Winter Wonderland

We got about six inches of snow yesterday. I love how insulated and pure everything feels when snow falls. Aliyah and I spent the day snuggled up on the couch but ventured out twice to play in the snowy fluff... then right back to snuggling and sipping on a mug of hot chocolate. The only thing missing was Tyler! Although, he was happy that he now rides the bus downtown every day and was able to get an extra 1 hour 1/2 nap in on the way to work.

Yesterday was so incredibly beautiful and such a treat for us!

A Night Out with the Girls

I didn't think to snap a picture of the girls,
but feel free to enjoy this one of Aliyah's sweet get-up

I really enjoyed my time out with a few of my wonderful friends last week. While my sweet dove spent the evening with her daddy, I enjoyed time with the girls catching up, eating frozen yogurt, and reminiscing about our time at Baker.

I can probably count on one hand how many times I have been away from Aliyah. Not that I am crazy about being apart, there are just not many times when the opportunity arose (and I really don't mind hanging out with the little gal)... Just as I was starting to really relax and enjoy the uninterrupted adult conversation, it was time to go. I reached into my purse to grab my keys as we hugged and said our goodbyes. I was getting ready to wrap my arms around my old college roomie as she laughed, "What the heck is in your hand?!?" I answered, "My keys" as we hugged.

"Do you drive a tonka truck?" she asked. Huh???? I looked down and in my hand and saw a brightly colored plastic key ring that belonged to Aliyah. BAhahahaha... I couldn't stop laughing! How did I not notice?

It made me smile to think of who I am evolving into - laughing with friends with pink shinny lips while wearing my favorite sassy winter boots and a mama with a plastic key ring in her purse and cheerios in her pocket.

My Big Girl

This little lady is moving right along! I have to keep reminding myself that a growing girl is a healthy and happy girl... maybe just slow down a tiny bit? Look how big she is!!!

what girl doesn't love shopping?

riding in her stroller WITHOUT her infant carseat

Then and Now

Here I am with my Grandma and Grandpa Madsen. My first Christmas 1982

Aliyah wore this special dress on a very special day... Uncle Austin and Aunt Jamie's wedding. She wasn't quite a month old - such a doll! Summer of 2010

A Story About Transitioning

snoozing in my arms one lazy afternoon

A friend and I were recently talking about the sleep schedule (schedule - HA!) of newborns and transitioning Aliyah from our room to her own room. The whole co-sleeping thing is a hot button topic...

Some parents swear by it - others are horrified by it. Personally, I think every family will figure out what works best for their individual needs. I don’t know if sharing our experience with transitioning Aliyah to the crib will be helpful or not - because if I’ve learned anything so far, it’s that every baby is so different and what works brilliantly for one may be a complete failure for another. But here goes...

When Aliyah was a newborn we started her off in a the infant sleeper that is attached to some pack-n-plays. We pulled the pack-n-play right next to our bed - she was waking so often to nurse that even getting up to go across the room to get her was wasting precious seconds of sleep. I was also obsessed with checking on her to make sure she was breathing so we slept with a lamp on in our room.

At three months, the pack-n-play's safety manual recommend that we no longer use the infant sleeper, so we moved her to the flat bassinet in the pack-n-play. We always put her to sleep flat on her back. She wasn't a fan of this, but swaddling really helped and also prolonged the length of time she would stay asleep at night.

Eventually, as she slept for longer periods of time, we pushed her pack-n-play to the other side of the room. It took me MONTHS before I was ready to transition her to her crib. I think she was ready within weeks after removing the infant sleeper - but I couldn’t bare the idea of her being in another room!

Truthfully, it didn’t happen until she was around 5 months old. Finally, finally I put on my brave mama face and put her down in her own crib in her own room. I slept fitfully but she actually did pretty well! I think that our turning over and movements woke her more often than I realized when she was in our room.

Now she’s exclusively going to sleep in her crib every night unless she’s sick - but we bring her into our room every morning when she wakes up (anywhere between 3am and 6am). I miss her the minute she goes to sleep - but it sure is nice to have alone time with my husband back!

My advice? Take your time - baby step the process and don’t feel like you need to rush it. There is no timeline - do what works for your family!

Healthy Eating

"We know that first foods can have permanent effects on growth, strength, the immune system, and intelligence - with long-term consequences for many other aspects of health and even personality...

From nine to 18 months is an incredible opportunity to train our children’s taste buds to enjoy wholesome foods forever. It’s the cornerstone of a longer, healthier and happier life."

-Article: Your baby’s first foods can affect later health on MSNBC.

Everything about this makes perfect sense. I thought this was an interesting read (and it features a couple of great baby food recipes - Aliyah loves baby guac)

Happy New Year

Our New Years Eve Summed Up In One Photo:

LAZY PERFECTION: It was a peaceful evening of fried chicken, champagne and smooches at midnight.

My resolutions for the coming year are simple:

1. Worry less. Pray more

2. Make my bed every morning

3. Create a healthier mind, body and soul

4. Focus my energy on being the best mom that I can be

Did you make any new year resolutions?