The City of Brotherly Love

Did we have fun or what!?  About two weeks ago, we headed on our very first family vacation-to Philadelphia.  Actually, we went to the Valley Forge Area to visit and stay with one of Ryan's Mission Companions and his family.  The drive was fun-we took the scenic route around to the West and stopped in West Virginia to eat at Cracker Barrel:

I want this huge lollipop

The Perfect Size Chair

We all arrived alive!  We played a lot of games, stayed up late, watched "Parking Wars" (to prepare for our visit to the PPA), went sight seeing, played with the kiddos, Trader Joe's, Kings of Prussia Mall (the biggest mall in Amurrica), drive through Valley Forge, watched Flo Rida on Good Morning America, etc...I mean honestly-it was awesome.  Here are some pictures of our adventures:

This is how you ride!

The Thinker

sweet!

Yes I did run up the stairs with Lillian in the backpack

This is the site where the LDS temple will be built in Philly-hard to believe that something so beautiful will be built on top of a parking lot soon!

cool!

Hershel's Deli-Soooooo good! Pastrami sandwich

Love Park

Mike's Philly Cheese Steak!!!

The city that loves you back:)

MY FAVORITE STOP!!!!  I WATCHED (AND REWATCHED) EVERY EPISODE-we rode the train into Philly, I have seen what could happen to you when you drive in

The trip was a lot of fun.  We are trying to be more adventurous-we are succeeding:)

She rules the roost

Oh sweet baby-Lil g, Itty Bitty, chunky monkey, etc...you are so loved.  Before I finish for tonight, I wanted to add a picture of her!  She got her first tooth breaking through the surface on 7/19/12 and started doing her first real crawls to get her anywhere on 7/16/12...she is super perfect to us!

12/6/11-sweet baby girl:)

HA! this is what happens when she is left with grandpa and dad!  she found the sweet stuff

Bucket List

I made a bucket list my Sophomore year of college-it was really deep and occasionally I find it where-I-put-it-and-wouldn't-forget-but-I-can't-find-it-right-now...I wanted to donate my hair.  After having worked at an Oncology (Cancer) office for a good 2 years, I saw the need for wigs on a daily basis.  My hair will grow back anyways, so why not?  Now I am a mom, so people may assume I did it because of that, but it isn't, however it sure is nice to not have to do much.  I finally had 10in. to donate and I asked Ryan and Lillian to come and support me...Here is the process:

so long, long hair

It was cut off with a razor!!

my first professional hair weave (as called in Utah) (or "highlight" as we say in Virginia)

i love it

I mailed it to Locks of Love and got a "thank you" post card in return...it was printed for "Dana"-oh well, atleast I received a cool post card!!

I had a baby...

7.5 months ago and things have been happening around here. I can't say that I don't blog because I have a baby so I am too busy-I am just too lazy...to do a lot of things. I feel like I need to put pictures on every post and I don't want to get up and find my cord and go through the hassle..yadayadayada...hopefully you're still reading...

Anyways, let's start with something that is not Lillian related-only because most every other blog post after this will be about her.

Ryan, Emily (his mother), Penny (a family friend), and yours truly ran a 5k on 5/12/12 for Ovarian Cancer.  I actually trained and felt great afterwards...I guess that is why you should train.  I was really proud of myself for training because I have always had good intentions and just haven't followed through. FYI-Lillian was being watched my Grandma Nas (my mom, that's her nickname and there is no reasoning behind it)

Ryan's eyes are clenched and you can't see mine-it was sunny!  Notice the big balloon arch-that was the end...

Here we are at the end of the race-we found each other:)
 

Sweet Lillian

Oh life is moving forward and it seems to go in a flash if you don't stop for a minute to savour in the moment. Lillian is so sweet and so kind. She seems to have such a "take it all in" personality and is very calm. She demands her meals and clean diapers, but I don't blame her. She enjoys her fish mobile, taggie, hands, mom's pinky finger to suck on, eating her blankets, and getting kisses from her soft bunny. She has a smile that takes over half of her face!! She is getting plumper by the second...

Ryan is studying hard and doing great in school. He is also doing great in the Airforce ROTC. I am enjoying staying home and being Lillian's mom.

