Fourth Annual Girls Weekend

We had our fourth annual girls weekend last weekend, and this year Sarah got to come for the firs time.  We've gone to San Antonio, Minneapolis, Kansas City, and this year we went to Omaha.  We picked Omaha so we could avoid traveling super far with Sarah and Bethany who is 30 weeks pregnant.  The five of us (Grandma June, Serina, Bethany, Sarah, and I) road in Serina's SUV, but next time we might need a van with Bethany's daughter!  Sarah and I drove to Kansas City on Thursday morning and made a pit stop in Bolivar to stretch out, change a diaper, and visit Memaw.  Always a treat!  This was my first long drive by myself with Sarah, and I was pretty nervous about it.  I've done the 45 minute drive from Springfield to Bolivar plenty of times, but this trip was three hours long.  Sarah was awake and happy from Springfield to Bolivar, and then she slept for the first hour of the next leg.  When she woke up she was fairly unhappy for the rest of the drive, but passing back Cheerios kept things relatively under control.  When we got to Serina's house we met up with June and Bethany as well and had a big salad for lunch - the only healthy meal of the weekend!

All of our stuff fit into the trunk thanks to the other three ladies each only bringing a backpack of clothing.  Sarah and I packed "light" with a full-sized suitcase, diaper bag, purse, plastic tub of toys, plastic tub of bottles, car seat, and stroller.  Sarah enjoyed having June and me as playmates in the back seat with her, but she did have about 20 minutes where she was fairly inconsolable.  I knew she was tired but wanted to play with us.  Eventually she gave in and rested.  Peace!  We took two stops during the three hour drive to Omaha, and now Sarah has checked off Iowa and Nebraska.  She's been to every bordering state to Missouri as well as several others for a total of 15 states.

Antique mall in Iowa

We got settled into the Marriott and headed to Cheesecake Factory for dinner.  They gave Sarah complimentary bread and bananas which was a thoughtful touch.  I stuffed myself with cottage pie and red velvet cheesecake.  Yum!  We went back to the hotel to get Sarah ready for bed.  Thankfully, we had two rooms so Serina and June shared a room with one king bed, and Bethany and I shared a room with two queens.  Sarah was supposed to have a crib, but we learned that actually meant a pack n play which was a bit of a bummer, but she still slept really well!  I couldn't have asked for her to do a better job while away from home.  It took about 45 minutes to get her to sleep the first night, but then she slept for 11 hours.  Bethany and I were able to go over to Serina and June's adjoining room to watch the Olympics each night.  The first night Bethany got up to go to the bathroom at 1:00, and Sarah stood up and started tickling my feet.  It was pretty cute!  She went back to sleep, thankfully.

On Friday morning we walked to Paradise Bakery and had a very tasty breakfast.  Sarah enjoyed sharing my ham, egg, and cheese croissant.  The zoo was the main attraction of the day.  Our Dickerson Park Zoo pass got us two 50% off tickets in Omaha which was pretty sweet!  I'd never been to the Henry Doorly Zoo before, and it was awesome!  We could have stayed there longer, but obviously Sarah can't stand anything for too long, and we didn't want to get too exhausted, so we stayed for two hours.  The weather was perfect!  It had rained the night before, so it was cool (maybe 80 degrees), breezy, and overcast.  We couldn't have asked for better weather for a weekend in August.  Sarah liked watching the penguins and jellyfish.  I really liked the large indoor monkey exhibit.

After the zoo we went downtown and found a big slide and ate lunch at The Old Spaghetti Works.  We headed back to the hotel to rest.  Sarah didn't nap in the pack n play, but she did take some good car naps during the weekend.  Serina, Sarah, and I hit up the outdoor pool to get some wiggles out.  I had brought a lot of toys so the hotel room was a good playground.  Dinner was at Lolo's, and I think Sarah ate about half of my chicken and loved the zucchini and squash.  She even got her own little cup to take home!  Sarah slept really well Friday night, went to sleep instantly, and slept in until 7:45.  Success!

