All I Want for Christmas is Two Molar Teeth

Christmas would have been perfect, EXCEPT… the night before Christmas Eve Margo decided to cut her first two molar teeth. At the time I thought she was sick, but a few days later at the MD we learned that she had two little molars peeking through. Being the lunatic I am , I decided it would be easier and better with Margo if we hosted both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at our house with our two families. Although this was a little stressful, it would have been fine had I slept more than 1 or 2 hours the night before Christmas Eve. Margo had fever that was not well controlled with meds and was waking every 30 minutes. I finally let her sleep on my chest on the couch for a few hours. On Christmas Eve she did pretty well with meds, but did have some crying spells like I have never experienced before where she was almost inconsolable. I never even really knew she was teething with her first teeth. Nonetheless, teeth behind us and on to my exhausted, but still wonderful Christmas!

Thank goodness my dad and his sweet wife, Connie, were in town because I could not have made it without their help. We had lunch for 12 at noon on Christmas Eve and despite the crummy way I felt it went off pretty well. It was special treat to have my sister, Shannon, in town with her twins along with my dad and sister, Laura. I made a pork roast in the Crockpot with cranberries and holiday spices that was not fantastic, but was okay and easy. The sides were all yummy and we got some stuff from Whole Foods that was good—I highly recommend the caramelized leek and bacon mashed potatoes! My sister brought fabulous desserts including an amazing red velvet cake from Dessert Gallery. We had lunch, opened tons of gifts (everyone was way too generous and I love my new Kate Spade bag, Laura) and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus before enjoying dessert. Margo’s cousins were so sweet to her and were a great distraction and she only started to get fussy toward the end when she also clearly needed a long nap. The day did feel a bit rushed for everyone to make church, but it seems that is the case every year. The cold nasty rain kept us cozy indoors and we had the afternoon to clean up and recover in preparation for the next day.

The night of Christmas Eve was fun preparing for Margo’s Santa stuff. Dad and Connie bought Margo an awesome wagon complete with cup holders, an umbrella and more! Fortunately, my handy dad was there to put it together or Cary and I might have strangled each other before it was all said and done. I few glasses of wine made me feel better and everything else was easy to set out. Margo received a Pottery Barn chair, an activity cube, books from Santa’s reindeer and other small things including her stocking stuffers. I must say, with the wagon and her other gifts from family, she made quite a haul! She only woke once in the night with a low grade fever and slept until 6:30 am the next morning, thank goodness. She was much improved in the morning and seemed to have fun with all her new toys from Santa although she clearly had no idea what in the world was going on. It was a fun memory and the only thing missing was her Christmas jammies, which I am still sad about. I went to six stores in the Galleria, finally found a pair at Hannah Anderson that was pricey, but I was desperate. Got home only to learn they were the wrong size (because they have this weird European sizing) and when I called they didn’t have any in her size in stock. Cary went to the Gap the next day, got a precious pair, only to discover that the top was the right size and the bottoms were 2T. Christmas jammies were not meant to be this year. Maybe God was trying to tell me not to sweat the small stuff!

Dad and Connie said goodbye at 7:30 am, so they could head to San Antonio to visit my sweet Uncle Wilson who is in a home for brain injured adults. We were sad to see them go so early, but grateful for our precious time together which is all too infrequent. Cary and I actually managed to relax, drink coffee, play with Margo, open our other gifts, etc… until his parent’s arrived around noon. Thank goodness for their help, I was able to shower and reheat leftovers in plenty of time before Cary’s cousin and aunt arrived and we all had a wonderful afternoon together! Margo only needed one dose of Advil and put on a show for all of us, dancing in her chair, kissing her new baby doll and showing off her gymnastic skills doing somersaults! She was happy on Christmas Day and I was so grateful for that! It was a relaxing afternoon with family and Margo brought so much joy to all of us that day!

The day after Christmas Margo was pretty much back to normal and although it was hard surviving Christmas with the sleep deprivation and my heart hurting for my sweet baby who was clearly suffering, we were with family and there is nothing more important! It was a wonderful time to reflect on the gift of our Savior and treasure our time together!

Love this photo by my dad, captures Christmas in the best possible way!

Our Little Jellybean in Month Fifteen

Margo is growing in so many ways… taller and skinnier, verbally, musically, physically… it is amazing how much they change and how quickly! She continues to be our utter delight and brings so much sunshine to our days! Margo’s vocabulary includes: dog, wa wa for water, dad, ball, bubble, mmmm or num num for yummy, and I am pretty sure she is saying other things but it is unclear. We have heard milk, mama occasionally, light and so much more gibberish. She loves to make sounds and learned “ho ho ho” at Christmas and continues to mimic more and more animal sounds including: cow, cat, owl, sheep, elephant, bee, she growls for lions, tigers and bears, sniffs her nose for a bunny and tries to whistle for a bird. When she drinks, she says “ahhhh” afterwards.

Margo is also able to identify most of the animals for which she makes sounds and she LOVES Sesame Street characters even though she does not watch the show. She has been fascinated with Cookie Monster since she was born. We have Sesame Street books and if I ask her where a certain character is she will point out Elmo, Cookie, Oscar, Ernie and Bert. We are working on the Count, Grover, Rosita and Betty Lou—all of which we have small stuffed characters. One of our new favorite activities is identifying objects on chunky puzzles and she is really working on and trying to put the pieces back in place. She is starting to kick a ball and thanks to The Little Gym, she can almost jump off of the ground. She has also learned to do a forward somersault with my assistance. She will put her head on the ground in position and I help her roll forward. The Little Gym has been amazing for her development and unfortunately we will no longer be able to attend due to our new daycare and work schedules. I am going to see if Gymboree offers any classes that might work better.

Margo knows to go to the fridge or pantry when she wants a drink or snack and can be quite demanding at times, ha ha! She can also be a little stinker, although she is still pretty darn well behaved. We struggled a bit with the Christmas tree ornaments this year and have a continued battle with the blinds. Telling Margo “no” does not work very well, but we don’t know what else to do. I have tapped the back of her hand, but think she is too young for spankings yet. No matter what we do to discipline her, she usually laughs in hysterics and thinks it is a funny game. So… we continue to say no firmly, remove her from the thing she should not be doing and have started to hand her one of her toys for more distraction. Sometimes we have to do this ten or more times in a row, all the while she is laughing her little self crazy! I used to think it was funny, but it is starting to get on my nerves. The book, “1, 2, 3… Magic” is on my reading list for 2012.

One thing that has amazed me about Margo is her love of music, singing and dancing. Our girl has definitely got rhythm and she is excited by any kind of music we put on, whether it is children’s music, 80’s or her favorite, classical. Her musical toys are her favorites and she dances and dances away. She has also started to sing which is so so sweet. I usually have no idea what it is, but she is carrying a tune of some sort well and this past month started trying to sing “Oh Christmas Tree”. She would point to the tree, sing, “ohhhh” and kind of carry on the tune. Then, for Christmas she got this awesome refrigerator alphabet game and it was probably her favorite gift. On the day after Christmas, she was already clearly singing the tune to the ABC’s, which my sister pointed out and really took me by surprise. We are definitely going to have to foster her love of music and I want to make sure she takes piano lessons whether she ends up liking it or not. Cary and I are both mathematically challenged and music is supposed to help develop math skills, among other things.

