Mother's Prayer

Tina Fey wrote the poem below to her daughter and I thought it would capture the gratitude I feel toward my own mother. Also because I am a new mom coming up with something witty on my own time would just take too much time.... Oh yea- Belle decide to pick up a cold for mothers day and she had a poopy blowout all over her Nana Harris. 

Enjoy :)

 “First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

 May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty. When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

 Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

 Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

 May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers. Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen.

Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

 O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

 And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

 And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back. “My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes. Amen.”

 -Tina Fey Happy Mothers Day to all and I love you Mom!

 Tchau, Sara

9 months

Yep. 9 months already and moving quickly to 12 months. So many changes have happened in the past month. She just seems with it mentally these days and not to mention completely mobile!

Sweet face

Eating little puffs so she will sit still....bribery has already begun.

Whacha doin?

Playing. She loves to open and close things right now. 

Whacha doin again?

Hahaha. Momma your funny with that funny little flashy thing.

I am bored with you so I shall play with my ball.

I lost the ball under the couch but I must reach it.

Don't you dare think about tying me to this chair anymore.
I am a mobile person and I will eat on the run.

Looking at her daddy. She gives the photo kisses and
 it's so cute and sad at the same time.

Yep. The stair climbing has begun and she is a master.
You really have to watch out.

Her favorite past time of tormenting the dogs.

She definitely is keeping me sooo busy and I am beginning to love the crazy chaos. Don't get me wrong it's tough but now that she is mobile and I can play with her it makes the day go by so much faster. She started saying mamammama and dadaadada along with her usual ba's and I keep hoping for the day that she says mama and means it. I know that will probably be awhile. 

The past few days she points and says Ba. As to what Ba means I have no idea. I am still trying to teach her a little sign language but just a few words: Water, more, all done, ball, and inadvertently bye bye. She is still to young to sign back but she is watching.... always watching.

I am pretty sure that she has figured out what NO means but whether she listens depends on her mood. her little temper is unpredictable and she knows what she wants and how to get it. 

We went to the doctor and all is good with her. Her height is in the 97% percentile at 30 inches and her weight is in the 75% percentile at 20 lbs and 8 oz. 

Her little allergies are kicking her rear so the doctor added Nasonex 1 spray in each nostril a day to her already 1/2 tsp of Zyrtec a day. The nasal congestion has gone down and she can eat and breathe so much easier. Poor baby has her daddies allergies :( Let's hope she gets his eye sight too so we save some money later on!

She is sleeping through the night now. On good days it's 8pm to 6am and on bad days it's 8pm to 445am... at least she is taking 2 naps a day at 9 am and 2pm for about an hour and sometimes a little longer.

She loves little kids still and wants to run and play but can't which adds to her frustration. I bet in a month she will be running along side them at the park. Until know I am going to hug her as much as she will let me before it stops.

Tchau,

Sara

Teething Necklace

I have heard it before but now I am living it. Most parents that have made it through the first year of of their children's lives said that they blamed everything on teething. I am no different!

After a particularly long night of not being able to console Belle I broke down and spent some money on a Baltic Amber Teething Necklace. Supposedly the amber resin releases analgesic oils into the skin when the body's natural heat warms up the necklace. I WILL TRY ANYTHING. 

So far I haven't noticed any change in her mood. Although she now that I have purchased the necklace she has been sleeping through the night and life is great. (The sleeping through the night probably has to do with me and my mom putting her on a strict time related sleeping routine- Bedtime at 730-8 and Naps at 9am and 2pm)

From the pictures below you can tell how happy a baby she really is and how blessed I am! Oh and once again she is naked. Diaper rash is still lingering so I take every opportunity to air her little butt out :)

So happy!

The little red bump on her arm is the TB shot.... it's still red raised
 and who knows what is going on!

Look no hands!

Look at all those teeth! 4 on top and 3 on bottom.

I want the camera!

I double dog dare you to stick your finger in my mouth...

