Applied for a New Job

I did it! I can't believe it, but I actually applied for a new position in the state. Despite the hiring freeze, one unit is hiring for an Education Associate II and I took a chance and applied. Now I am incredibly nervous. I think my three day weekend might be shrouded by thoughts of whether or not I will get an interview. We'll see! If it's God's will, it will happen!

Please be praying that God gives me the confidence I need to interview. I am a quick learner and do fine when I'm in the position, it's just getting there that gets me (I'm horrible with interviews, FYI).

Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know that I have applied for something new. It's three steps up!

Love you all!

One step forward, two steps back...

I purposely created a title that would mislead you. No, Esther is not reverting in anyway; just the opposite, in fact. I was merely describing what she's doing with her crawling right now. She's getting bigger and stronger by the day (and getting closer to having teeth, I'm sure. I give nursing a big "OUCH").

Here is what she's been doing recently:

• Getting more inquisitive about the world around her. She's always been very aware of it, but, being more active, she can actually interact with it. Tim made a mobile out of paper cranes and she tries so hard to reach it, even if it is on ceiling :)

• Holding herself for longer on her hands and knees. She'll actually stay in that position and will even try to get to the sitting position from it.

• Moving forward - yes, our daughter is making the move toward actual crawling. Scary! Technically she's pushing onto hands and knees and propelling herself forward with her arms. It's only a matter of time before she gets the concept of real crawling. She doesn't get far and, generally, still crawls backwards. She gets so frustrated that she's actually working double-time to get moving.

Because she is getting around so well, we have to really watch her on the floor. She literally find EVERYTHING tiny and potentially dangerous. Mommy is going to become the vacuum queen. I already have the maternal eagle eye. Something just goes off in my head these days - maybe it's my spidey senses telling me that a small object is nearby (or on its way to her mouth). Who knows! I'm just glad I generally catch these things!

Aside from eating small things, her new favorite game is removing the movies from the entertainment center and eating them.

Our little bug is so cute and mischievous...

Teething Fun

It has begun - the moment I have dreaded long before Esther was born. Teething.

Yikes. It is as bad as some people claim. Poor Esther has been incredible amounts of pain, to the point of waking through the night.

It was so bad that I brought here back to the doctor yesterday because I worried it was ear infection. Turned out that she is just incredibly close to cutting teeth!

The physicians assistant we saw said Esther has wonderfully healthy ears and lungs and is in perfect health (a wonderful thing for an overly concerned mom to hear). She was also shocked to see how active Es was ("wow, she's really advanced for 5 months!") and to hear Esther say "mama." I hadn't posted that bit before, but she's been saying mama for about a month. At first I thought I was hearing things, but I have had about ten people now point it out and they have noticed that she directs it at me and seems to know what the word means. Guess I'll be officially recording that as her first word!

Anyway, we really had wrestle Es to examine her, but the PA finally got a look in her mouth and said, "Ah, now it makes sense. Her top gums are very swollen. You'll probably see teeth soon." As for the bottom, she mentioned that they are likely ready, but generally give little warning before popping out.

So now we wait and do our best to keep Es happy and comfortable, not always an easy task. We're giving her cold items to soothe her gums, nursing frequently, and holding her close when she's crying (while using Little Teethers and the occasional dose of baby Tylenol).

It's exciting, but nursing with teeth makes me nervous :)

Love you all!

Updates and First Bite of Cereal

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

As of yesterday, Esther turned 5 months! Time is moving by fast and our little girl keeps developing by the second.

Recent developments:

• Sitting up straight unsupported for longer (closer to a minute - she's really learning balance)








• Propping on hands and knees a little more - still not for long periods, but enough to wiggle worm backwards


• Laughing more and more over silly things - it doesn't have to involve us making funny noises any more. She'll laugh at a funny expression or when she is tickled.

We went to the doctor last night for a weight check and she has gained about a pound from last month! She had not really gained a lot the previous two months, so this was a huge milestone!