This past month we also made a decision that I am so happy about. After waiting for an hour and a half at Margo’s 15 month appointment, I walked out. It was the second appointment of the day, no one communicated with us and based on other past experiences, I had it! We selected a new pediatrician who is the only physician practicing in his office with the help of a nurse practitioner and I am so thrilled. The are appropriately called, VIP Pediatrics because they treat all of their patients like VIPs. Their office is happy, clean and their staff is caring, attentive and wonderful. I just wish I had made the switch sooner. Margo’s 15 month stats are:

Weight: 26%
Height: 45%
Head: 23%

Her pediatrician also looked at her stats based on the WHO growth charts and she is more like 50% in weight and height using that measure. Since we have been using the other formula since she was born, I will stick to that. Our girl’s Michelin Man arms are gone and she is getting longer and leaner because she is so active, a force to be reckoned with she is on the move so much! Margo is so active that at 15 months, it was definitely time to move to one nap and it has worked beautifully! She wakes around 6 am, has an early lunch between 11:15 and 11:30 and goes down between 12:00 and 12:30. She was not the best napper before, but now she consistently naps between 2 to 3 hours and is now able to stay up until about 7:30 pm. It works better for all of us across the board. Margo is more well rested, I have a great block of time to accomplish things and we can actually go out to dinner without being so worried about an early bedtime. The only thing I miss is my ability to go out to lunch, but the pros definitely outweigh that one little caveat.
After spending an hour and a half with the pediatrician, Margo is doing great and we got lots of excellent advice. Things we will be working on is stacking blocks, throwing the ball and talking more. I have been a little concerned that Margo does not say “mama”. The pediatrician thinks it is because I am always there to meet her every need so she essentially does not need to ask for me. I have to practice a little tough love and start trying to get her to say it before I just give in to her every want or need. I am also supposed to start getting her to say the things she wants rather than immediately give her what she points to. I will say the name of the object, encourage her to say it and if she tries (whether it is understandable or not), I can then give it to her. I am hoping that since she will be starting daycare two days a week, that some of these things will be remedied and they will know what to teach her and she will learn from her peers.

I could go on and on, so much has happened with Margo in recent months regarding her growth and development. This is a long post and I am probably boring my readers. Pray for us as we transition Margo to daycare in January, work on some major constipation problems and try to transition her to regular whole milk instead of lactose free—I am sure a new post is soon to follow. In the meantime, I am thoroughly loving this age that our girl is in. She is a hoot with a funny and sweet personality and she adds so much to my life!

Applause for a Visit with Santa Claus

My amazing friends, Deidra and Melissa, planned yet another awesome visit with Santa Claus for the kids this year! Last year, we started the tradition of hiring Santa “Jim” to visit the kids at Deidra’s awesome house, perfect for a crowd, and I hope the tradition sticks because it is such a great experience for all of our kids and their families.

The Mannion house was decorated to the nines, as always, and Margo had a great time! She just milled around the house looking at all of the neat things and played with Alexis’s toys, but she was really uninterested the other kids. She also was not a fan of Santa at all, but at least there were no tears and we did manage to get some great photos! She wanted to put the Christmas tree decorations in her mouth and was fascinated by the lights and sparkles! Last year, Margo slept, spit up all over her outfit and didn’t even really notice Santa… funny what a difference a year makes!

The group each brought dips, sides, desserts and other goodies to complete a fajita dinner that was delicious! I managed to get a cup of Brian’s homemade turkey and sausage gumbo which was the bomb and Julie’s cake balls were delicious! They had crafts for the kids, but me being the anal mother I am, left so Margo could have a decent bedtime. Deidra gave out the most incredible favors—a jar of ingredients to make cookies for Santa, with easy instructions. They were so cute and I cannot wait to try one of Santa’s cookies on Christmas Eve!

Christmas is all about establishing traditions and this has become one of my favorites! It provides a great opportunity for us to all get together, which is few and far between now that we are all parents, and it is a great experience for the kids. To have one-on-one time with Santa, hear a story told by him and get up close and personal makes it extra special! If Deidra is brave enough to host another crazy Santa Jim party with 16+ families next year, we will be thrilled to attend! A special thanks to Melissa and Deidra for making it all happen and going to such a great extent to make it all so spectacular!

Margo was such a Peach at the Beach!

I had so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. For invaluable time and memories with my family, for amazing vacation home rentals in Seaside, Florida courtesy of my generous sisters, for the beautiful weather, for Margo travelling like a true dream and so much more!

Thanksgiving at the beach has been a slowly evolving tradition in my family. We all love the beach and I must say that the white sandy beaches of the emerald coast are hard to match. Cary and I last spent Thanksgiving in Carillion Beach in 2007, so it had been four years and we were so thrilled to be able to go this year! Seaside was the neat little destination this year with amazing homes, a precious town center complete with great food, homemade gelato, art galleries and neat shops. All were within one short block of our house, along with the private beach, just steps away, and it made for a most magical time!

I was so nervous about Margo traveling because she has not been the most adaptable baby, but I also have not given her many opportunities to adapt. Our flight to Florida was a few hours delayed and she waited so patiently at the airport. She conked out the minute the plane took off and there was not one tear! I think mommy and daddy were more exhausted and hungry than she was. This was only her 3rd or 4th time to sleep in the pack-n-play and the first day she cried, but went right down for naps and bedtime the rest of the trip—a dream I tell you! She played beautifully with her cousins and was a bit attached to mommy, but was perfectly comfortable on her own the last few days. She tried new foods, ate well, laughed, smiled and hugged everyone. I am so impressed with my sweet girl and I must say, I think she benefited enormously from this adventure!

Margo did, however, HATE the sand… I mean HATE it! My girl is not a crier, but boy she cried on that sand. She did not want one single toe in it, which was disappointing but also not surprising. She was mesmerized by the water and I think will be a much happier baby on the beach next time. I might add, she did have a few meltdowns when she was over tired and she could not handle our special dinner out on the last night, but all-in-all she did awesome and I am happily surprised at it!

Our week consisted of lots of wonderful food and our Thanksgiving dinner was to die for! Alan made his famous beef tenderloin that is better than any high end steak house, we had smoked turkey, tons of delicious homemade sides and yummy desserts. Wine was aplenty and Thanksgiving day felt wonderful and safe and comfortable… it felt like family… at its best! We played Balderdash—a definite new favorite of mine, watched The Grinch in the town center, shopped, saw a Christmas parade with Santa and my favorite…lots of chatting with my beautiful family! The days were beautiful sunny and warm enough for a swimsuit. Margo loved walking the trail between our two beach houses and found many treasures along the way—flowers, sticks, rocks and seashells. Her favorite thing was all of the ceiling fans going around on the porches—pure fascination! On the last night of our trip, we also went on a fiercely competitive crab hunt. We divided into three teams in the freezing wind with GIANT waves (there was a rough waters advisory) and had a blast. I was terrified of the crab and refused to do anything other than carry the flashlight, they were huge, Cary got pinched but was a trooper, Morgan (my niece) was a pro at trapping them and Shannon (my sister) was brave enough to pick them up in the net. The stars were the best I have seen in years and I must say I am pretty sure our team won fair and square. Seeing my niece, Caroline’s, excitement over the whole thing was priceless. I splashed wine all over myself, ruined a jacket, stained my face—all too funny!