On Saturday morning we went to the same bakery again and then headed to the farmers market.  It was cute, and Sarah really enjoyed watching the workers demonstrating a big bubble wand.  We ate lunch in a mall  food court where Sarah had fun playing with Aunt Bethany's chopsticks.  We did a bit of shopping.  I wanted to get Sarah measured for Stride Rites now that she's walking.  We found out she's a 5 extra wide, which is a special order.  She has such round, chubby feet.  We'll see if the shoes fit when they arrive!  We hit up another mall, but Serina and June stayed in the car and relaxed while Sarah slept and Bethany and I shopped for maternity jeans for her.  We ate dinner at a pizzeria called Pitch.  The food was good, but Sarah was kind of antsy, so it wasn't relaxing.  Also, every restaurant, store, and establishment should be required to have a changing table.  Just saying.  We went to an ice cream shop, and I had a delicious cone with salted caramel ice cream.  This was Sarah's first time to eat ice cream, and I'd say she approved!  Sarah went to sleep easily again this night but woke up when Bethany and I came to bed.  I did a diaper change, bottle, and rocking, and Sarah went back to sleep after half an hour.

Sarah woke up a bit early at 6:45 on Sunday morning.  We got packed up, had breakfast at the hotel, and hit the road.  Sarah napped a lot longer on the drive back to KC so we only took one break.  When we got back to Serina's house Bethany headed home, June started her three hour drive back home, and Sarah and I ate a quick lunch and started our journey back home.  Sarah slept for an hour of the drive to Bolivar and then was awake but relaxed.  We stopped in Bolivar for an hour and a half to see my parents and Memaw and Pepaw, and then Sarah slept most of the drive back to Springfield.  We had to go immediately to church so that Robert could watch Sarah while I had a MOPS planning meeting, and then we had to go to the quarterly business meeting.  Sarah didn't get to go to sleep until 8:30, so she slept in until almost 8:00 Monday morning.

I've unpacked, sorted through mail, and done four loads of laundry, so we're back to the daily grind now.  I couldn't have asked for Sarah to be more cooperative this weekend.  She helped me be able to enjoy the weekend of sightseeing, good food, and rest.  It was fun to be able to add her to this girls weekend!

Free Activities for Babies

It's no secret that having a baby costs major bucks.  Whether it's medical bills for labor and delivery, formula and diapers, or a crib, some things just can't be avoided.  Living on one income, I try to be extra savvy in finding free and cheap activities for Sarah.  Here are some things she's enjoyed over the last year:

There are the old standbys: playing in a cardboard box, digging through a cabinet full of something safe like towels, and putting clothes in and out of a laundry basket.

Story time at the public library - This is awesome!  For us, we go every Monday morning from 9:30-10:00 and attend a class for birth through 18 months old.  The time includes songs with actions, rhymes, stories, activities like bubbles or rattles and some free play.  It's a nice way to promote early literacy and socialization for your baby.  Sarah really does recognize some of the songs now and starts reaching for the shakers when it's time for Shaky Shaky.

Sitting on the front porch - We're fortunate to have a porch swing, but a chair or the ground would work just fine.  We can enjoy listening to the birds, inspect leaves and twigs, wave at the cars as they go by, and say hi to walkers.  Fresh air and sunshine instantly get Sarah and me into a better mood.

Ties in tissue box - I tied together three of Robert's old neck ties and put them in a tissue box.  Sarah loves pulling and pulling until they all come out.  It has helped with her pincer grasp, and she' thinks it's pretty funny.

Get a regular walking buddy - During the school year Sarah and I walked with my friend Becky and her dog, Lucy, on Thursday mornings from 9:00-10:00.  Sarah enjoys watching Lucy, and I enjoy getting to talk to Becky.  It's been too hot and busy this summer, but I hope we can pick this up again soon.  For me, having a set guaranteed time to do something is really key to making it happen.  We know to not plan anything else for Thursdays at 9:00, and we're able to make it happen almost every week.

Make bath time last as long as possible - In the summer, you can even take it out side!  Sarah enjoys playing with her rubber duck, foam letters, and bubble wand in the tub.  Playing peekaboo with the shower curtain is definitely a favorite.

Check out board books from your church library - Reading the same books over and over again doesn't bore Sarah yet, but it gets old to me quickly.  Our church has a good selection of wholesome books that I feel good about Sarah reading.

Sarah At Twelve Months

Stats
Weight: 23lbs 0.5oz
Height: 29 7/8"
Head circumference: 17 5/8"

Sleeping
Sleeping has been so much better after last month seemed rough.  Sarah has gone back to napping an hour each morning from around 9:30-10:30 and one or two hours in the afternoon from 2:00-4:00.  She keeps geeting better at falling asleep on her own.  A few times this month she played, rolled around, and babbled happily for over an hour before she finally collapsed.  Fine by me!  It was pretty cute to watch on the video monitor.  Sarah still falls asleep in the carseat, but it's gotten easily to transition her to the crib so we don't have to sit in the car until she wakes up.  She's started sleeping with one of my old blankets and Lamb Chop.