The nurse gave us the go ahead to try her with rice cereal (and nothing else). We're holding off on real solids until six months and are only giving her a few bites of cereal to get her used to the idea. We don't want to do too much right now because of the increased risk of allergies and obesity (both linked to early feeding). But it is fun giving her some cereal and she was so cute with it!

The only way she would really accept the spoon was if she got to help bring it to her mouth. It almost seemed like she was more interested in the spoon than the food though, which wasn't really unexpected. We're going to wait a couple of days and try it once more.

She loved the time with her mommy and daddy and her bowl of cereal, but she got fussy after a few bites and wanted to nurse. I feel so special!

Last night, aside from her first feeding, we took her on her first pre-spring picnic. She didn't like it so much because it was windy and cold. We wrapped her up snugly and eventually got her to sleep, so Tim and I got to enjoy our hot dogs and the nice, cozy fire. Auke Bay looked gorgeous as the sun went down!

Anyway, here are some pictures of Esther feeding and one that I added just because. I'll take pictures of our little banshee today and post them soon!

Love you all!

What's that, Mommy? Hmmm. That's interesting...

Give me more, Daddy! I'll do it myself, thank you!

That was actually pretty okay!

Weekend Updates

It has been a great weekend! We went from being completely depressed because Tim was slated to work on Saturday to totally elated when it ended up that he didn't have to (thank you, Kyle, for being such a great advocate!).

Needless to say, this allowed us to keep up with our usual Saturday routine (which mostly includes day dreaming about getting projects done and then spending all day doing none of it). We went for our weekly drive out the road and spent most of the day shopping (so much fun!).

The shopping part became more of an adventure than it normally is. Yes, I did get a super cute purse to replace my ratty one and that was quite the find, but what topped it off was what happened at the Girl Scout cookie stand.

We had already bought ten boxes of our favorites (translation: a couple boxes that I kind of like and eight that Tim could kill off in two days) and were browsing the baby section. All of the sudden somebody came on the overhead speaker and announced that they were selling cookies up front and that the Governor would be there momentarily to help.

Tim and I looked up and smiled at each other, quickly putting down the outfit we were contemplating. Running to the front of the store, we pretended to look at produce while Sarah Palin was greeting girl scouts at the entrance. Tim asked if we should try for a picture, but I informed him that, for the first Saturday since Esther was born, I didn't have my camera. At first he suggested using our cell phones (as if those pictures ever leave the sell phone), but then he had this brilliant idea that we purchase a throw-away camera.

We rushed to the nearest self-check out and bought one right as the governor began walking around the store to "solicit" sales. Here we were, with a cart full of items we hadn't purchased, buying a camera just so we could play paparazzi. I felt funny, but Tim was determined. So off we went, baby in hand, following our governor through the store.

We get the next front entrance and I feel really stupid, so I'm pretending to browse the make-up aisle (I don't even wear make-up). Meanwhile, Tim is standing a ways from me, in sight of the governor, with our little girl in hand.

I hear the governor make a comment about my daughter and freeze in place, trying not to look conspicuous. And then Tim yells "Meg, get the camera!" That man has no qualms taking pictures with "famous people." I have no idea where he gets his confidence.

Anyway, I snatch the disposable camera from the cart and then start fumbling nervously. I think I met have said, "I'm too nervous." Sarah Palin must have thought I was a world-class idiot. I know I did.

Finally, after a few seconds of just standing there, Tim said, "I'll take a photo - go stand by the baby."

And thus, the picture we snapped was of Sarah Palin, baby, and me. As you can see, I look like a moron in the picture. But we have an ultra cute photo of Esther with the governor. I plan on placing this in her memory book!

On other fronts, our house is still messy, but man has it been a fun weekend with Esther. She's been cuter than all get out, practicing her crawling more and more (still mostly backwards, but she did make it a few inches forward), and not wanting to sleep all night anymore.