Things I will be doing tomorrow

In my previous post, I stated that I would work out agression during my 30-20-10 class...and I did...I can hardly walk today, but it is a good feeling. I am feeling more calm and more in control and Lillian is fine! I have yet to call a new pediatrician, which I will be doing tomorrow. Even though I know how it is with switching doctors (I have worked in Doctor's offices for years now people), I am nervous about switching because I feel 'bad.' I am going to do it tomorrow.

Know what else I am going to do tomorrow...see Miranda Lambert in concert!


hahahahhooohooo people, it'll be so awesome. I am going with my friend Trish-lady's night.

For now, Ryan is studying, Lillian is sleeping (and making squeaky noises in her sleep), and I am asking myself "why aren't I sleeping." Goodnight.

PUNCH, PUNCH, JAB, KICK, PUNCH

Ughhhhh asdklj;cvn;lken;alkna;d,nac;andklgvnas;nae,rnma,dmn

That's how I feel today. I feel like a helpless mother. Lillian had to have an ultrasound on her hip because she was breached. Her left hip has mild muscle dysplasia. This means that her hip, when there is applied force (aka any movement), could come out of socket easily. The pediatricians office told me that "it is VERY important that we see a pediatric orthopedist right away, something bad developmentally could happen, yadda yadda."

When Lillian had trouble with gaining weight in the beginning, the Pediatrician told us that we HAD to come back for a weight check 3 days later (which would be right during our break at home) and I believed it...then I called and cancelled because I was NOT able to stay in Cville and had to go home.

Please know, this is MY blog and I am venting and I know that Lillian will be okay, but I feel helpless...although I am doing something by setting up the Orthapedic appointment...anyways...

I have felt like such a bad mom because I question the Pediatrician...and honestly, I AM THE MOTHER. I know what is best for my daughter because she is my pretty baby! I have maternal instincts and I know how to care for my child...I feel like I am 'bullied" in to doing things. People, I worked at an ONCOLOGY OFFICE...I know what it means to see the "walking dead." This is not a matter of life or death and I do not need to be bullied. We never "bullied" patients, we used compassion! I am feeling a lack of compassion and my find a new pediatrician. I just want to see a bit more compassion used and not so much "making me feel bad." Andddd, I am running on a little sleep every single day.

I will be attending a 30-20-10 class (30 min cardio, 20 min toning, and 10 min stretching) tonight to get some of this feeling of inadequacy off. I am going to do extra forceful kickbox punching in class. I would like to note, I could NOT do this whole parenthood thing without Ryan. He is so helpful...and without helpful friends and family who listen and help me.

Life with a Beautiful Baby

Oh Lillian, how you have changed our lives. I must say that having a baby right around vacation time (aka the holidays) was a blessing...our families helped us so much! Lillian was born during finals week(s) for Ryan and I had baby blues and didn't think I'd be able to muster strength to care for our little itty bitty baby...My mom rescued me and came to Cville to pick me up after we had been home for a week. Ryan was going to finals and going to work-which left me alone and sad...poor Itty Bitty was so hungry because I wasn't able to give her enough milk-and the doctors, I felt, were letting me know that I needed to make a lot of changes and be a better mom...well, let's be honest, I was hormonally imbalanced! So, I got a head start to vacation and Ryan soon followed after finishing with exams and working.

Vacation was a lot of fun...we had so many great times with family-both of them-the Bairds and the Shrefflers. Lillian was held so much and loved by everybody in the family, especially her mom and dad.

Baby Beautiful had her photo shoot, done by the talented Laura Barnett (Ryan's Sister) and she did such a great job. She was extremely patient in getting some great shots of such a beautiful, naked baby:)






and we had some family pictures taken by a family friend...she did an awesome job!

Our growing family:)

Anyways, while on vacation, we did a lot of talking, eating, playing, walking, talking, reading, holding baby, waking up at odd hours of the night with baby, eating, talking, family time, improving our skills on the Kinect-especially dance central!, watching tv, staying up late, not starting a schedule, sleeping, talking, and eating. It was a great way to get help with my new role as a mother...I had great examples-my mom, my mother-in-law, my sister-in-law, my sister, Dorothy (on the phone), and of course our "mother in training," Lil d (she may not have kids of her own yet, but she knows how to be a mother!). And it was so fun being with all Lillian's Aunties and Uncles...they all were wonderful and helped me a lot!

We are back home in Charlottesville now and we are working on improving our schedules-so that we can be better prepared for our roles as mother, father, wife, husband, student, providers, fun seekers, and amazing people contributing to the whole of society.