The weather was gorgeous today, so Scout and I spent a lot of time outside. We played in the yard for a while and then went for a walk around the neighborhood. I brought the camera along so I could snap random pics. Yes. I was THAT bored.

Here is Scout just as we were setting out on our journey. She is waving "Hi".



Here is our new-to-us car chillin' in the side yard. It's a '92 Buick somethin'-er-other. It's in decent shape and was FREE. (DH's older sister and husband can't drive anymore due to medical problems, so they gave it to us) It's not the fanciest ride in the world, but hey, it's a lot less embarrassing to drive than MY CAR.


Our freshly mowed lawn.


The town square.




Why do these people need so many satellite dishes? Just sayin'.


Pretty Irises



There is a sidewalk in front of the high school with all the graduates' names engraved in it. At the end of my pregnancy, I'd walk the neighborhood almost every day and when I went down the graduate walk, I used to slow down to peruse the names to get some baby name inspiration. Wow. I see I overlooked some really good ones, like: Wilda Sue, Homer, Mable, Dortha, Verda, and Lowell.



In case you didn't know, it's classy to stick fake flowers in a pot of dirt outside your door.



I don't know if you can read the signs, but this store a block from my house sells jelly beans, canned tuna, porcelaine figurines, satellite t.v. service, computer repair, and cell phone service. Um. What?



And finally, back at the house, we have DH's 80's moped

Labels: my car, my house, outings, random thoughts

DH and I scored free tickets to a local music festival at the last minute on Saturday and decided to go and take Scout with us. (Couldn't pass up an opportunity to see one of my fave bands - Sonic Youth - for free!) My only concern was that we didn't have adequate ear protection for her and I wasn't sure how loud the music would be. So, Matt picked up some ear plugs at a music store and even though they weren't made for kids, we figured they would work (since they are the spongy foamy kind that you can squeeze into even the littlest ear)

When we got to the festival, we ate and then I strapped Scout to my back in the Ergo carrier right after we put the ear plugs in her ears. We found a not-so-crowded spot sort of far away from the stage, but where we could still see really well and we chilled there waiting for Sonic Youth to take the stage. Scout was still in the Ergo.

All of the sudden, Matt said "She's got an ear plug in her mouth!!!" I turned so he could reach her and then he yelled, "Get her out of there!!!" My heart jumped into my throat. I unbuckled the Ergo and he pulled her out. She was choking. She could not breath. Her lips weren't blue yet, but her eyes and mouth were wide open but she wasn't drawing any breath - she was panicking. We were panicking. I told Matt to flip her forward so that she was almost upside down and I pounded on her back HARD with the heel of my hand. The ONLY reason I knew to do that was because she choked briefly on a canned peach chunk not too long ago and it freaked me out enough to look on the internet for info on what to do in that situation. The peach chunk incident was more like she was gagging/coughing....nothing compared to THIS. I swear. I did not think the ear plug was going to come up! It seemed like it took FOREVER, even though I know it probably only took a few seconds.

She finally let out a cry and we lifted her upright. For a second, I still thought she had the ear plug in her mouth, but she didn't. It had come out and was on the ground by Matt's feet. To me, her lips looked a little blue-tinted at that point, but it was hard to tell since it was getting dark out. She seemed a little bit shaken up, but was totally back to her normal happy-go-lucky self within minutes. Matt and I were total wrecks and could not believe what had just happened. What if it would not have come up? I felt like we came so close to losing our precious baby girl that night. It is so crazy how one stupid mistake like that has the potential to change EVERYTHING in an instant. I felt so dumb. Why didn't I think about the possibility of her grabbing them out of her ears? I could just kick myself. For months and months (actually, even before Scout was born) I have been wanting to order some of those noise cancelling headphones that are made especially for kids and toddlers...you know, the kind that ther rock stars' kids wear to concerts. But I just kept putting it off.

Matt said that right before it happened, he was sitting there spacing out, staring at some woman who was dancing all drunk and crazy-like to the music, when he heard that Still Small Voice that said, "look at your daughter". We believe it was the Holy Spirit telling him to look at Scout at that moment. I am so glad he did.

I kept playing the whole thing over in my head the next day and the more I thought about it, the more I knew that there was definitely some divine intervention going on. Whew! It just makes me so thankful that even in our total stupidity and carelessness, God's grace abounds and he is there to guide us.