Today her pedi in the US is going to give her a wellness check and make sure she is hitting all her milestones and that the war infection cleared up. Nate made it safely back to Brasil without getting stopped by customs. He told me that the lady in front of him had 5 bags all to herself so she got checked and he walked right on through! Yea!! We have stuff now!

Tchau,

Sara

Baby Food

Living in the US is so easy right now on feeding Belle. I feel like I am cheating! I found these great little grab and go bags of purees that are completely organic and zero preservatives! She loves them and can feed herself which makes life for me even easier.... Ahhhhh I am going to stay forever! Just kidding, but really when we actually do move back home I give you all permission to smack me if I ever complain about how rough life is :)

Nate left to go back to Brazil today. It was a little earlier than planned but he once again had some meetings he needed to be at. This means I will be extending my trip so he can come back to the US for the rest of his vacation and help me fly back with her (I cried again telling the story last weekend). For his trip home I made sure his bags were packed to the brim full of toys for Belle, taco seasonings, spice mixtures, deodorant, and tons of their random stuff like refrigerator magnets. I wish him luck going through customs.

Tchau,
Sara

Missing her!

I have been traveling all week so I keep looking at all the photos I have of her on my phone.... Here are some playing in my suitcase. Looooove her.

Tchau,
Sara

NYC

Nate and I just got back from a three day vacation date! It was such a wonderful exhausting trip. It's weird how much you can miss your kid... When your that far away you feel that something is missing all the time. Can't wait to hug and squeeze her in the morning!

I will post pics soon!

Sara

On the Mend

Belle is feeling much better these days. The teething has slowed down and the ear infection has cleared up. The only thing we are dealing with us the aftermath of the antibiotics.... Diaper rash! Needless to say there is tons of naked baby time in the house! Grandma and grandpa are loving it though :)

Monday I leave the Belle with my mom and dad and I meet Nate in New York for a few days! I am so excited to see Nate after three weeks of being apart and a chance to reconnect after having a baby. We really haven't done a good job of doing something just the two of us since we have had her. It really is hard though to trust someone to watch your kid in another country. When we get back though our one and only maid, Rosa, will be helping out and I plan to have her watch Belle one evening a week so we can have just dinner and a movie.

Well off to walk since the weather is soooo wonderful these days in Oklahoma.

Tchau,
Sara

My Little Hippie

Today was such a beautiful morning! My mom and I grabbed some blankets and dragged Belle out to play. I didn't have a hat so my mom did what she used to do to me ;) a little bandanna to block the sun!

Belle loved it! She is also wanting to walk but cant so she wants you to hold her or help her. I think she should just focus on crawling for the next couple of months!!

Tchau,
Sara

Cart Time

Belle's first time riding in the seat of a cart! In Brazil these are non existent so I have to wear her in a backpack and push the cart... Double duty and it sucks! Loving being back home this time around. Life is soooo easy here! God bless the USA.

Tchau,
Sara

The Flight....

I feel that I am ready to talk about the day now.... enough time has passed and I am ready to reface the experience :)

Now that we are living in Rio the trip to the airport really isn't a big deal. Like all major cities we had to plan around rush hour and debated getting to the airport early or risk being late. We opted on the side of caution and left our house around 545 pm for my 9pm flight. We arrived at the airport and checked Nate in for his flight to Salvador, he had a work trip and planned it around our flight, and then he escorted me to the international terminal to help me check in with Belle. In Brazil when flying alone with a Brazilian child, Belle, you have to carry a signed notarized document from the absent parent stating that it's ok for the child to leave the country. Nate wanted to be there just in case there were any problems.

Check-in went great. Belle just seemed to be excited and looking around everywhere and everything. Despite it being past her bedtime she didn't fuss too much.... as long as I was walking her with the stroller. Security was great and super helpful and immigration was a breeze. All of our documentation was in order and no problems at all.