She managed to get her left arm out of her pajamas!

Eating
She's been naturally consuming less from bottles and more from table food.  I'm excited to start whole milk and ditch the hefty price tag of formula!  When I think of Sarah's favorite foods this month I think of peanut butter, bread and tortillas, spaghetti, garlic parmesan butternut squash, watermelon, yogurt, strawberries, cheddar and colby cheese, and water from her sippy cup.  She loses it and gets so focused when you bring out the jar of peanut butter - a girl after my own heart.  Just wait until you try PBJ, Sarah!  She drinks at least 10 ounces of water a day now, too.  She's probably thirsty from all that peanut butter!

Personality
Sarah has a new scrunchy face that she makes whenever somebody looks at her or talks to her.  It's become a crowd pleaser which has made her start doing it even more.  She's also started raising her right shoulder and tucking her head into it when smiling - also a crowd pleaser.

Sarah got moved to the toddler room at church on July 30.  I thanked the baby teacher for her time with Sarah, and she said that Sarah had been the leader of the classroom, tried to involve the other children in whatever she was doing, and enjoys sharing her toys with others.  It was really sweet and made me so proud of the person that Sarah is becoming.

Speaking of sharing, Sarah really learned how to share this month.  Sure, she might want the item back after two seconds, but it seems like a big milestone that she's noticed that we share with her so she wants to share with us.

Health and Physical Ability
Nothing tops Sarah's first solo steps this month!  She took two steps by herself on Friday, July 22 in Kansas City when we were in town to celebrate her Nana's birthday.  It was so exciting!  Unfortunatley, Robert missed it and has somehow missed every time since then.  She's taking steps every day now, and her personally record is seven steps in a row.  She also likes pushing her walker and anything else (boxes, chairs, etc.).  She still enjoys crawling, but I think walking will be her preferred mode of transportation very soon.

Sarah had her appointment with the urologist this month.  We've decided to postpone surgery in hopes that her ureters will straighten and strengthen as she grows.  She will have the renal ultrasound and VCUG performed again next year to see if they are getting better.  If they aren't getting better then we will do open surgery.  If they seem to be progressing and getting healthier then we will decide to do a robotic surgery or to continue to wait.  While waiting she is on a daily antibiotic to prevent infections while she still has VUR.

Sarah's new words this month were Hat and Woof Woof, and she's really been enjoying blowing raspberries again and clicking her tongue.  She's also good and mimicking vocalizations that we make.

Superficial
Sarah's curls pretty much go around the entire back and sides of her hair now.  She's gotten tanner than me.  She still has the cutest nose, eyes, and eyelashes.  Her skin is so soft, and it's sad to think about her feet getting calluses as she starts to walk and wear shoes.  She's become ticklish under her neck this month and can't help but giggle uncontrollably when you tickle her.  She also thinks it's hilarious when other people get hurt - again, just like her mom.

Highlights of the month
July 9-16 - Robert was in Omaha for a mission trip.  This was a really long week, and I don't think I could have made it without the help of family.  Again, so thankful to live close to them.

July 22-23 - Trip to Kansas City to celebrate Nana's birthday

July 24 - First trip to Silver Dollar City.  Sarah road the frogs, butterflies, carousel, hot air balloons, and puppies.

July 25-26 - Memaw came for an overnight visit.  She and Sarah are great playmates!

July 29-30 - Kansas City for Aunt Bethany's baby shower.  Sarah is excited to meet her first cousin!

August 1 - First birthday photos!

August 2-7 - Aunt Cathy and cousin Christine in from Pennsylvania to celebrate Sarah's birthday (their first time to see Sarah since October).

Dear Sarah,
You're a whole year old!  This has been a season of growing, learning, and changing for you.  In your life you will go through many seasons: childhood and adulthood, sickness and health, easy times and times in a figurative desert, just to name a few.  I hope you always remember that God is with you in every season, whether it feels like an easy time or Satan tempts you to believe that God has left your side.  That is a lie, and you can always trust that God has you in His hand.  He's been with you this year when you slept, ate, played, crawled, walked, and everything in between.  God has great plans for you future.  I hope and pray that the most important thing that will happen in His plan is that you will become a born again believer who seeks to please and honor God in all that you do.  Sarah, I look back on this year and can't believe how much you and I have changed.  Thank you for the privilege of being your mother.  I hope I can set a good example for you.  You are a precious gift from God.  Now let's party!