Fabulous and 50!

My mom is THE BEST MOM in the WHOLE world! She turned 50 this year. Me and my sister took her downtown Chicago to see one of her favorite artist, John Cougar Mellancamp, in concert. We had an amazing time together, but unfortunatly John didn't show up to play so much. I love my mom SO much. She is not only my mom but one of my very best BESTIES! Mom, you are an AMAZING women! I want to thank you for just being you. I only wish I can add up to half the women you are.

My mother is one of the most caring, unselfish,beautiful,loyal,Godly,and MOST much fun women I have ever met. Here is to FABULOUS and 50! Love you Momma!

Glug Night!

Day After Thanksgiving is ALWAYS Glug night at my mother-in-laws house. We make basically a spiced liquor (Glug) and eat a traditional Swedish dish Lapskus (cooked down meat and potatoes). Poppy was the man to always make the Glug. Zack took over the tradition this year and did a great job! Can't wait for Payton to be old enough to try her first spoonful of Lapskus!

Zack starting up the Glug. It consists of Port Wine,Merlot,Brandy, Everclear, and spices. Oh boy. It really can clear up the sinuses! lol

Great Aunt Denise got all the babies matching Christmas Jammie's. We just HAD to do a photo shoot.

We have from the top to right: Reese, my lovely Payton, Blake, Rylee, and Bruno the cabbage patch! LOL

Happy Thanksgiving!

Payton's first Thanksgiving! The weekend before Thanksgiving was with my family at my parents house. We had a great time and Payton got to meet her Great Uncle Terry and her Great Grandpa Joe for the first time. Lots of food and good wine. Never gonna hear me complain about that. Isabel ( my niece) really likes Payton or I should say "Paytee". Bel has coined the new nickname and I find myself saying it now too.

On the big Thanksgiving day we were at my mother-in-laws house. She had about 18 people including babies for dinner! We had a great time there also eating 25 pound turkey and lots more. Way to go Diane! Zack, me and Paytee were over for the whole day. If it was up to us we would have stayed another couple of hours but Payton thought different. Weather she was overstimulated or we got a our first stint with what people call " The Witching Hour", Payton decided to start crying at not stop. It took us a bit but we got her in her car seat and drove home. By the time we got home it had been a good hour of straight screaming. Zack took one look at me and told me to step out and take a break. That was it. Mandy had her first new mommy meltdown! whats wrong with her? she was fed.....check. no dirty diaper.....check. burped a million times....check. what am i doing wrong? whats wrong with me? is she in pain? Is she gonna be a colicky baby? How do you deal with a colicky baby? Did she sleep to long during the day? Did she not sleep enough? And the list goes on and on and on. This consisted of a lot of crying and an emergency phone call to my awesome sister Annie. Thanks sis. by the the time i got off the phone (reassured that everything is fine with Payton and me) Payton was sleeping for the night like a peach. Zack was able to get one more mini burp out of her and she passed out. I think God is slowly teaching me through Payton to stop worrying about things you can't control.

"Save BIG money at Menards!"

   Zack and I LOVE Menards as well as any other home depot store! We love to walk around and just plan our next DIY project either in our condo or dream about what we are going to have in our home one day! Thats why Payton's second shopping outing with Mom and Dad HAD to be Menards. She slept through the whole thing! I don't know if she is planning on becoming a DIY'er herself.

Happy One Month Birthday P.K.

I can't believe our peanut is One Month already! It one sense it seems like it is going by fast. Probably because this past month has seems like one long day of a three hour or so turn around. Around every three hours Payton and I go through the routine. Wake up, change diaper, feed, play a bit, and then back to bed. Payton is starting to have a bit more awake time. which is fun because we play in her play mat for a bit. Just a week ago or so I put her in there while I was making bottles for the day and heard her first cooing. To a first time mom that's A LOT of fun. Its always nice to hear something else besides crying : )! She likes to spend about 10 minutes or so in her play mat. In the beginning you would put her in there and she would look around for awhile and then fall asleep. Now I put her in there and her friends ( cartoon animals) piss her off after awhile. it is funny to hear her talking (cooing) at them in the beginning and then just when she has had enough she starts really yelling at them ( just straight on loud "AAAAAA's"). As if one of the animals really did something to make her mad! She REALLY loves to eat also. She is eating around 4 1/2 oz at every feeding time (which is around every three hours). When we go to her one month follow up I can't wait to find out how much she weighs! I am very excited because when I change her I can start to see the beginning of some chunk on her baby thighs. Growing baby is a healthy baby! Payton does a few long stretches of sleeping for me through the night. She is kinda deciding on her own at least right now that her bed time is somewhere between eight and nine in the evening. From there I wake up to do one middle of the night feeding and we wake up for the day between six and seven in the morning. She is pretty good to her momma. I have never been an early bird so I am getting used to starting my day so early, but I know I should not complain! Payton is also holding her head up on her own a lot more now. When she is awake she is REALLY awake. We laugh because sometimes we just wait for her to blink. Everyday is a struggle for me as a new mom not to over worry about EVERYTHING!. As time goes on , with the support of awesome family, I can say I am beginning to get better with that.

P.K.'s Bath Time!

    Can't believe that we are on week two already! Payton had a weepy eye and I called the doc who ordered up and antibiotic for it. They think she could have an eye infection, but it also could be a blocked tear duct! Oh Boy, welcome to parenthood. She is a trooper and takes the ointment twice a day very well.
Here is our little peanut at bath time. Grandma Davis takes charge of this because I am still a little nervous. Payton's belly button fell of this week, AND at tummy time she lifted her head and turned it 90 degrees. What a big girl already!

Happy Halloween

   We were so excited Payton graced us with her presence on mommy's FAVORITE holiday! We ended up having an open house for friends and family to come and see her. It was a little overwhelming after a night out with hubby, but we had a great time showing P.K. off!