Boarding went great and Belle even smiled the entire time. We sat in the two seats next to the window and the plane wasn't really that full (thankfully). Shortly after take off the crying began. Of course anyone who has ever flown with an infant will tell you to nurse, give a bottle, or even give a pacifier to help ease the pain of the altitude and pressure changes. Unfortunately what I later found out was that when an infant has an ear infection they don't want to do any of that because it makes their ears hurt more.

After 30 min of straight screaming she finally passed out on my shoulder and I was able to lay her down on her tummy in her seat. I thought to myself now that she is out the hard part is over and I will eat dinner and watch a movie and stay awake to make sure she doesn't roll off the seat onto the floor.

You can't really see her that well but she looked so peaceful!
At this point in the flight I truly was optomistic that things would be great.

Then after about 1.5hrs, I am guessing because my romantic comedy wasn't over yet, Belle started to stir and try to roll. I figured she was just shifting positions so I let her manuver the best she could but to her best efforts she failed. The screaming began once again. I quickly picked her up and tried to nurse back to sleep but she screamed even louder when I tried. I searched for the emergency pacifier I had in my bag and kept her up right rocking her while I tried to get her to take it. I just kept thinking that she needed to suck so her ears would pop. She refused my efforts to calm her.

At this point all the stares from the other passengers trying to sleep began. Belle is full on arching, kicking, pulling my hair, throwing herself around in my arms bawling. I stand up and just sway and rock with her in the asle but do I risk walking and waking the entire plane or just my area? Luckily she stopped crying while she started down at the awake passengers and started squawking at them to look at her.

Great. I thought to myself. She is messing with me!!

I end up walking her to the back of the plane to ask the flight attendents if they have any children's benadryl on hand that I can give her since Brazil doensn't sell any. Unfortunately they didn't have anything but they played with her a little and offered their support. I gave her some of the infant's ibuprofen that I had packed just in case of a moment like this.

Only 7 more hours of flight left.

She starts yawning again so I take her back to the seat to try and nurse her again. She finally accepts it and starts to fall asleep. THANK YOU! Then BAMM. Screaming starts again! What in the world???

The guy behind me adibly says, "for the love of god would she just falls asleep already." At this point I am soooo frustrated becuase nothing I do is working. She finally falls asleep in my arms and I do not dare move her. I vow to hold her the entire flight if it kills me.

The silence lasts for maybe 45 min and then the screaming starts again.... this time a flight attendent comes over to facilitate the problem. I am sure that some complaints were being said. I started to cry because I am just so absolutely over whelmed. (Actually every time I get to this part of the story I cry again and tryping it out is no different. Tears really are coming down my face.)

She stays quiet for awhile but eventually I have to stand up and rock her to make her fall asleep standing up. This time I lay her back down in the seat on her tummy. It's 4 am at this point and we have 3 hrs left in the flight. She sleep until 6ish and then wakes up but I pick her up and hold her and she crashes again until we are about to land.

I am one of the first ones off the flight but one of the last to go through immigration because I have to wait on my stroller.

Then my bag was one of the last off the belt. By now other international flights are landing and the security line is backed up soooo far. She breezed through without incident and seemed to be in better spirits.

We make a B-line to our next gate where I let her crawl all over the nasty carpeted airport floor. At this point I could care less what she did as long as she was happy and I couldn't hold her anymore. I catch stares from everyone in the terminal but I could have walked around naked and not cared as long as she was smiling.

Thankfully the next flight was only 1 and 7 min.... yes I know the exact time. She slept for about 45 min of it all but didn't cry when she woke up so I count that as a win!

My parents met me at the airport and we had breakfest together and I finally thought that she would get some rest. WRONG.

Make a long story just a little less long I made a dr.'s appointment for the next morning becasue obviously something else is going on. Ear infection!!! Yea!!! Things will get better for both of us :)

This will be her fourth day on antibiotics and she is feeling great and back to her normal self. Crawling everywhere and loving life. Her appetite is back and so is her sleep!

Now we plan on enjoying the great weather, family, and friends.

Tchau,
Sara