Margo also got to meet her cousin, Lucas, for the first time. They were born only a month apart and I have been so anxious to get them together. Funny thing is, they could really care less about each other. They played on their own and shared a babble from time-to-time, but for the most part it was as if they didn’t really know the other was there. Nonetheless, I loved seeing them together and on the last day they finally connected. I missed seeing it, but am sure as the years go by they will become wonderful buddies and I am so glad Margo has a cousin near her age since my sisters are so much older, as are their kids.

There is nothing greater on this earth next to God than family and I must say, I have an incredible family! Each member of our clan brings something special and unique to the mix. This week I tried to sit back and soak in the family experience when I could because moments like these are too few and far between. There is also an empty space in our family that I really yearned for Thanksgiving week. Last time we were in Florida, my brother-in-law, Randy, was there. His birthday was on Tuesday before Thanksgiving and his lack of presence was definitely felt. He had a true vigor and zest for life, yet while his physical person is no longer here, I see his beautiful spirit in each of his amazing children. Losing someone you love so much makes you want to hold on a little tighter, remember to stop and smell the roses, appreciate and love everyone even in all their flaws and quirks. Family makes the world go round, not work, not possessions, not money or other vices because family is love in the purest and truest form. Our little Margo added a whole new dimension to our family at Thanksgiving this year and I am most thankful for her and the many new adventures we have to look forward to in the future!

There is no bigger prize than getting Margo baptized!

Our sweet little angel was baptized on November 12th and it was a beautiful ceremony. We had waited so long to baptize her because I was afraid to expose her to germs when she was tiny and we really wanted Cary’s uncle, who is a priest, to baptize her. In what was an otherwise perfect day, the only thing missing was Uncle Doug. The stars just couldn’t seem to align to have him be a part of the ceremony, so we reluctantly went ahead without him.

Margo looked so sweet in her white, smocked dress. I had so much fun dressing her up! Sitting still was very difficult for her, but she managed to get through the whole ceremony without any tears. She loved the water and was extremely calm when it was poured over her head, thank goodness!


My dearest sister, Laura, and beloved brother-in-law, Alan, are Margo’s God parents and I could not think of anyone better. They have been so helpful since Margo was born and brought us meals, gave advice and have worked hard at being a part of Margo’s life despite their busy little brood. Margo loves their kids, her cousins, and I know they will help foster her spiritual growth throughout life.

After the baptism, my sister hosted a yummy brunch at her house and served this amazing breakfast dish! We celebrated Margo’s special day with good food, bloody mary’s, mimosas and our amazing family—the most important part! This was the first time I was able to sit and visit without really watching Margo because her cousins kept her so well entertained. It was so sweet to see them play with her—she is smitten with all of them!
I cannot think of anything more important than making sure that Margo is raised in a spiritual home where God is the center of everything. I know that if Margo goes through life loving the Lord and knowing God, she can accomplish and conquer anything. Now that we have her baptism done, our next goal is to get to church regularly again in the new year. I know that my soul most certainly needs some extra nourishment these days! Who’s doesn’t after all?

A Little Gnome was in our Home‏

I must say, I wasn’t so sure about the gnome… that is until I saw it on her. I think Margo’s Halloween costume was absolutely adorable, fun and different! Cary saw it and pretty much insisted that it was THE costume and we had to get it. Given that we loved living in New Braunfels, we love German beer and Cary loves brauts, it was fitting. We did not go trick-or-treating because Margo does not eat candy and I am pretty strict about her early bedtime. We did, however, traditionally spend Halloween with the Buckners and Margo had a great time with her cousins.

As a special treat, Margo finally got to meet her Great Granny Faye who is also her namesake. She celebrated Halloween with us and we also took a fun trip to the zoo the following day. It was fun to have the three Fayes together… Granny Faye, Erin Faye and Margo Faye. My granny is an incredibly special lady and I am so glad her and Margo got to meet one another!

Margo loves animals and can imitate many of their sounds. Most recently, she growls and thinks it is pretty funny! We watched some youtube videos of lions roaring and she was absolutelty fascinated--so cute! I was so excited to finally take her to the zoo and I think she really enjoyed it. Some of the animals were hard for her to see, but others she was mesmerized with. Her favorite was definitely the wild turkey who came and visited her at the glass. I will say, next time we will go early in the morning because most of the animals were taking their afternoon nap when we were there. Nonetheless, it was a great time and I love getting Margo out for new experiences.

This month Margo has been a daily adventure! Margo is constantly doing or discovering something new and now that she is walking and can reach up on counters, she is into EVERYTHING! She is still mainly saying the consonant “D” and has mastered dada, dog and duck. She also says "God" and points to my cross collection on the wall, courtesy of GiGi, and just started saying “light” and “wa wa” for water—she can even sing the tune to the Beatles song wah wah. She clearly has a lot to say in her constant babbling and “singing”. I just wish I could understand her.

She is all about pointing at things and it is so cute! She is fascinated with fans and lights and trees—things up high I guess. She points at pictures in her books, the food she wants, toys, etc… Sometimes I think she is pointing just for the sake of pointing—I can’t figure out what in the world she wants or sees. Her favorite thing to do is go outside and discover everything. She loves to hold onto leaves and grass and walk with them or dig in the dirt to pick up twigs, clovers and other treasures. I love observing her curiosity and excitement in every new little thing!

Margo only got one new tooth this month, but boy has she been teething. Everything is going into her mouth and I can tell it is bothering her. This month she gave me a big, sweet hug and then chomped down on my shoulder. Those little teeth hurt… bad! I had a dark, puffy bruise to show for it.

She is also gaining more independence and is showing a tiny bit of a confrontation with certain things. She does not like to have toys or anything she is holding taken away. She is also starting to push our hands and faces away when she wants to do something on her own or wants us to get away. There haven’t been any real temper tantrums or melt downs, but she is starting to hold her own. I must say, it makes me sad that she is growing up right in front of our eyes, but it is also so exciting and I truly do delight in everything our sweet Margo does. She is the light of my life and she makes my world go round in the best way possible. It has been another month filled with joy and fun!

On a separate note, we are off to Florida next week for Thanksgiving! I cannot wait for Margo to experience the beach. If you are reading this, you are most likely someone I care about deeply and I want you to know how thankful I am for my amazing and wonderful family and friends. May everyone have a most blessed Thanksgiving!

Frittata After my Heart-a!!

I have this massive manila folder filled with recipes I have torn out. It is so intimidating that I rarely go through it and when I do I ponder the same old ones over and over again.

I am so glad I finally decided to try this one... from Ladies' Home Journal in 2009. Think I need to clean out? It is so low in calories and so delicious, I absolutely had to share!