I know this sounds over-dramatic (and way morbid) but Sunday morning, I woke up thinking that Matt and I could easily be in gut-wrenching, disgustingly painful mourning for the loss of our sweet child, had Matt not seen that she had the ear plug in her mouth. It could have been several minutes before I would've even thought to try to look over my shoulder to check on her. If I would've stopped feeling her moving around in the Ergo, I would've just thought that she had fallen asleep. What if Matt would've been in the bathroom or off getting a drink at a concession stand? No one around us seemed to be paying much attention and it was pretty dark, so I doubt that anyone would've noticed that Scout was choking to death. It makes me sick to think about how things could've turned out. I should probably stop thinking of all the "what ifs"

Labels: deep thoughts, doh, music, outings, spirituality

DH had to work about 2.5 hrs from home yesterday, so Scout and I just hung out by ourselves. I called 2 different friends to see if anyone wanted to hang out with me, but they were busy. I was REALLY needing some adult conversation. REALLY. Oh well.

After Scout's nap, I loaded the stroller into the trunk and we went to the mall to walk around. It was rainy and cold and I was tired of being couped up inside, so I had to do something. Well, when we got there and I pulled the stroller out of the trunk, I realized that I had forgotten to bring the detachable tray that fits in front. Without the tray, the stroller is next to useless because Scout is scared of riding in it without it. I think she feels all vulnerable, like she'll fall right out or something. If she has the little tray in front of her, I think she feels more like she is sitting in her highchair at home or in a shopping cart (which she loves).

Well, I did get her to ride in the stroller for a while, but not without telling her I'd buy her a pony when she's 8 years old...and even then, it was very short-lived. The tray would've also been nice to have when we went to the food court and had lunch. I could've just kept her in the stroller and put her little chunks o' food on the tray....instead of lugging a dirty mall high chair over to the table while trying to push the stroller at the same time. Public high chairs give me the heebie jeebies. And these particular high chairs were way too short for the food court tables, so poor Scout had to reach for her food and made an even bigger mess than she normally would have.

We left right after we ate because as soon as I tried to put her back in the stroller, she started screaming bloody murder. I did have the Ergo carrier with us, but frankly, I was too lazy and tired to wear her around the mall while pushing our giant stroller.

(Scout looking less than enthused at the mall food court)

We then went to Wa1-Mart to grab some ingredients for the Asian noodle salad I made for lunch today. The recipe is from The Pioneer Woman, adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe. I chopped all the ingredients, made the dressing, and cooked the noodles last night. All I needed to do when we got home from church is toss it all together. We had some friends and their sweet kiddos over this afternoon. They seemed to really enjoy the salad. I made some orange glazed chicken in the crockpot to go with it. Oh, and I also made some banana bread, which we enjoyed with the vanilla ice cream our guests brought. I guess I was feeling particularly Betty-Crocker-ish for a change.

Oh yeah. And DH got a mullet today. Yep. A mullet. You know, like business in front, party in the back? That's right. A real mullet. More on that later.

Labels: dh, food, general complaining, outings, pics of scout

DH gave me a great gift. Yesterday, he watched Scout ALL. DAY. LONG. while I went shopping and goofed off all by myself. Not only that, he surprised me with a $100 gift certificate to a fancy-schmancy natural parenting boutique that I've been wanting to check out since they opened back in December but just hadn't had a chance. He started having second thoughts about the gift card after he gave it to me because he felt bad that it was for a store where I would just end up buying things for the baby. But I assured him that (like I've heard most of my mommy friends say) shopping for my baby is SO MUCH more fun than shopping for myself! It was the perfect gift: A day to myself and money to blow on expensive baby things that we wouldn't normally splurge on!

My "day off" started out with the seemingly mundane task of going to Wa1-Mart to get my oil changed. But I didn't mind at all. I felt light and free as I wandered the aisles of the busy megamart freely. Everyone else had carts to push, crap to carry, lists to check off, and kids to manage. Not me. I was just liesurely browsing the clearance racks and sipping my bottle of water while waiting for my car.

