Thankfulness

I am thankful for the birth of my healthy and beautiful daughter, Monica Marie.
I am thankful for my husband, how generously and sacrificially he loves.
I am thankful for my husband's job in the US Navy and the security and opportunities it provides for our family.
I am thankful for my family.
I am thankful for my friends, local ones that I have enjoyed getting to meet and distant ones whom I miss dearly.
I am thankful for my health and for my desire to be healthier.
I am thankful for opportunities to grow and improve myself.
 

Thanksgiving included a turkey trot and the cooking of my first turkey.  My brother helped out and beside the fact that it took an hour and a half longer than I had planned, it turned out pretty well.  Thanks to a friend's suggestion, we covered the bird in bacon (because everything is better with bacon) and that helped keep the it moist.  The parade and football were watched.  Three other couples with their babies joined us and brought along all the fixings.  Monica (thanks to no good naps) was a whiny cranky face the whole time.  It was a full stomach, hearty laughter, kind of wonderful day!

Scootching and Crawling

Here are a couple videos of Monica's mobile progress.  She has started venturing off of the carpet (baby gates are going up today) and is getting more adventurous.  I can never seem to capture the best crawling exhibitions so the videos aren't that amazing.  The first is her scootching after a ball (her current favorite toy) and the second shows her stellar sound effects.  She is quite a skilled whiner.  Hey, if you're going to do something, might as well be the best at it, right?

8 Months!

Miss Monica is 8 months!  As I write this, she is sitting on the floor, happily munching on and talking to (da da da da) a wii nunchuck and pulling the lid off of a shoe box.  Only the best for our girl. :o) 

It's been a busy month!  Monica has two teeth.  Two painful-for-everyone teeth.  She turned into a cranky face for a couple weeks, but now our sweet, easy going child is back.  She babbles quite a bit, usually da da and na na.  She says ma ma when she's cranky and wants something.  She also makes a guttural loud dinosaur roar.  This is pleasant. :o)  She also wrinkles her nose and sniffs in and out quickly when she wants something.  It's pretty funny.

She started crawling on Nov. 3rd and loves nothing more than to pull herself up to standing.  She does this quite unsteadily so I've been spending a great deal of time playing stabilizer.  She also can stand up in her crib.  We lowered it this week.  Her crawling is still slow and some days she forgets she can do it.  So she resorts back to whining at me when she wants something out of her reach.  My video software is acting up, but I promise to post the videos I've been taking of all her milestones soon.

She has so much personality (big surprise) and certainly expresses likes and dislikes now.  She LOVES animals and children.  She kicks, squirms, giggles and stares whenever she sees them.  She especially loves dogs and wants nothing more than to pull their fur out.

Her favorite play time activities are pulling apart anything that will come apart.  I put her blocks away, she takes them out.  I build something with her blocks, she tears it down.  We make a good team.

She has graduated from elementary pictures books and is now only entertained by interactive books with pop ups or flaps. 

I feel like her 8 month old self is so aware of everything and it is so amazing to watch her grow in understanding and ability.  Mama and Daddy love you Monica!

Florida

                    We were blessed with the opportunity to go with my folks to Florida for a vacation and to visit my brother, who is in the Army.  It was wonderful to go on a destination vacation as a family and even more wonderful to see my brother.  He was the last immediate family member to meet Monica and we were so excited to be able to spend some time with him.  The trip was GREAT and I think family destination vacations to warm beachy locations should be a regular event (especially when you miss an early snow storm at home). 

                We stayed at a big resort where snow birds own houses and wannabes (like us) stay in condos.  Tony and I played tennis twice and had massages.  We sat on the beach and swam in the ocean.  Monica was not the biggest fan of the beach.  Was it the warm sun, soft sand, salty water or the fact that everyone she trusted smelled different and was wearing weird clothes?  She took to the pool a little better. 

Grandma! Stop tickling me!

We learned the effect of a cross breeze on a card game played from the balcony on the 17^th floor.  But this allowed us to go on the Great Card Hunt.  Sadly we lost a player and had to call in the joker.

We ate lots of yummy food, of course.  I got my seafood fix and I think Tony got his hamburger fix. 

                My brother and I talked a lot of smack about who was going to win at miniature golf and after a fierce battle the victor was quite clear . . . our mom. :o)

Yes, that's right.  She's wearing a dress with a sweater, sun hat, socks and nursing cover.  No, she did not dress herself.

Okay, folks, my turn.

Plotting my next move.

Go Dad go!

                Tony, Monica and I were able to meet up with Tony’s cousin, who is in the Air Force, and his family.  It was a fun dinner to catch up with each other.  Once again it would be nice to live by family.

                Besides the fact that Delta has the worst baggage handling and customer service EVER, the trip was wonderful and I didn’t want it to end.  I am so grateful for the quality time with family.  We are very blessed! 

*In case you were wondering, I intentionally left pictures of my brother off of the blog at his request.  They can be found on facebook if you are our 'friend.' :o)

Mac family visit

My mom, dad and youngest brother, Mike, visited us at the end of October.  It was such a treat, and it made me step up the prayers for God to lead us to live closer to family after Tony gets out of the military.  We were able to have lots of good family time and, thanks to the generosity of my mom, had a month's worth of dates with my hubby. 

The week included:

• LOTS of yummy food (this might have been why I didn't reach my November goal)
• a movie date
• Pumpkin Patch/ Apple orchard
• walking and driving tours of the area
• shopping with Grandma
• a dinner date
• bar hopping with Uncle Mike (it was tame, we were home by 11 pm)
• a visit to the Saratoga Battle Field with Grandma and Grandpa
• dinner at a friend's house (thanks for the yummy food, Bree)
• naps!

The best part was watching my family with Monica.  Despite teething crankiness, she took to them and seemed to know that they were good company- especially my mom.  Grandma got some big smiles and giggles out of her.  When are you guys coming back?  Next weekend?

10K and Goal Update

On Saturday, October 22nd, with friend Breanna by my side, I completed my second 10K.  The second half of the run had some hills, but I bested my previous prepregnancy time by 3 minutes and felt great.  We intend to keep running through the winter (indoors, I don't like running THAT much) and challenge ourselves to keep running longer distances.

November arrived quickly.  I didn't reach my goal of losing 20 pounds (lost 12lbs for inquiring minds), but I have gotten to a good place with my eating and have decided to set a new goal for myself.  Soooo, new goal: 15 pounds lost by January 1st.  That's about 2lbs a week.  Obviously the holiday season is a tricky time of year for weight loss, but the eating plan I've been on is all about portion control.  Eat what you would like, just a smaller amount, that way you don't feel deprived by all the things you can't have. 

Tony's work schedule makes it hard for him watch Monica so I can exercise.  Because of this she ends up coming in the stroller for runs or going to the babysitting room at the gym.  I often feel guilty about this and struggle with throwing off routines or allowing people I don't know that well to care for her.  I have to remind myself that she will grow up seeing a example of living a healthy lifestyle, get fresh air (on the runs), socialize and build immunity (babysitting room). :o)  Other parents may disagree, but I don't want to end up like moms on the Biggest Loser who sacrificed everything, health included, for their families.  You can't give what you don't have.  If I don't have a joyful and healthy heart I won't be a good wife or mother for my family.  So that's the plan, next update in December!