Asparagus & Zucchini Frittata
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed & cut into 1” pieces
1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
½ small zucchini, halved lengthwise & sliced
1/3 c. chopped onion
¼ c. chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers
1/3 c. reduced-fat shredded mozzarella
8 eggs
½ c. fat-free milk
1 T. fresh dill
¾ t. salt
1 t. pepper
2 T. all-purpose flour
4 T. finely shredded parmesan

Lightly grease a 2 quart rectangular baking dish & set aside. In a large saucepan, bring 1” water to a boil. Add asparagus, yellow bell pepper, zucchini and onion. Cover & simmer until just tender; drain well. Stir in roasted red peppers and spread vegetable mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Beat together next six ingredients and pour over vegetables. Bake at 350º for 35 to 40 minutes until slightly puffed. Sprinkle with parmesan and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

It says it makes eight servings, but we had this for dinner with a salad and it makes more like six servings in the Weaver household! Nonetheless, for eight servings, it is 84 calories and oh' so yummy! Margo loved it too!

Our Poor Little Chickie has been Sickie‏

This past month has involved a lot of sickness for Margo. She has been well most of her 1st year and now that I am exposing her to the germs of The Little Gym, she is sick one week after another it seems. She is currently suffering from a cold that has lasted over week so far. Her little nose is raw and I feel sorry for her. The two weeks prior she had a bad sore throat and high fevers that resulted in a lot of traumatic testing by the doctor. I am wondering if putting her through all of that was really necessary. I guess I better get used to it since she will be going to daycare two days a week starting in January. In the mean time, please pray that our sweet girl can get a break from all of this illness.

This past month has been a ton of fun too! Whoa, it is amazing how many new things she has started doing. It seems like I get a new surprise every day! One day Margo was in her highchair doing something funny with her arms. I could not figure it out until we were in the bath later and I realized that she was rolling her arms as part of patty cake. When I started singing it she started doing it over and over—it was so cute! She loves to clap, wave, jump and dance all the time. Our girl is full of energy and her little arms and body are constantly on the move! Pushing her various walkers and toys are still her favorite thing to do.

Just after her 1st birthday she took her 1st steps… about four steps to me. We were so excited and she kept trying, but got sick a few days later and kind of regressed. She was tired and just didn’t feel like putting the effort or bravery into walking. About three weeks later she started walking again. This time we caught it on tape and she seems to get stronger and more confident each day. I imagine that in a another week we will have a full-time walker on our hands… watch out world! When she first started walking I decided to go shoe shopping which has turned out to be a challenge. Margo does not like shoes… at all! She cried in the shoes store and then had a few fits when I tried to put them on her at home. I keep showing her everyone’s shoes and put them on briefly, without tears, with the hopes she will get comfortable with it. She loves to be outside, so she’s got to start accepting those shoes if she wants to be mobile.



We also had a hard time introducing milk which surprised me because Margo loves all things food and will eat just about anything! What I have concluded is that Margo’s terrible sore throat may have been the primary culprit. When she was sick, I could barely get her to drink 8 oz. of formula a day and she would eat virtually nothing. She has definitely thinned out a bit, but still has beautiful chunky arms and legs. Getting back on track, Margo would not drink her milk, even barely mixed with formula. I gave up and went back to formula until she was well. We started slow by mixing 4 oz. formula with 2 oz. milk. We are now down to only milk--yaay--and she is drinking better than she has in months. I am so relieved that it turned out to be easier than originally expected! She is also taking two servings of milk from a sippy cup and I am still doing a morning and bedtime bottle. She likes her cup, so I don’t think it will be a problem, but I must say I am sad to stop the bedtime bottle. I feel like this is my bonding time with Margo where we sit quietly together and sing and pray. I have treasured this time so very much and find that letting go of my little baby is so hard and painful! Nonetheless, my plan is to have her completely off of bottles in time for our Thanksgiving trip to the beach.

Since my last post, Margo has gotten over the fear of washing her hair and has gotten much more steady in the big girl bath. She actually LOVES her bath again and even wants to lay back and put her head in the water. She also likes to put her face in the water and drink the water and taste the bubbles—yuck! I just let her do it with the hope that she will outgrow it soon. Margo also has six teeth now, four upper and two lower. We started brushing her teeth which she thinks is a hoot!

Our favorite day of the week is Wednesday when we get to go to The Little Gym. To say that Margo loves it is an understatement! She laughs almost the entire time! She has also proved to be very strong! On her first day she hung the longest from the bar and even did a mini pull-up! Her teacher was very impressed. She loves the freedom of moving around such a large space and likes to watch the other kids. I am so glad I got the nerve to take her, with my sister’s urging, because she has such little interaction with other kids and I can see how good it has been for her!

As always, this past month has been fun and wonderful despite Margo being sick so much! Life takes on a whole new meaning as a parent and I truly look forward to each and every day with our girl!

Margo's Last Month in a Year has Brought us Cheer‏

So... I digress a bit and am revisiting Margo's 11th month because I was waiting on her stats from her 1 year appointment and want to keep these thoughts and memories stored on my blog. It's funny how much has already changed since I wrote this!

Margo’s little personality just keeps blossoming as she gets older and she is quite a hoot! She is the happiest child and laughs all the time. The last month in her 1st year has been awesome! It just gets more and more fun! She has become an expert hugger and there is nothing better in the world. She must crawl into my lap and wrap her arms around my neck at least 25 times a day. She also gives kisses now, but only when she really wants to—maybe I have bad breath. ;-) She has started crawling into the bathroom, closing the door and standing up in front of the full length mirror to admire herself. She smiles and laughs and kisses herself—it is hilarious! We have to be careful she doesn’t shut herself in there.

Margo has always loved books, but has recently started to get excited about reading. We read at least three times a day before her naps and at bedtime. She makes little excited noises when I pick up the book and she loves turning the pages. I am so glad we pushed reading very early and I hope this will help her grow into an avid reader.

At the end of month 11, Margo started getting braver and briefly letting go to stand on her own. She only does it for a matter of seconds, but I anticipate that she will be walking soon. Her favorite toy is the push walker and if she had it her way, that is all she would do all day. I have to hide it to get a break since it requires constant supervision. She is also dancing which is just adorable. It doesn’t matter the music, she hears it and smiles and dances. I am so excited to have a dance partner now. We have many moments of dancing and twirling around the room… she totally brings out the child in me and I love it!



Margo is not really talking real words yet except “dada” and she clearly understands what it means. She spent two days saying, “mama” about a month ago and then quit. I can’t wait until she starts expanding her vocabulary. We think she is saying dog because she said it once when a dog was walking by outside and then once when looking at a dog in a book. Funny because we don’t have a dog! She can make lots of funny noises like tootie noises and stick her tongue in and out making babbles. She also talks jibberish all the time… I wish I knew what she was saying! She loves to mimic our silly noises and tries to copy animal noises. She can definitely moo and has made many attempts at meowing. She loves to scream… maybe she is trying to be a screeching bird!



Margo also clearly understands what “no” means and can follow our commands, but also loves to test us. She often attempts to do the same thing over and over (like grab mommy’s pretties), but jerks her hand away as soon as I say “no” with a big ‘ole grin on her face. She has recently started laughing at my discipline too and only really cries at “no” when I take something away that she wants, like daddy’s glasses. It is so hard not to laugh back. I am pretty sure she is gonna be a bit of a stinker, but also has her daddy’s calmer side as well… a good combination!

