up and had eggs for breakfast. Muchkin needs a lesson in manners though as she thought it would be ok to eat with her feet on the table.

We brought donuts with us when we came to pick up Isabella, so everyone had a second breakfast! We were so happy to see our little girl and couldn’t stop kissing her, even while she ate her donut.

It came time to say goodbye. At first, Owen seemed happy to let us leave – he ran down the hall to the front door and tried to open it! But then we realized he had such feelings of sadness in him, at the thought of letting his love go, that he acted out in the opposite way. Typical boys, right? They pull your hair when they want to hold your hand and kick you out the door when they really want you to stay!

Eventually he relaxed and decided to say goodbye the proper way, with a kiss!

All together now…awwwwwww! Good thing Isabella had her woobie in her mouth to keep that kiss from going further!

It was a great start to the Valentine weekend and a big thanks to our friends Heather and Jeremy for being such great sitters! I feel totally comfortable having them watch her and I know she feels loved there too.

Now, on to part 2!

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