Visit from the Byerly Grandparents - the first 5 minutes!

Hania's Poohma & Poohpa came to visit last weekend! These are just a few of the pictures taken in the first 5 minutes that they arrived...notice they are still in the entry way of our house.


Just in case you can't tell, my family is fanatical about pictures. If you've been there to share any of the major events in my life (oh you know, like prom, graduation from high school or college, holidays, eating spaghetti on a random Tuesday night...) there MUST be pictures! MANY pictures. But it's okay, I get it now. For me, pictures are documentation that something really DID happen. Going through old pictures is one of my favorite things to do when I need a pick-me-up, especially when most of my family and friends live so far away. You would think that I would have learned how to use all the functions on my camera properly if I love photos so much.... but no. Which explains why we all look demonic...the red-eye feature is beyond my mental capacity. Pregnancy certainly kills brain cells. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Back to the visit...




Notice the little blue sweater Hania is wearing. That is MY MOM'S sweater, made for her by her grandmother. Can you believe it is still in good condition? And so adorable! So that means it was made by Hania's great-great-grandmother. I'm sure the dear woman never dreamed that one day little Kim's granddaughter would be wearing something she made with so much love.


"I know you guys drove 11 hours, but man, I'm so sleepy!"


Happy Birthday to me! I don't look 31, right? RIGHT?!? It's a shame you can't see my outfit. In honor of my big day I decided to wear all of my favorite things together...I'm not sure if they really "go" together, but I just hoped that maybe I could pull it off. Short purple knit dress from Ann Taylor...$50. Brown fishnet stockings...$5. Brown lace-up faux suede boots from Payless...$19.99. Trying to fool yourself into thinking you aren't 31 by dressing too young for your age....priceless! (: My parents and husband were kind enough to allow me to bask in my denial all weekend. Thanks guys!

We had a blast all weekend and there are many, many more photos on the way.

Visit from Grandma Schmonsees - a week in photos

On a side note, we are not allowed to let Hania wear these little pink, fur-lined boots to church anymore. It is a disruption. On the way up to get communion some elderly lady actually said (quite loudly) "Oh look at the baby's adorable boots! Did you see them? Look Charlie! Oh, my! Little tiny boots!" It was LOUD. Maybe it was coincidence, but the organist messed up just then and I'd had it! I got tickled and was trying not to laugh out loud. But you all know how that goes...it's a nasty cycle. The harder you try NOT to laugh, the worse it is and then you MUST laugh. So by the time I got up there to take communion from our new pastor I had tears coming down my cheeks, I was beet red, and she probably thought I was just moved by the beauty of the moment. Or a complete freakshow.

Hania's 1st Valentine's Day

OH my goodness. Blogger just allowed me to post photos! It really is the little things that can make your day, folks!

Just a little late...Happy Valentine's Day!

This is my friend that Poohma and Poohpa sent me...his name is "Bliss" but Mommy calls him Mr. Monkey.


Mr. Monkey, are you trying to steal a Valentine's Day kiss?


It's okay. I didn't know you were a Love Monkey. You are so cute I could eat you up! And I will...if Mommy doesn't put a rush order on that first feeding of rice cereal!


I'm exhausted from fighting off the advances of Mr. Monkey. Maybe I'll just hang in my
jump-a-roo that neighbor Ethan let me borrow.

Busy busy busy

Yes, yes, I know. No product review yet. But I have a legitimate excuse! Several, actually!
Wanna hear them? Just know that when it DOES appear on this poor, neglected blog it will be fan-tab-u-lous and it will trigger a whole discussion of all things mommy-related. It will be a virtual blog frenzy of ideas, sharing, and opinions and everyone will garner useful knowledge for their current and/or future children. Hmmm...idealistic much Missy? (not really, because those of you who have hung anywhere near me in the last 4 yrs are well aware that I have earned the nickname "the cold, hard slap of reality"....precious, eh?)

So here's the list of excuses/what we've been up to:

* My mother-in-law came to help for a week and spend time with Hania. It really was helpful and I'm glad she loved seeing Hania, but there is the pre-visit cleaning, the during-visit oh-my-gosh-do-I-look-like-a-good-enough-mommy stress, and cramming in as much work as possible before Hania has to come back to my office with me. But overall it was great.

* We had a crazy snow storm and Louisville was totally unprepared to deal with it because they are under the impression that they are "the south". I'm all about "creating your own reality" and all that BS, but you can't deny latitude people! Face facts that you are the midwest, salt it up, plow it aside, and you can still have your mint juleps and big hats for Derby. Ok?

* Johnny and I got to go out on a date....to the gym. But hey, it's exciting to me! Even if we weren't together the entire time, we were still alone in the car together and could talk if we wanted to. But we didn't. Because we were too exhausted. Good thing we didn't get to see a movie, or someone might have caught us snoring!