Our biggest change this month was transitioning to the big girl bath. Margo was really not happy in her other tub, which was really big but she kept trying to stand and started having fits over being confined. This was unusual for my girl who loves the water. At the urging of my sister and best friend, we took the plunge and are using the big bath. It is a big pain because Margo will not sit still and slides all over the place, but she loves the freedom. She does cry when I lean her back to wash her hair and I am trying to establish trust in this area. She has slid face first into the water a few times which scared the puddin’ out of her, but she always recovers quickly. I hate having to hold on to her constantly and tell her to sit down 10 times in a row, but she is learning and is testing her boundaries and I consider that a good thing!

Margo was sick at her one year appointment with a bad sore throat and fever and had barely eaten for two days, so her weight hadn't changed. I am hoping it was because she is sick and not because she is getting too skinny on me. She is an awesome eater, but is incredibly active so she is busy burning calories all the time! Her stats were:

20 lbs. 15 oz. - 45% for weight down from about 75%
29.25" tall - 51% for height
14.21% for head circumference - Mom and dad have small heads too

She is my delight and my utter joy. I sometimes miss my little tiny baby, but am also excited for all the fun changes in the year to come!

Hip Hip Hooray for Margo's Birthday!

I had soooo much fun planning for Margo’s birthday, I could have spent a fortune! The theme was, “You are my Sunshine” which is close to my heart because it was my mom’s song for me as a child and I have carried that on to Margo. She truly is our little ray of sunshine and I don’t think the theme could have been more appropriate for our happy girl!

This year we did a family only party and included one of my best friends, Michelle, because she pretty much is family. I also read about a parent who invites one friend for each year of the child’s life and I liked that idea. We just didn’t want to make it too complicated and decided the family route would be best. I tried to keep all of the decorations yellow, white, orange and pink. To say that I am obsessed with ETSY is an understatement! The signs, banners and tissue paper poms were purchased there and assembled by me. Her dress, crown and the delicious sunshine mints were also purchased on etsy. I was so impressed with those yummy mints and would recommend them to anyone. They do all different designs and we got almond and butter mint. They were such a neat touch for something inexpensive!

The food was simple, cold finger foods and dips all trying to keep in the same color theme. We also rented a margarita machine from Houston Frozen Drinks. The cost was really reasonable and I thought it was easier than worrying about other alcohol. Of course, alcohol at a one year party is not really necessary, but I thought it would be fun and I think we were more celebrating that mommy and daddy survived the first year! They provided cups, straws, salt, lime, etc… and the price included delivery and pick-up. We even got to enjoy it until 6 pm the next day! I would rent a machine again and again and of course, it was a big hit with our guests.

Given the insane number of gifts that Margo received, we pretty much dove right into opening presents and Margo’s patience started to flounder about half way through. She did great though and was clearly excited about her new toys. We received so many nice things for her including lots of beautiful clothes, books and even college savings money. Margo is so well loved and we feel so blessed.

I was so impressed with how delicious, moist and flavorful Margo’s cake was, not to mention so cute! I had ordered cookies from Kari Roberson before and loved them. Her cake is just as wonderful and she uses almond which is my absolute favorite and was the flavor I had in my wedding cake. I was so excited to taste the almond in my first bite. It was fantastic and I would also recommend her to anyone. She can do just about anything you ask! Margo ate her cake outside to allow for easy clean up and she sat in her great grandfather’s high chair which was hand crafted by his grandfather. So… her great great great grandfather made it—so cool! I was surprised that she didn’t love her cake more because mommy and daddy are sugar addicts. She picked at the icing and I smashed her hand into the cake, but she wasn’t wild about the cake part. Fine with me, I am trying to keep her from loving sugar for as long as I can!

I also have to mention Margo’s one year photos that were displayed on the entry table. They were done by my super talented friend, Deanna Addison, and I really fell in love with some of the great shots. Margo was so in awe of her surroundings at the park where we shot the pictures that I couldn’t get her to smile, but the setting is beautiful and the photos certainly capture her one year old beauty in a perfect way! I am so lucky to have such a talented friend in Deanna and I am so proud of how awesome her business has done and blossomed in the past year. She most certainly deserves her success!

Margo’s big day ended with lots of love from her family and she was spent by bedtime. As I rocked her to sleep it was hard not to cry at my not so little baby anymore. The past year has been a whirlwind of emotions and Margo has brought so much joy to our lives. I remember how overwhelmed I felt those first few days after bringing her home and feeling so much pressure to be a perfect mom. As the past year has evolved, I am so comfortable in my new mommy shoes and feel that my life is truly complete with our sweet little girl. Margo is truly amazing to us and God has given us the most priceless blessing. Margo has a beautiful soul and such a sweet spirit. I hope we can continue to foster these wonderful attributes we see in her and I cannot wait to celebrate all of the years and milestones to come.

It’s true what they say about treasuring every moment because it does go by so fast. I have really tried to do that, but I still find myself asking, “What happened to my little teeny 5 lb baby?”. Gosh, what I would give to just hold that little newborn one more time or have her sleep on my chest, but at the same time I love our new experiences together and have so much fun with my big one year old! Thank heavens for little girls and thank heavens for our Margo Faye. I hope Margo will enjoy looking back at her 1st birthday party knowing she was surrounded by so much love, support and generosity. Hip hip hooray for our Margo Faye!

Goodbye to my Beautiful Guy

Tucker, Tucks, Tuckies, Biggie Smalls, Bigs, Fatty, Big Man, Big Boy… just to name a few of our many names for the greatest cat on earth! Last week I said goodbye to my 16 year old companion, my first baby, my love, my Tucker.

To say that I am heartbroken is an understatement. I have never grieved like this before and it is almost too much to bear. I was so confused and surprised by my pain that I Googled it, thinking I must be crazy. It is clear I am not. Some people grieve for their animals more than some relatives or friends. Now I know why… Tucker knew me in the most intimate ways, he loved me unconditionally like only a pet can, I shared my dreams, fears, sorrows and deepest secrets with him, he was in my presence almost every day, every moment, for the past 16 years. Before Margo was born, I must have pet him at least two hours a day, if not more… talk about bonding.

My mom reminded me that it was “love at first sight” with Tucker and I. In my senior year of high school, she brought him home after another traumatic death of a precious kitten we had, Rosco. To say that Tucker was the sweetest, cutest ball of fur was an understatement. He clearly missed his mama, but I quickly took her place as he buried his little face in my hair, just like he would his mama’s fur, and began to purr away. This quickly became ritual and we never stopped sharing in our love in this beautiful way… up until his very final moments in this world. His place was on my chest, head buried in my hair, and I am hoping this was his favorite place on earth and gave him peace and comfort in his final moments. I certainly could not have asked for a more special, parting memory.

Tucker was from a trailer park, but you would have never known it. After a few years of attacking feet and biting ankles, chasing balls and playing the day away, he matured into quite the sophisticate! Think cat on Fancy Feast commercial… think Tucker! He loved to sit like a royal subject, cross pawed, demanding ice in his water, kitty massages and only the finest treatment. For as much as he expected, he gave even more in return. So many cats are aloof and unfriendly and this often gives them a bad reputation. Not Tucker, he loved us so much that he wanted to be with us all of the time. His favorite place was on our laps and in our presence. He purred non-stop and was just an amazing, wonderful, beautiful cat!