After that, I went through the drive-thru at Ch1ck-Fil-A (surprise, surprise) and ate my lunch while enjoying the gorgeous weather in the courtyard of the town center. The momma who owns the natural baby boutique is an acquaintance of mine and I ran into her while she was taking her toddler for a stroll around the block while her husband hung shelves inside. We chatted and caught up on things and then went inside so I could spend my moolah! It was so much fun picking things out for Scout. I picked 2 adorable organic cotton jumpers from Speesees, A wooden alligator pull-toy and a puzzle cow from Plan Toys, and some baby shampoo and body wash from Earth Mama, Angel Baby.







I can't say enough good things about Earth Mama, Angel Baby products. I was first introduced to them when sweet Wendy sent me their Post Partum Recovery Kit when Scout was born. The Earth Mama Bottom Balm was a lifesaver when my umm...nether regions were all sad and birth-battered. I had never purchased any of their baby products because, well...they're friggin' expensive. But after using the baby wash and lotion on Scout last night, I believe they are well worth the money. I only bought the travel size bottles because I wanted to make sure Scout's skin would react well to it, but I'd love to buy the bigger bottles when these run out.

Okay, back to my fun mommy's day out. After my shopping spree, I went to the Salvation Army thrift store to look around because I was inspired by some handmade bags at the boutique that were made from funky vintage curtains and table linens. I saw a desk there that I though DH might like, so I called him to let him know and he said that he and Scout were just driving around (I put the car seat in his truck before I left) and that they could stop by and check out the desk.

This is such a doting-mommy thing to say, but bumping into Scout out in public after being away from her for a while makes me realize just how stinkin' adorable she is. I mean, not just looks-wise. She just has an amazing personality. Strangers walk by her and can't help but interact with her because she is such a joy.

Anyway, DH and I parted ways and he went back to running errands with Scout and I went back to farting around. At this point, I was kind of bored. What do I do now? I almost headed home, but decided to go to a bookstore so I could dawdle some more and sit and read through magazines that I am too cheap to buy. After that, I headed in the direction of home and got pulled over for my registration being expired. Crap. It expired on the 29th and I had no idea because the reminder had gotten stuffed into my glove box along with some other mail. Doh! Oh well. I didn't get a ticket, but I was just so ready to be home. Then I hit "game traffic" by the university. Ggrrrr. When I finally got home, it was so good to see my hubby and baby again. I loved my day out, but it was nice to come home.

Labels: baby gear, clothes, dh, outings, toys

2 weird things happened when Scout and I went shopping with my friend and her baby (who is 3 months older than Scout) on Thursday.

The first thing was that the 2 babies HATED sitting next to eachother in the car. My friend's baby's seat is forward-facing and Scout still sits rear-facing, so they had a good view of eachother. During the first 5 minutes, they were smiling and laughing and seemed to be interacting well. I didn't expect any different, since they see eachother in the nursery all the time at church. But, as soon as my friend's little guy started crying, Scout FLIPPED OUT and started her "I'm-freakin'-terrified" scream. I felt so bad for her. Her screams just fed his screams. He got louder. She got louder. They were both terribly upset.

I'm pretty sure what scared her what not necessarily that he was crying, but that he looks a bit scary when he cries. He's got a rather large mouth full of teeth and he was staring at her with his eyes and mouth open wide while screaming at the top of his lungs. I can see how that could be a little scary for Scout to look at and not be able to escape, trapped in her car seat. There were brief moments of peace, but if one of them let out so much as a whimper, the other would start bawling and the whole thing would start over again.

I think if I would've known that was going to go on during the entire car ride to "town" and between all of our errands, I would've asked my friend to take us back home when the babes first started their screaming 5 minutes into the drive. Luckily, we had plenty of stops, so they got to take some breaks from being in the car throughout the trip.

The second weird thing was that when we were at Wa1-Mart, I grabbed a little stuffed Valentine's puppy off a shelf and handed it to Scout when she was being fussy. She fell in LOVE with it immediately. She wouldn't let go of it and insisted on holding it when we went to lunch and while I nursed her. She's never shown much interest in stuffed animals, so her love for the little stuffed dog surprised me. After we got home and she kept treating it like a security blanket, it dawned on me that if this toy does in fact become her "lovey", we would never be able to replace it if it got lost or damaged somehow.

Since it's just a cheap piece-of-crap made-in-China seasonal toy that doesn't even have a brand name printed on the tag, I highly doubt we'd ever be able to find another one. So, I went back to Wa1-Mart and bought 6 more. DH thought I was being silly, but I figured that I might as well play it safe. The day after Valentine's Day, they were half off, so they ended up costing just $1.44 each.