* Work is out of control. I was offered a promotion and of course they have no clue that I'm blowing out of there sometime this summer. They think I'm little Miss Career Girl but I simply cannot justify putting Hania in daycare for THIS specific agency. The plan is to take it despite the fact that I will have to travel to Bowling Green & Owensboro (each 2 hrs away) at least once a week. By the time I pay for our friend to watch her, that will take care of most of the money from the raise. On the upside, the title and pay will provide me with a better bargaining position when I reenter the work force in a couple years.

* Our computer went berserk. Johnny has been working diligently to clean it up, and I am no help because I'm really quite idiotic when it comes to computers. He defragmented some files, updated the anti-virus software, and now it is somewhat fixed. I was going crazy when I couldn't post pics. (and I still can't...I don't know if it is Blogger or our computer though)

* On a fun note, we spent last Sunday evening with some friends and shared in their family night. It is a very special part of their church tradition to do one night a week where the family gets together, shares activities and enjoys a Biblical lesson that is tailored to the age of the children present. VERY COOL. They have 6 wonderful daughters and it is apparent that we can learn so much from them. And these folks can bake.... they sent us home with an obscene amount of delicious food that we enjoyed for a week. Their homemade rolls....wow, they are delish. I think I'm actually salivating. So wrong.

* My parents sent an adorable Valentine's package for everyone, and of course we're always overjoyed to see how they spoil us next. Pictures to come.

* Started drugging the dog. She is allergic to everything and her worst triggers are cats and bluegrass. We obviously have plenty of both. Poor Keira scratches herself silly all winter and chews bloody spots on her legs. We've done allergy testing and it would require me to give her a shot at least once a week, costing a grand total of $400 per month minimum. For those of you who've met Keira and seen her teeth, can you blame me for not wanting to give her shots? Instead she's been doing shots of children's Benadryl and it seems to work temporarily.

* Hania started rice cereal yesterday. She really enjoyed it and has already figured out the spoon. I was trying to wait until my parents come to visit next weekend, but after Friday at work became one long marathon feeding session all day....it was time! At her 4 month checkup she got the standard shots and weighed in at 13 lbs, 4 oz and 24 1/2 inches. Our little girl is growing so quickly!


I was hoping that my photos would download by the time I was done typing my long-winded description about nothing, but alas, we'll have to wait another day to post them!

Sorry to anyone out there who wants their "Pooh fix"! I'll keep trying!

Baby product review coming soon!

No pics today because I'm still at work! Boo!

I realize that I promised a review of the baby products that I've tried, and it should be up sometime this weekend. Work has been wild and I've been cleaning the house frantically because Johnny's mom is coming to help out for a week. I know, that is sort of like cleaning before the maid comes, but who wants their mother-in-law to see their house as the filthy, disasterous health hazard that it truly is? Come on, if you're married and female you KNOW what I mean! I'm all about "keepin it real" but a cat that poops directly in front of the litter box entrance is a tad too "real". Anyway...

My eyes are propped open with toothpicks and I fell asleep while talking on the phone to a worker about a child that we are placing in a foster home next week. Actually, I fell asleep while asking a question. Yep, that's bad.

But back to the product review. I'm psyched to do this. Really psyched. Because I know how much time and effort it takes to do all the research and look into all the best things for your new baby, and of course you are trying to do this while you are exhausted and hormonal.

I love giving my endorsement for products that I really, truly think are worthy. Several years back you would have thought that I was the newly hired spokeswoman for the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. LOVE. IT. If you have pets or kids it is a must-have. Except for the fact that it causes chemical burns on childrens' hands sometimes. So I guess you could just slap some rubber gloves on them and say "don't touch your face". Or not.

My latest product to rant about: Bare Minerals makeup. Oh yes, I realize that I'm like, 5 yrs behind that trend. In fact, my mother beat me to it. She tried to convince me to try hers for the past year but I resisted. Honestly, the colors look horrendous in the little jars. Scary, like clown paint. Change is hard for me, especially when it comes to a beauty routine (or lack thereof). I just could not grasp the concept of a tiny bit of powder providing good coverage...but it DOES! It is miraculous! Fool proof and quick! My mom put it in my care package for Christmas and I took the plunge and tried it. And if it makes the face of a sleep-deprived, ex-sun worshipping, stressed out new mommy look good, then imagine what effects it might have on someone who actually washes their face at night! Mama DID know best...

All that to say that yes, the product review is coming soon!