As Tucker grew fatter and more sedentary, maxing out at 22 lbs, he didn’t like to play much. He did, however, love to chase a foil ball and would come running at the sound of crinkling foil. He loved to watch the birds and would chirp back at them in the cutest way that sounded like a mix between chirping and meowing. He loved to lay in the sun or anywhere warm and cozy. Cary and I often joked that Tucker always knew how to find the most comfortable spot in the house. A unique trait about Tucker is that he came when you whistled. He was so personable and loyal, he really had more of a personality of a dog!

Tucker is truly a part of my identity. He followed me to college, through marriage, four moves and now was here for the birth of our precious Margo. He was curious about her, never ever mean despite her repeated hair pulling and you could tell he wanted to protect her. He would come running in the room where she was crying and get upset himself. No cat or animal in the world could ever replace him and I know I am going to have an empty spot in my heart for a long long time.

I have to give a shout out to West Alabama Animal Clinic. They have always provided Tucker with the most wonderful care. He HATED the vet to say the least, but I could tell they always made him feel really comfortable and helped him stay as calm as possible. They were so great in his final days and beyond, coming to our home to put him down, providing a hair clipping, paw print and a beautiful card. Cary’s cousin, Kim, works there and we may have received a tiny bit of special treatment, but I know they do these things for all of their clients and I highly recommend them to anyone. I could not have picked a better vet to help us send our boy to heaven and I am so grateful to all of our family and friends for the wonderful support during this difficult time.

Hug your animals a little tighter tonight and don’t take them for granted. Remember that our pets are extra special and love us in ways that humans cannot. I will never ever forget my Tucker and I thank God for the blessing of my 16 years with him each and every day.

Skinny Chicken Enchiladas

As many of you know, Cary and I have been on a diet for about three months now. He has lost 25 lbs—woo hoo! I have lost 9 lbs and think I am stuck at this weight, happily maintaining. We are still working on keeping it off and losing a pound or two here and there. I found this AWESOME website and just tried my first dish.

The Skinny Chicken Enchiladas were amazing! I am a foodie, I am picky especially about Mexican food and these were truly fantastic! One of the chilies I used had a lot of seeds (I diced them up). I used 2 T.+ because I like spice, but they were a little too spicy. If you have kids, I would use 1 T. or less. I used regular chili powder and may use corn tortillas in the future because I prefer them for enchiladas. Overall though, I give this an A+! To keep it on the healthy side, I paired this with a favorite stand-by in our house… This yummy Black Bean Salad—it is so fresh and flavorful! Enjoy!

Black Bean Salad

15 oz. can black beans 1 c. quartered cheery tomatoes
½ c. chopped red onion ¼ c. chopped celery
2 T. fresh lime juice 2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T. olive oil Salt & pepper to taste

Drain and rinse black beans. Combine with remaining ingredients and refrigerate at least two hours before serving.

I Could do Month Ten Again and Again‏

Margo has been so much fun this month! She is changing by leaps and bounds everyday and experiencing this with her has been incredible!

This month, Margo moved to two naps a day! She is still a ridiculously early riser (5:30 am), but I wouldn’t ever trade that for sleeping through the night! I love the two naps because we can do more in between since she goes about three hours and we have a larger window of awake time in the evening before bed. We have actually started to go to lunch and dinner more frequently and Margo loves to get out and see the world, run errands, etc…

The biggest blessing of the month is that Margo is reflux-free! I cannot tell you how relieved this makes us. No more meds, no more bibs and burp cloths 24-7, no more changing sheets every other day, etc… Most of all, it means relief and less discomfort for my sweet girl! She is eating like crazy as mentioned in my last post and loves her food. She loves to drink water (I am staying away from juice as long as possible) and can drink from a sippy cup on her own. She can also feed herself a bottle for a period of time, but still likes to be cuddled and fed by someone else. I will keep feeding her her bottle, or sippy cup when we switch, for as long as she lets me. Feeding time is my favorite because she is usually calm, quiet and affectionate.

The rest of the time, Margo is on the move non-stop. We are told by our moms that she has more energy than we ever did—oh’ no! It is clear we have our hands full, but she is sweet and pleasant, understands and usually obeys “no”, etc… She just loves exploring her world and having the freedom to be mobile! She loves to look out all the windows and if it wasn’t so darn hot, I am sure we would spend most of our time outside. She has been able to push her walker for most of the month and gets stronger and stronger every day. I have to hide it because I am afraid to let her play on it without my supervision and it is her favorite thing to do. She also loves the old school style walker you sit in and practically runs in it, banging into furniture and walls. It’s funny!



In month 10, she started waving and clapping. She doesn’t do it a lot and I am not sure she associates it with anything, but I am working with her. She is becoming more and more verbal everyday and saying so many new consonants. Most exciting is dada… I love to hear her say it and cannot wait for the day she finally says mama. She has begun to babble and talk jibberish all day long. It is hilarious and I just wish I could get into her head to find out what she is trying to say! She got her second tooth this month and I think the new object in her mouth drives her crazy. She is sticking out her tongue all the time!



Every day is a new adventure with my sweet girl. This has been my favorite month yet, discovering new things with her, sharing in hysterical laughter and bonding closer every day. Margo makes my world go round in ways I could have never imagined. The fun continues and I am eternally blessed by her beautiful little spirit!

I Conclude, Margo LOVES Food!

Since I started Margo on solids, I have been so grateful that it has been so easy and she has liked so much of the food I offer her. I have been making all of her baby food, 100% organic, and have truly enjoyed feeding her such a healthful diet. I was a very picky child, to say the least, and Margo is quite the opposite.

Some of the cool combinations she has really enjoyed are peas, edamame and apples, carrot and ginger, apples or pears with pomegranate, peach and apricot and so many more! I even made her French lentils.

In the past 2-3 weeks, I have been giving her more and more finger foods. She only has about two purees a day as an addition to her finger food meal. Now that she can feed herself (sort of—I help a lot), I think she is enjoying food even more, although sometimes the textures throw her off. Watermelon was not a hit, but we will try it again and fresh green beans were too tough, but the canned ones were gross and salty to her.

Here is what Margo ate today:

Breakfast: Teething biscuit, kiwi and cinnamon apples with oatmeal


Lunch: Puffs, chicken, a few French fries from mommy’s lunch, edamame and blueberries


Dinner: Whole wheat pasta, chicken, sweet potato fries, asparagus and peaches

Usually, she eats every last bite and LOVES it! Feeding time in our house is a fun time. We play music, act silly and laugh a lot! It is my time to sit in front of Margo and interact with her when she is not distracted by her toys and other things which I love… but hate the clean-up! On a side note, Margo does not like to drink her bottle. These days, we are doing great if she eats 18 ounces a day, which is the equivalent of three 6 oz. bottles. Hopefully she is getting the extra nutrients she needs in her food.

I find that feeding her only finger foods is a bit harder because I can’t exactly feed her off of my plate yet. Once we can introduce dairy and eggs, it will be easier. Margo still loves her purees, so the dilemma is… do I keep making the purees and feed them in addition to finger foods or move on and switch exclusively to finger foods. Moms, what did you do?

