I'm slowly giving into the dark side

So with Instagram now being available for Androids, I have taken one more step towards the dark side of being completely "plugged in". Since I have a ton of pictures I want to add to my Instagram, I don't want to inundate facebook with pictures I've already posted there, I decided to update my twitter account.  Oh how technology is a slippery slope! The only good thing is that I hear that they have cookies on the dark side!

I really have been bad at this, but that doesn't make me a bad mother!

So it's been quite a long while since I've published anything.  I read other blogs everyday and feel envious of how confident those bloggers seem to be.  Envious of how their children have been "captured" in their blogs and they will be able to remember all the little details of their little one's life.  I envision their lives through their words and pictures and strive to be the kind of mothers they are.  Then I stop and look at my little one and realize, that I am a good mother too.  I just do my mothering differently.  I may not be as crafty as some of the bloggers I read, but that doesn't make me a bad mother, because I still sit and color with my little girl.  I may not be home with her all day, everyday, but that doesn't make me a bad mother, because I still love my daughter and in doing so I work to provide for her and at the end of the day, I know she still loves me.  I may not be as good a cook as some of the bloggers I read, but that doesn't make me a bad mother because she still has meals and snacks and she is a healthy little girl.  I may not be able to blog as often and write or type out every little memory as much as other bloggers, I still remember and cherish and thrive on every little detail in my head.

However, I do strive to constantly improve how I am as a mother and I will always be that way.  Because no matter what, my child(ren) will always deserve the best that I can give.  For that reason, over the next couple months, I really want to concentrate on trying to write more often and keep a better record of Delaney's childhood.  She really amazes me everyday with all the things she knows and does.  I want to remember those moments more vividly later on in her life, and since I know that at some point my mind may fail me, I want to have somewhere I can go to remember every little detail the way it happened.

So either later today or sometime tomorrow, I will start my records of her childhood as close to my last post as I can possibly get, and will keep working my way to present day as much as possible. So while I'm working my way through the last 6 months, bear with me.

My little Delaneylion

THe last couple of weeks have been really busy.  My mother-in-law was in town from Michigan 2 weekends ago, then 2 days after she left, my parents came in town from Michigan for almost a week.  While I'm sure I will have plenty of pictures to share with you soon, one of my favorite things about having my parents here is that during the day, I get random pictures to my phone of things they are doing throughout the day. While the quality isn't the best, the cuteness is still tops in my books! This one is my favorite one I received from my mom one day after bath time.

I am Delaney...hear me ROAR! ZOMG I cute not stop showing this picture to everyone! She was so tired in this picture because it was right before bedtime. (which is probably how my mom got her to sit still long enough for this picture!)

In which I apologize profusely

I'm so sorry!!! There isn't really an excuse for the fact that I know that it's been forever since I last posted.  I'm pretty sure it's been exactly 1 month.  But this past month has been so busy that I haven't really had time to update anything.  But, that means that here in the next week or 2 you will be bombarded with updates of the last month.  Come back and see me soon, and catch up with all the fun Delaney activity!

Here we go again...another milestone!

Yesterday, I picked Delaney up as usual from daycare and the teacher handed me her usual daily sheet.  Only this time it had this on it...

That's right! Delaney had her first tinkle on the big girl potty!  Of course, I made a HUGE deal about it to Delaney to encourage her to continue this.  We called Nana, Papa, Grandma, Papa T, and Mammy to let them all know.  She even got a cupcake as a treat. 

I'll be honest...yes I am extremely excited about the possibility that she'll be out of diapers before she's 2...but at the same time, I'm a little sad.  This is just one more step away from babyhood and into toddlerhood.  No one told me how conflicted I would feel with every new thing she does.  As a parent you want your child to learn new things, to thrive, to grow...but a part of you wants to grab them and hold them and never let go in hopes that it will keep them little longer.  I knew she would grow, but I never understood how fast! 

So now, we just keep plugging away at this new stage...potty training.  Lord help us!

1.5 Years/18 months/78 weeks/547 days

Delaney,

When you look at that last number, 547 days, it seems so long. But I assure you, that time flies by so fast when you are a parent.  On the 4th you turn 18 months old.  My sweet baby has turned into a just as sweet if not sweeter toddler.  I mean, I know that technically you've been a "toddler" since about 7 1/2 months when you started walking, but you are definitely a toddler now.  You are hitting a stage right now where you have your daddy and me cracking up all the time.  Your vocabulary has just blown up in the past month or two.  You look at us with such a serious look and start "talking" to us.  You are so determined to tell us something, and you are completely convinced that you are saying the words that you are hearing in your head.  But then in the past 2 weeks or so, when you're talking to us you are actually saying words that we can understand!  And when you string some of the words together, the "sentences" that you say are so funny!  Sometimes we know where you've picked up what you're saying, and sometimes we have no idea!  Like the other day...we were sitting in the living room and you walked over to me and started screaming "ELMO!" over and over.  Now, we've never watched Elmo with you. And you don't have an Elmo toy. So we don't know where you picked that up.  Luckily someone had given us an Elmo movie back when you were really little to let you watch.  And now, you like to request Mickey Mouse.  But when you ask for that, it sounds like moush.  You LOVE to eat cheese or fruit snacks as your snacks.  When you ask for a snack it sounds like you are saying Knack.  But it is the cutest thing.  You are constantly moving and climbing.  You will climb on anything that you can get your little hands on.  One of my favorite things you do is, you can be in the middle of doing something and you'll hear music start up up somewhere in the background and you will drop whatever you are doing to start dancing. You are a music baby, that's for sure.  You are also a water baby.  I have to keep a real close eye on you, because if I don't, you will pick up the dogs water dish and completely empty it so that you can splash around in the water.  You have been known to get into your kiddie pool fully clothed, shoes and all just to splash around.  You are a very loving baby too.  You love to give hugs and fishy kisses. You will cuddle with me all the time, and believe me when I say, I eat it up!  I will stop anything to cuddle with you because I LOVE it that much.  You have also recently started trying to show your independence by throwing tantrums every once in a while.  So far they haven't been too bad, but daddy and I just laugh because your fake cry look is so adorable!

I can't tell you how much your daddy and I love you.  You have been such a bright spot in our lives since the day you were born.  We just wish the time would slow down a little because we know that if we blink, you will be grown and ready to move out.  We know that you are already a great kid, and we look forward to watching you grow.

Just to let you know, at your 18 month appointment you measured in at 25.6 lbs, 34 inches tall, and your head measured off the chart as usual!  I would tell you to slow down on the growing...but we both know that won't happen!

Love,
Mommy

My Beautiful girl

I don't know when you got so big either!

Rain drops were falling on my head!

Rain.  It's what's been on everyone's mind here for....well....it seems like forever.  We have not seen rain in over 3 months.  And while normally it wouldn't be that big a deal, we have also been in the high 80's to high 90's for the past 3 months.  Needless to say, dry and hot do not mix well for plants, grass, wildfires...you know what I mean?  Last night though, while we were playing with bubbles in the backyard, it started to sprinkle.  So I grabbed my husband a a couple beers and sat out on the back patio, well, until it started to lightning and the wind picked up.  But Delaney got to spend a little time in the rain and thoroughly enjoyed it.

She was laughing and stomping around in the puddles.  We were all enjoying it.  But then it got to a point where it wasn't safe outside anymore, so we scooped her up and headed indoors.  And when she realized that she wasn't going to be able to play in the rain or blow bubbles anymore...this is what we got...

A sad little girl!  It's OK, the weather is back to dry and hot today, so we'll get some bubble time in tonight after dinner!