Typical Day for Working Mom and Dad

Here's a typical, in fact VERY routine day for us:

5:30: Alarm goes off
5:45: Usually time to feed Paisley
6:00: Second alarm goes off :)
6:30: Finally get out of bed and get into the shower
7:00: Get bottles/juice ready for daycare and finish getting ready for work and get Paisley dressed and ready for daycare and make sure Jeff's up and in the shower
7:45: (If I'm lucky...)We head out to daycare and work
8:15: Get to work, get on Facebook, update Dear Paisley
8:30-5:00: Meetings, lunch, work
5:00: Rush to daycare to pick up Paisley
5:30-6:30: Play with Paisley, feed her
6:30: Start dinner while watching Wheel of Fortune (Paisley always wants them to pick "A" and "E"!)
7:30: Do dishes, play with Paisley
8:00-8:30: Bath time for the munchkin
9:00: Wind down time, warm bottle and hope Paisley's tired enough to go to sleep! :)
10:30: The time I shoot for every night to get to bed, but it rarely works out!

It REALLY happens the same way everyday....The only thing that may change is us either going out to eat (rarely) or Jeff having a baseball game. Other than that, our days are carbon copies of each other! I'm getting way out of my comfort zone by throwing some tennis in there every once in a while. I'm ALWAYS late, and it's always for the same reason.

We're boring, but we like it that way!

"I am invariably late for appointments - sometimes as much as two hours. I've tried to change my ways but the things that make me late are too strong, and too pleasing."
- Marilyn Monroe

Happy Birthday Paisley Rae!

March 4, 2009 * 7 lbs. 14 oz. * 21 in. long


March 4, 2010 * 27 lbs. * 32 in. long


Dear Paisley,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! It's hard to believe that you're one year old today! This time last year was a whirlwind, but it was the best time of my life! I don't really remember you being a helpless little baby, but I feel like I've had you for years. I guess you running around like a crazy all day playing and "talking" is clouding up my memory! You are definitely one of a kind, and I can't imagine a day without you.



You woke up a little grumpy today, and you didn't want to let go at daycare. It would have suit me just fine to hang out with you all day, especially since I have the sniffles and didn't want to go to work!


Here is one of my favorite pictures of all time! You were about 5 weeks old.



This year has gone by in a hurry, and there are things that I probably won't remember about it 10 years down the road. But I will remember how much fun and exciting our first year together has been! You have grown up so much in just the last few months, and even though you're still little, I think I've gotten a tiny glimpse of what a beautiful child, young lady, and woman you will be one day. I just hope that if you're lucky enough to have children one day, that you have one as sweet and fun as you are to me and your daddy. We love you Miss P, and hope you have a Happy 1st Birthday!!!

Love, Mama

No, Mama

Dear Paisley,
Yesterday was your first day at a new daycare, and I think you really liked it! There's so much more for you to do and play with, and there are so many more kids your age! According to your "report card", your mood was happy, you ate all your food and didn't even use a bottle all day! You are working on the letter Q, you tried coloring with a crayon, and you like playing with all of your new friends! I couldn't ask for more for a first report card! :) I figured it be a little later in life, but you (really me...) are selling cookie dough for your class now, and for some reason, I feel like a soccer mom already!



When we got home yesterday, I was in the kitchen cooking and you looked up at me and said "no, Mama" just as serious as can be! I'm not really sure what sparked that, but I'm counting it as your first sentence. :) Then when you were getting your bath, you said "Mama, no".....I'm starting to see a pattern here, and I think it would've hurt my feelings had you not been smiling when you said it! You're getting a little too big for your britches missy......

I dropped you off at daycare this morning, and you didn't want to let go. I didn't want to draw out the goodbye knowing it would make it worse, so I just had to leave. I hope you don't hold it against me later, because I would have really rather hang out at daycare with you all day, I promise!

I guess I better get busy so I can get out of here at lunch time. Hopefully that interview at the Child Development Center @ DSU will work out today. Then we can play all day together! Anywho, have fun, and I love you.

Love, Mama

Never Alone

Dear Paisley,
I know this is going to sound crazy, but when I was pregnant with you I would play music that I liked and that would calm me down in hopes that when you got here it would do the same for you when you were upset. Maybe that's why you like music so much! Anywho, one song that I played all the time, and I even claimed it as my song to you, was Never Alone by Lady Antebellum. Even now, it puts a tear in my eye because I want so much to put you in a bubble and protect you from the world forever. But I heard that song today, which I rarely ever do, so I thought I would leave the lyrics for you to have forever! I'm bad about finding songs that I claim are my own unspoken words, and I believe I could find a song that fits every relationship I have with everyone. Long story short, this is my song to you:

Never Alone by Lady Antebellum

May the angels protect you
Trouble neglect you
And heaven accept you when its time to go home
May you always have plenty
The glass never empty
Know in your belly
You're never alone