Lemony Herb Grilled Jumbo Shrimp

I pulled out a favorite this weekend and made it last night for Cary and I… oh’ so yummy and the perfect summer grilling recipe. Served along a side of grilled vegetable, we surely stayed within our daily allowable calories. This would be great for an appetizer too and you can make the marinade ahead. I don’t even measure or chop the herbs, garlic and ginger… just throw it all in the food processor, marinate and enjoy!

16 jumbo shrimp, peeled & deveined
¾“ piece fresh ginger, peeled & grated
1 T. chopped oregano
1 T. chopped sage
1 T. chopped cilantro
1 t. crushed red pepper
1 lemon, zest finely grated & cut in half
1 t. kosher salt
½ c. EVOO

In food processor, combine ginger & next 5 ingredients w/ lemon zest & salt until a paste forms. Stir in the olive oil & pour the mixture over the shrimp, tossing well to coat. Let stand at room temp for one hour. Grill the shrimp over med-high heat for 2 minutes on each side until white throughout. Transfer to a platter, squeeze lemon halves over the shrimp, drizzle w/ olive oil & season lightly w/ salt & pepper.

My Sunshine in Month Nine

Three weeks of Margo’s ninth month were consumed by the virus from hell! Poor Margo’s little intestinal system needed a lot of time and TLC to heal. Apparently, it is somewhat common for a baby’s first stomach virus to be severe because after the virus works out of the system, the intestines have to rebuild their lining. Until the lining is back to normal, symptoms continue. Needless to say, we endured three long weeks of terrible diarrhea, diaper rash and more. It is over now and we are grateful for a happy and healthy little girl.

So… month nine was pretty uneventful. Margo went backwards on her diet and sleep. She was only allowed apples, rice cereal and bananas. She drank special formula that smelled awful. She awoke several times in the night needing diaper changes and her schedule was a mess. Through it all though, you would have never really known. She didn’t act tired or sick or hungry for something different. As always, my little sunshine went along happily being the trooper she is!

In month nine, she did perfect her crawling and followed mama everywhere. She cannot stand to be out of my sight and has become very attached. I am hoping this phase turns into a more independent one soon! She is pulling up on EVERYTHING and desperately wants to walk. She also got her 1st tooth which was huge for us!! I started to worry it was never going to come. She barely fussed and the teething didn’t seem to bother her any more than normal.

She truly is my sunshine and the light of my life. Her 1st birthday party will appropriately be a “You are my Sunshine” theme. Her sweet and beautiful little demeanor seems to spread light to everyone around her. Many new fun and exciting developments in Margo’s world coming to you in month ten!!!

Margo did not need prunes in June, but Cary still makes me swoon!

This month I watched my sweet Margo suffer her first illness with the most horrible stomach virus I have ever witnessed. Poor baby managed to catch a nasty bug at her nine month check-up. Since she is not in daycare, she is not exposed to anything and I am guessing that whatever she was licking off of the mirror in the exam room infected her with a vengeance. I know, as a mother, I should not have let her lick that mirror, but we had been waiting for at least 45 minutes and I just could not contain her anymore. I have been trying to be a little less sanitary, so Margo is exposed to a few germs and hoped that the mirror was sanitized after each visit. Clearly, the physician’s office is not as clean as it should be.

Margo’s bottle, food and everything in between went straight through her at least 15 times a day. We are now on day seven and she is still ill, but improving everyday and went the whole night without a dirty diaper or waking. You would not have known she was sick though, watching her laugh, play and eat as usual, except when it was time to change her diaper. Margo never cries, much less screams, and to endure daily screaming episodes up to 15 times a day was torture on my heart. She would shake in pain it hurt her little bottom so badly. We eventually started washing her in the sink each time which helped and thanks to Michelle, we were given the miracle cream, Resinol. If you are a mom with a child in diapers, buy this now to keep on hand. It is hard to find, so you must order it online in advance, but it has been a true Godsend. It is better than Margo’s prescription, better than Triple Paste, better than Dr. Smith’s, better than anything I have tried.

Sick, but happily playing under a chair.

So… back to that nine month appointment. Here are Margo’s stats:

Weight: 20 lbs. 6 oz. (75.57%)

Height: 27 1/4" (37%)

Head: 17.13" (34.17%)

She is clearly short and chunky… all you have to do is look at her adorable rolls to figure that out! The appointment went well and although Margo is still refluxing a lot, we have quit her meds. The MD just doesn’t think it will make a difference at this point, so why unnecessarily medicate? I desperately hope that by the time she is a year old, it will be gone. We were also referred to a pediatric dermatologist to look at the beauty mark on Margo’s face. It is tiny and I do think it is truly beautiful, but I just want to make sure the MD thinks it is ok, given I have a history of melanoma in my family. Otherwise, Margo is right on track and I am going to be introducing meats and other finger foods after her body is a bit more recovered.

Poor Cary spent his first Father’s Day helping me tend to Margo since it was a two-man job. He has proven over and over what a great dad he is, but during this extremely stressful time with Margo he was truly amazing! He was so loving, comforting and patient to both Margo and I. He woke-up without complaint, tended to her with perfect care and was a great support system for me. I must say, when the going gets tough, Cary and I are a great team! Margo is so lucky to have such an attentive, wonderful father.

The best daddy ever!

I too, am so blessed and lucky to have such an awesome husband in Cary. Today, Cary and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary! I cannot believe it has been a decade and what fun it has been! It is amazing how solid and bonded a relationship becomes after 10 years. Cary and I have experienced so much joy, pain, adventure, loss, triumph and struggles throughout the past decade, but one thing has always remained steady… our incredible love for one another. I would be lost without Cary and he truly makes my world go round. Cary loves me unconditionally because goodness knows, I have lots of “conditions”—ha ha! If I could write a definition of Cary, it would include kind, genuine, loyal, honest, funny, sentimental, determined and so many other awesome traits. Who wouldn’t still be madly in love with a man like that after 10 years? Becoming a parent with him this past year has taken our relationship to new heights and there is just about nothing more special that watching him be a father to Margo. I cannot wait to share in many more decades with the man of my dreams!

The day Margo was born, a great memory for our 9th year together!

Month Eight was Great!

Words cannot even express the fun we have been having in month eight. Margo’s little personality is really blossoming and she is such a hoot! Everyone who meets her says she is the best baby they have ever been around… she takes after Cary… we are so lucky!



This month Margo has learned to go from her belly to sitting and does this over and over. It is funny to go in her room and see her sitting up and holding the rails in her crib or standing. She is basically crawling, but will only go a few movements before she sits back up. Her new eagerness to stand and pull up is taking the focus off of the crawling and she now seems to enjoy sitting and standing more. We do not have any play areas where she can actually pull up onto something, but she has just started pulling up in her crib and uses Cary and I to pull up all the time. We do this over and over and she cries when we stop. I have to walk away and leave her to play alone because my arms get so tired of holding her up. So… we got one of those great sit-to-stand walker toys and she seems to really like it. The fact that it is on wheels though, and she is not ready to use it as a walker, requires careful supervision. She can pull up on it alone and it’s pretty cute to see her excitement at herself. She opens her mouth big and wide in awe!

