Relaxing and Loving It

Olivia and I have been with grandma Sheila for a week already.... wait, what!? How has it been a week already? It had truly felt just like an extremely long weekend. I got to see Mike last Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, yesterday, and today. Crazy! The time that we have got to spend together Has been wonderful. I know that Mike and Olivia have really enjoyed being back together. Hopefully it will not be much longer until we find a place of our own. Mike and I did some driving around and looking on Craigslist for different listings. It is amazing how much more expensive housing is on this side of the state. I feel like I am in a catch 22 because right now we are staying so far out that it would make so being a little difficult, along with childcare, but I need to be working so that we can afford the more expensive prices. I have been in a situation like this before and I know that we will eventually get it all figured out. While we are waiting, we are so thankful for the help that we have received from family with housing and caring for Olivia at times.

Our little angel  

Grandma Sheila spoiled her with stuffed animals! Everyone that Olivia was shown, she grabbed, squealed, and added it to her stash. Haha!

Although the correct way, she was trying to climb off the very high bed

Crying because mom got you dressed??

Our date to the Mariners game with some friends!

I think that Olivia has been having a great time seeing other family on a daily basis. She absolutely adores grandma's dog, Lady! Lady has been so patient with Olivia following her around and poking and hitting. This girl is all over the place! She is running now, climbing the stairs, and getting into everything.

Yesterday when Mike came over, we both got very frustrated. My phone decided to die on me and so I had to get a new one. On top of the phone, I got a tablet because of a deal that they were having. I ended up being on my phone quite a bit to set things up and just exploring. Mike didn't like that and was unhappy about how disengaged I was, especially since his sister and brother-in-law were over. In the past, and even sometimes now, I get frustrated with him for the same thing. Technology user is something I am trying to be more aware of these days. I see friends posting all the time about how another year has gone by and their babies are getting older. We just experienced the same thing with Olivia turning 1 year old. It is amazing how quickly time seems to go by and while I'm watching my daughter grow up before my eyes I'm really noticing how much time I spend looking down or up at technology as opposed to watching her grow and teaching her new things. I was frustrated with Mike because it seemed that every time I was dealing with Olivia he was trying to correct me. The frustrating thing for me is that he has not been with us for the last two and a half months. So when he is with us, his mindset is still back when she was 10 months old. It is amazing how much growth she has had in just two months. I asked Mike to remember that since he has been gone I have been working with Olivia and I know, for the most part, what seems to work and what doesn't. I also need to remember that he has been gone for 2 months. He is coming at everything from a different perspective. It will definitely be a big transition when we are all back together in the same house. Finding a routine and getting on the same page will be at the top of the to-do list. This is why communication is so important. Once we are together again, we will be able to strengthen our partnership in parenting. Understanding, grace, and forgiveness are the keys. One day we will be on the same page again.

My poor phone :-( the screen is completely black now

Look at this girl! Pushing a pretty full shopping cart all by herself! Everyone who walked by was impressed :-)

Even though I am not working at the moment, there are lots of things to do. Finding doctors, child care, playdates, visiting family and friends we haven't seen, finding a house, finding a job, getting one year pictures done, going to aunt Lauren's soccer games, getting organized..... just to name a few. 

Enjoying some ice cream 

Yup, going to pull off the headband :-(

I forgot to share that I was concerned that Olivia when we went to her doctors appointment. However, we left learning that she is in the 90th percentile for height, weight, and head circumference! Yay! Happy mom!

Height: 30 1/2 inches
Weight: 23 lbs
Head Circumference: 17 3/4 inches

I was concerned that she was not getting enough nutrients. She has been teething so her appetite has become smaller and because of all of the stress I was not producing as much milk. One of my other concerns is that she has been grinding her teeth during the day. I think that is the one thing that we didn't get to talk about at her appointment. My other question that will have to be addressed here, was about finding undigested food in her poop. I know that there are foods that just do not digest well, but I feel with how many solid she is eating not only should her poop start to look more like poop, but that the food should be more digested. Mike is lactose intolerant and so I was concerned that maybe she is lactose intolerant as well. We were going to have her tested after her appointment but when we went down to the lab, there were close to 15 people already in line. There was no way I was going to be able to stay and get on the road at a reasonable hour. Is that is why I need to find a good pediatrician as soon as possible. Before I left the doctor's office, I asked when her next appointment should be and they told me at 15 months. I will have updates after that appointment.

I will end this blog with a little song from Olivia :-)