Can you believe that out of our group of 10 or so college friends, that there will be 7 babies born in one year? (Sorry Las Vegas, you won't be graced with our classy presence this year. I know we will be missed. Maybe in 2009...) Not to mention several high school friends that I'm in touch with via blog, who have little ones that are completely adorable and growing and changing so quickly. It is fun to share this experience with so many different people, and to be able to give my humble opinion on things that might be helpful to others. For being such an introvert, I feel strangely compelled to discuss my experience with all things baby-related! There are a few things that I wished I'd asked my friends about that were already mothers...like breastfeeding, or the recovery process after you leave the hospital, and why didn't someone tell me that the best part of the epidural was that fact that you no longer felt your water breaking, so you didn't feel like you were peeing on yourself? Ha! But seriously, I love feeling as if you have stumbled onto something really cool and you just MUST share it. Like the store Anthropologie. Really now, I know that I might be the last person of the face of the earth that didn't know about this store. Maybe I've been living under a rock. Or just in Louisville. And I can only see it online because we don't have one here...and I probably wouldn't pay $88 for a top even if it WAS located here...but I got all giddy just knowing that something that neat and pretty was available! Dork dork dork. Oh, and the Canadian folk band the Duhks. They are the best! I heard them on XM Radio and discovered that they've been around forever and ever, and I'm probably the last one to hear them, but really....so divine. I think this is why I loved living in Austin, TX so much. Because I had the time and energy at that specific point in my life to EXPLORE it thoroughly, to soak up every little bit of it, the weird, the worthless, the amazing...all of it. So even if I can't explore anything major these days, even exploring baby products has filled that need to seek out new things.

Ok, really I'm not in need of Ritalin. Just tired and my mind is racing! Must...get...sleep.

Spoiled rotten

I have a confession. Hania and I are extremely spoiled by my parents (her Poohma & Poohpa). They send little packages for her birthday each month, and it really brightens our day. Ok, so MY day, but you know what I mean. Gift giving is a big deal in my family...we adore shopping for a gift, making a care package, knowing that it is something that someone can really use. Maybe I'm just justifying my spoiled-rottenness.

Video of Hania attempting to open the package... Using too much tape is a long running joke in our family.



Inside we found some adorable sleepers like this one....



And this one... (Check out her mad volleyball skills too. Spike it girl!)
This will be her Valentine's Day sleeper, it has little hearts and ladybugs all over it.



And a gift card so Mommy can purchase this life-giving substance...



And some cute bibs, which Mr. Hobbes reluctantly modeled...



Perhaps the best item in the care package was this book. It is a riot! Hania already has a full book shelf between all of my old books that my parents saved, and others that she has been given, but THIS one really caught her attention. There aren't even any words, but as I described the babies she reached out and patted their faces. Simply adorable.

It is folded accordion style and one side is "Happy Jolly Beaming Babies".



The other side is "Cranky Crabby Crying Babies". The kid in the middle is actually blowing a snot bubble and has tears streaming down his face. Somebody grab a kleenex, QUICK! I hate boogers. Profound statement, eh? Stuffy noses are just so sad on little ones.

Seriously though, I highly recommend this book for little ones. Research shows that babies are able to identify faces very soon after birth, and they enjoy looking at other babies.
Hania loves it!



Thanks Byerly grandparents! We appreciate the care package!

Playing hookie

I am officially coming down with something. The symptoms feel eerily similar to the bad cold that I had several wks ago. Unfortunately, it seems that I get sick about 2 days after I've been at our gym. It appears to be a very clean place but you never know... Plus I was rolling around on the floor while I was there. Strange, yes, but it turns out that even though I thought I was going to a very tough hip hop dance class, the instructor had recently turned it into a "Tease" class. Uh huh...as in strip. And apparently strippers writhe around on the floor? I just went with it and tried to get a workout out of it, but left feeling like I should have just jumped on an elliptical or something. One last note...I don't think strippers wear Nikes and their old college football shirt with holes in it.

So...we are playing hookie from work today in an attempt to not spread my germs. It is soooo much easier to get the 26 page mental health assessments done sitting in your pj's.
Hania and I have been having fun, despite my sore throat and headache.

On our run to the coffee shop around the corner... because caffeine is what you need to hydrate when you are sick! It is the end of an era. Pooh's Pooh Bear snow suit is too short for her! So sad. Her little legs couldn't even straighten out in it. We had to switch to this one, which we received at our shower. Sorta looks like Eyeore w/ the ears.



Then we tried out the Bumbo seat. She does a great job balancing with support. I really think she might be starting to teethe; she chews on everything. I turned my head and she was slumped over, gnawing on the blue plastic hump. I'm almost afraid to look in her mouth.



Oh my! BIG FOOT has been spotted!



This item was recalled a while back because children were falling off of counter tops. Really people, counter tops? Perhaps the parents should be recalled, NOT the seat.

And finally, we did tummy time in her crib. She usually only lasts a few minutes, but she seemed to really enjoy it and has gained a lot of strength in her arms. I was taking a minute to grab up the "What to Expect the First Year" book to see what things she is supposed to be doing by now. Suddenly she just rolled over to her back! Guess she thought she'd help me out. Rolling over is under the "...might possibly be able to" category for this month.

We tried to capture it again but I think she's out of steam. So this is just some tummy time progress. And Keira weighs in on the matter. Lovely animal.

Blogger isn't downloading the video, so I'll try to post that in a few hours.

And finally she is asleep! Looking forward to a glorious, blissfully quiet and uninterrupted 2 hours to do some work. There might even be a shower in my future.