I had also been getting concerned because Margo could roll over from her belly to her back, but could not go the other way, yet was hitting all of the other usual developmental milestones. FINALLY, this month she can roll from her back to her belly and now I know if she is fussing in bed, I can leave her to go to sleep because I know she can’t be stranded on her back!

Margo is an early riser, which is really hard for me, but she sleeps great… 10-11 hours a night. When we put her in bed, she plays for a few minutes and goes right to sleep usually without any problems. We have never had to battle crying it out, thank goodness, because I don’t think my heart could handle it. She also still loves to nap to a point that I am getting concerned that she is napping too much for her age. She naps three times a day for a total of 3-4 hours. It is hard to get out during the day because she will not nap on the run and we only have a few hours out at a time before she gets fussy. By bedtime around 7:00 pm, she is utterly exhausted. We cannot go out to eat or take her anywhere in the evenings because this is her fussiest (which is not really all that fussy) time of day. With her bath at 6:30 and bedtime following, it doesn’t allow of much of a life for us, but I know I am doing what’s best for her and that is my #1 priority.

Margo still does not have a tooth and poor thing has been teething for months now. She scratches the insides of her ears from tugging on them and has intermittent fussy days that I know are due to her teething. I will be so glad when she gets a tooth just so I can know how easy (hopefully) or hard it will be. I love that toothless grin though and will miss it when teeth do arrive. I have just started to introduce finger foods in the form of puffs. Margo didn’t know what to think of them at first, but loves them now and in a few short days learned to pick them up and put them in her mouth. Her pincher grasp is getting better each day! She is a great eater and I can barely seem to make enough food to keep up. Every few days I am making a new batch of something and she almost always likes it pretty well. I love that I can make her a huge variety of healthy choices and get her interested in so many different flavors. This week it is edamame, which is nutrition packed! As we move on to meats, I will probably buy the jarred stuff. There is just something gross about pureeing meat to me!

Margo is also making lots of new sounds. She purposely says “moo” to imitate a cow and has started saying ba ba ba. She is also forming a lot of other new sounds that sometimes make it sound like she is having her very own conversation with herself… wish I knew what was going through her mind.



This month we have introduced Margo to water play and our sweet little water baby just loves it! Her splash pad is a blast and she was so excited by swimming I could not believe it. She wasn’t even afraid to put her face in the pool. We will have to be paying our friends with pools lots of visits this summer! Her other favorite toys are the jump-a-roo and she still loves most of her old stand-bys. The new toys never seem quite as exciting as the old ones, which surprises me. I guess she is a creature of habit like her mama.



Margo also spent her first weekend away from us this month and did fantastic! GiGi and Grandpa watched her at our house, so she would have the comforts of all of her things and she didn’t even really miss us at all. Cary’s mom watches her once a week, so Margo was already familiar with her and I had the comfort of knowing that Georgie already knew how to handle everything. I definitely think the weekend was harder on me than Margo, but it was also nice to have a break.

Margo & GiGi

Things with our sweet Margo could not be better and we are so lucky in love with our precious angel! I cannot believe she will be one-year old in just three short months. Let the party planning begin!!

In Month Seven, Margo's Great Grandpa went to Heaven

Margo’s seventh month has been a bit hectic for us. Cary lost his beloved grandfather to cancer and we were all so sad to see him leave this great earth. Someone (I think Jesus) came for him on the day he died as he repeatedly asked to be lifted up and was looking and reaching to the sky. It is comforting to me to know that God is so good to us in our final hours. Cary’s family is small, so I am grateful that Margo got the chance to meet her very special great grandfather, if only briefly. We will treasure the precious birdhouses and piggy bank he made her forever. I have no doubt that Grandpa Lorance is watching over her now.



At the same time that Cary’s grandfather was ill, we were running into some childcare complications. I will spare you the details, but it has been stressful, dramatic and frustrating. We were scrambling to find some alternative childcare and had an open slot at the daycare we originally picked for Margo. Unfortunately, as soon as I learned they were not allowed to put her to sleep on her tummy, that option was done. Margo cannot sleep on her back and is a very sensitive sleeper in general, but I do understand the daycare’s position. It all worked out and my amazing and generous sister gave up her day to let us use her wonderful (although expensive) nanny, Maria, on Mondays. Margo took to Maria wonderfully and things are going well. Cary’s mom and my mom are each still watching her one day a week and I just hope things will continue to work out in this way for a while because we need a mental break from stress and drama. The set-up is not ideal with Margo having three caregivers, but I am at least hoping it will help her to be more flexible.

Thank goodness for our dear, Margo. Seeing her face melts away the stress and our time with her in month seven has been such a joy! Margo is sitting up like a champ and has become much more interactive with her toys. It is so much fun to watch her turn, move and inspect things with her hands. She can push buttons and knows what she is doing, she loves to throw toys and wants it all in her mouth. She, of course, loves our cell phones and glasses and has the sweetest, funniest reaction to some of her favorite toys. She has begun to get up on her knees and rock and she is scooting backwards. I keep trying to show her how to crawl to her toys, but she hasn’t quite got it yet. You can tell she thinks it is pretty cool to be up on her knees though, which is so cute. I suspect she will be fully crawling in a few weeks—let the childproofing begin!

Margo still has not cut a tooth. This doesn’t bother me except for the fact that she has been actively teething and having discomfort for more than three months. I keep thinking a tooth is going to be coming in at anytime, but it never does. As you can see, Margo loves to eat!! She hasn’t fully rejected any food I have offered her except avocado and green beans are not a favorite. I have discovered that if I mix anything she doesn’t really favor with cereal, she will eat it, so I am still managing to get a her a nutritious and well rounded diet. I love making her food and take so much pride in knowing that it is fresh, organic and free of chemicals and preservatives… plus it saves a ton of money! The reflux is still the darn reflux and I am so sick of it I could just cry. I know we are getting closer to the end of the line with this battle and I cannot wait until I do not have to clean-up spit up everywhere. Our new carpet is practically ruined, my clothes are stained and I am so sick of changing the sheets almost daily. She is happy though and that is what matters most.

For Easter, Margo got a new swing outside and she loves it. She loves being outside and especially enjoys looking up at the trees. I think she could sit in her swing for hours and if she is ever cranky, it is the perfect activity to settle her. Margo is sleeping great overall and naps fairly well and sleeps around 11 hours a night. I keep trying to make her bedtime a little later so she might sleep a half hour later, but her little body knows and is already well programmed—bed time is 7 pm—even if she has a later nap. If I try to push it beyond that, she has major meltdowns and cannot finish her bottle from falling asleep. Pre-Margo I loved nothing more than sleeping in. It has most certainly been one of my hardest pleasures to give up, but so worth my sweet angel baby. On Mother’s Day Cary let me sleep in, which was wonderful. Even better was when I came out of the bedroom and she started jumping up and down when she saw me. I have never seen her quite so excited to see me and it was truly the best Mother’s Day gift I could have ever imagined!

Margo is definitely a little angel. She is so happy all the time, smiles, laughs and talks away all day. She dislikes being left to play alone, which is my fault, but other than that she could not be more perfect! To say that I love her is a true understatement. There really is no greater joy than being a mother. I love our little family and thank the good Lord for our many blessings each and every day.