May your tears come from laughing
You find friends worth having
With every year passing
They mean more than gold
May you win but stay humble
Smile more than grumble
And know when you stumble
You're never alone

Never alone, Never alone
I'll be in every beat of your heart
When you face the unknown
Wherever you fly
This isn't goodbye
My love will follow you, stay with you
Baby you're never alone

Well I have to be honest
As much as I wanted
I'm not gonna promise that the cold winds won't blow
So when hard times have found you
And your fears surround you
Wrap my love around you
You're never alone

May the angels protect you
Trouble neglect you
And heaven accept you when its time to go home
And when hard times have found you
And your fears surround you
Wrap my love around you
You're never alone

My love will follow you stay with you
Baby you're never alone

A New Beginning

So I've decided that I'm going to turn this into Dear Paisley, and as often as I can I'm going to write Paisley a letter about what she's done, what's been going on, and so on. You're welcome to read and keep up...in fact I'd love for you to, but I've got to get back on the track of doing this for Paisley and not those that I hope read it. As much as I'd like, I can't always include pictures, and I've realized that's okay! With every milestone, new word, and funny face that I don't think is big enough to share with the world, I forget that this isn't for the world, it's for Paisley. She may want to know what silly things she did when she's older, and I just couldn't find the time to share it on here with her. But things are changing, and I'm making the time! So here's to Dear Paisley! :)


Dear Paisley,

Now that we have all been through the stomach bug this week, you are FINALLY back to your old self again! You have started saying what I think is "Uh oh, spaghetti o's" and it's absolutely adorable! You drop things and say your usual "uh oh", but now there's something after it that I can't quite make out. I went to pick you up at daycare yesterday, and you didn't even notice I was in the room! It was a little sad for me, but at the same time, I was proud that you were having fun and playing like such a big girl. You are starting to call Jeff "Daddy" even though every one else is "Mama", but when you call me "Mama", there's a slightly different emphasis and tone so I know you know I'm really your mama! :) Walking is your preferred choice of getting around these days, and you HATE it when someone tells you no. I really found that out the other day when you learned to flush the toilet and I told you not to do that.... You are like the Wal-Mart greeter every where we go, because you are always waving and saying bye-bye to random people. When we're in public, I get a "she's so cute" at least 3 times, usually more, and then you flash that toothless smile at them! You only have 2 teeth right now, so I'm guessing more will come all at one time. I hope that doesn't impare your birthday cake eating ability next week! The few little plans for your birthday are coming right along, and I hope you have a good time. It's been a while since we've been back to visit, so I know everyone misses you. Today is your last day at the Children's Academy since you start Presbyterian Day School next week! It's been a long time coming, but I think you're going to like it there. I've got to get back to work, but I hope you are having a great day with Ms. Erma! I love you!
Love, Mama

Back to our old self again

Sorry it's been a while; we've been a little under the weather lately.... Saturday, Paisley was having a little trouble breathing and was taking several extremely short breaths, even not breathing for a few seconds. After our 5th trip to the doctor that week, we ended up at the emergency room due to doctor's orders.

Once we got there and got the IV and oxygen set up, her fever started to go down and she became a LOT less lethargic. Later that night we finally got into a room with a little more privacy than sitting in the emergency room holding tank!


It was awfully hard to stay occupied with an IV attached to her arm!


But she had this really neat crib that was about 3 feet off the floor and looked like a jail cell. She loved that thing! I really wanted to bring it home....


Paisley and Jeff....Like I said, we tried playing with EVERYTHING we could. We even blew up rubber gloves, hit aluminum foil balls, and played patty-cake like a zillion times!


Even through all that, she was the best patient ever! The finally came to the conclusion that she has a respiratory distress disease (it's not as bad as it sounds...). It's not viral like pneumonia, but she's too young to diagnose it as asthma. Hopefully with breathing treatments and the medicines he gave her, we'll get this knocked out in time for her birthday party!

Thank you everyone that called, prayed, visited, or anything during our stay at the hospital. We really appreciate it!!!

-Sam

Here we go again....

Paisley is sick, again....We're back to the weazing, heavy breathing, coughing, can't keep anything down sickness. Last night she was up and down, coughing & crying, and there was nothing I could do that would make her feel better except hold her. I felt a wonderful, yet selfish, feeling knowing that I was the one she wanted and that the only thing that consoled her was me holding her. Then the exhaustion set in, the clock said 3:30, and I knew the rest of my day was going to be spent catching up on this precious time I was spending with Paisley. Right around 3:45, my nose started to stop up, and here comes my turn to be sick.


At the doctor yesterday, she weighed 28 lbs! I'll find out when we go back to the doctor today how long she is. Hopefully we can get this icky mess Paisley and I both have knocked out by the end of the week! Got to get better for the Super Bowl! :)

Off to get my baby....