Yesterday and today, she doesn't seem quite as attached to the dog. Although, her face still lights up and her arms flap in delight when she sees it. I'm a little worried. If it doesn't become her favorite toy, I just spent a whopping $8.46 on crappy stuffed dogs for no reason.

Labels: outings, toys

Happy Anniversary to us!! The date went swimmingly and Scout did great with the babysitter. We went to a sushi bar and then just goofed around at a few stores on the way home. We went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond, looking for a coffee pot like this one (to no avail) and then next door to Old Navy. They were having a big sale, (50% off the clearance sticker price! woot!) so we ended up getting 2 pairs of pants and a shirt for Scout; 2 hoodies for me; and a pair of pants, a hoodie, a fleece pull-over, and 8 pairs of socks for DH, all for $50. I know, I know, who goes clearance shopping at Old Navy for their anniversary? We do. Shut up.

Here are some poor quality pics from the sushi bar, taken with DH's cell phone. Dang, they're crappy.





Surprisingly, Scout went down for a nap at precisely the right time - just as the babysitter got here - and stayed asleep for 2.5 hours. After that, she drank about 5 oz of expressed breast milk, had a little bit of apple juice, ate a bunch of puffed brown rice, and played happily until we got home. The babysitter said that she didn't even fuss once. Yay! She also said that she would love to babysit for us again and anytime we want a night out to call her. You don't even know how pleased I am about that. Rather than calling her "the babysitter", I will go ahead and give her an official Making a Person blogging alias because I have a feeling we will take her up on her offer and she may be mentioned here a lot in the future. I hereby deem her "Pretend Grandma".

Labels: anniversaries, food, outings, pretend grandma

The cool weather is upon us. Scout and I took a walk around the neighborhood late last night and I had my annual realization that I love the crisp air and the foggy creepiness of Fall evenings. While I was walking, I had the thought that I'd like to rent (or more likely, have DH download) Sleepy Hollow. Great Fall movie.

When I was getting Scout bundled up for our walk, I officially decided that she looks beautiful in hats.

Labels: outings, pics of scout, random thoughts

Funny story - Scout and I went over to a friend's house today. She had a couple mommas from church and some other homeschooling mommas over to make cookies and hang out and teach the older kids how to make friendship bracelets. Anyway, one of my older friends (well, not really THAT old....maybe 45-ish) was holding Scout and she said "Awe, you wanna get down in the floor and play with those big kids, don't you?"

So she got down in the floor and sat Scout down and just LET GO!!!!! Of course, Scout immediately flopped forward and did a face-plant into the floor, since she can't sit up by herself yet. She cried for a second, but after the lady grabbed her up very quickly and comforted her, she seemed unphased and happy-go-lucky. The lady felt so embarassed. It happened too quick for me to react. I just kind of chuckled and said, "Oops...yeah .... she can't sit unassisted yet. I should've warned you." The thing that is weird to me is that she has 2 children of her own.

I know they are almost grown, but it seems that she would've known that most almost-5-month-olds can't sit up by themselves. I guess she forgot. She also asked me if she is crawling and standing up on her own. Ummm...No. Poor baby. I guess I know now not to assume that all mommas know how to handle a small baby :)

Labels: outings

Scout is 8 weeks old today! Wow! Time flies when you're sleep-deprived.

Actually, I can't really complain about our sleep situation lately. I feel well rested. Oh my gosh. I can't believe I just said that. The first month was awful when it comes to sleep. I was a complete zombie.

I'm going to run to Wal-Mart with my friend and her 9 month old son in a little while. It'll be nice to have someone to shop with me. I always feel so lost and freaked out when I'm out in public with Scout by myself. She won't ride in her car seat attached to the shopping cart, it's a crap shoot if she'll actually ride in the stroller without crying, and she's still not fond of the sling. So, I end up pushing the cart or stroller and carrying her....and that is tougher than it sounds, especially when she is being fussy.

I always end up wishing that we would've never left the house. Forget about a budget or a list....all I'm thinking is, "What can I toss in the cart that will sustain us for the next week?" I guess that's why I end up coming home with just bread, lunch meat, and toilet paper.

For the past week or so, she's been tolerating rides in the Ergo carrier, so I think I may take it with me today and see if that'll work. I really hope so.

Labels: baby gear, outings

Labels: breastfeeding, outings