My favorite thing this weekend (other than the story I just relayed) was when Esther and I were alone in the room a couple nights ago. Tim had left the room for a moment and Es was nursing. She was getting sleepy and full, so I laid her on her side next me and then cuddled down next to her. For a moment she just smiled at me, but then started laughing - just out of the blue! This got me to laughing and for about five minutes we cuddled and laughed at each other. It was so sweet! Tim came in and joked about how his favorite girls are such night owls. And then he joined us and helped put Esther to bed. Being a mommy is such a pleasure!

An Esther Update

Esther is starting to really work on sitting up on her own. She sat up, barely supported, on the couch last night and then, while on the floor, sat up, back-straight, for about a minute without anything supporting her. She's starting to use her arms to balance and then, once she feels balanced, will sit up on her own. She's getting there! Maybe only a week or two before she really starts getting it down.

Also, she's starting to stand propped against things. Everyday she gets stronger!

She's still our little smiley - so cute! She wakes up smiling at us and, when she doesn't want to sleep, will smile and giggle to try and woo her way out of bed time. I love our little girl!

She has a weigh-in at the doctor's office next week . We'll find out then if they want us to introduce cereal or not. They'd prefer 6 months, but are wanting to see if she's gaining enough weight. I'm hoping that they'll say she's doing okay weight-wise so we can hold off on feeding her solids until 6 months. We'll do what we have to do! We just want to do what is healthiest for our daughter and what benefits her the most in the long run.

Either way, I'm looking ahead to the day we introduce solids with a mix of excitement and nervousness. In one sense, I cannot wait to see how she reacts to it and in another I want to make sure I'm doing it in a way that is healthy and that still keeps breastfeeding as the main source of nurtrition.

Here is my plan so far (subject to change):

Morning: Nurse first, give a little oatmeal, maybe nurse to finish off
Daytime: Nurse/Supplement with expressed milk (if at mom's)
Evening: Nurse, rice cereal/baby food (homemade, introducing new foods every few days)
Nightime: Nurse before bed as usual and throughout the night on demand

Maybe that will work!

Anyway, I need to get busy, so I'll post more on another day!

Love you all!

Things I was told but didn't believe until I had Esther...

I visit parenting message boards quite frequently and liked one of the posts I participated in yesterday. The question posted was one that asked "What we wish we were told before having the baby."


I enjoyed thinking of these things and thought I would post a few here. I changed it a little, though, because some of these things I was "told" about, but didn't understand until I became a mother.


Here they are! Enjoy!


What I wish I had been told or was and did not understand:

• My love for Tim would increase so much that I could hardly contain it
• My love for Esther would be so instant and would be constantly expanding
• That my pregnancy hormones would stick around for a while. It gets better, but man those first months were intensely hormonal...poor Tim!
• That nursing would be a challenge. It definitely requires patience and practice, but it is so worth the effort!
• Routines are so important and that they learn them quite young. I'm glad I learned this quickly!
• I would worry constantly about the health and safety of my daughter. Thank God I have the doctor's number programmed in my phone! She helps me keep my sanity and answers all my silly questions!
• That the baby really does grow up fast. I look at her daily and wonder what happened to the little girl I held in the hospital on October 16.
• How difficult the first month is and how it is okay if I can't be a supermom right out of the gate. Chores don't always get done and dinner isn't always on time (or even homemade) and that is okay! I'll get the hang of things eventually and everyday it gets easier!

I'll end my list there. I know there is much more I could add. And I also know this is similiar to a previous post - oh well!

I really do plan on adding photos, by the way, but I haven't had the time to upload anything recently. Maybe this weekend will offer more opportunity to goof off on the computer!

Also, for those who weren't there, Esther went to the pool on Wednesday and loved it! She was so cute - just floating around in Tim's arms, enjoying the kites hanging above her. I think the hotel pool was just too cold for her, but the Juneau pool was just right! It was a lot of fun seeing her enjoy herself!

Love you all!

Esther's New Thing

Esther is once again taking on a new skill.

Over the weekend, in Anchorage, she started doing "push ups" with her fingers and toes, literally pushing her body up. She was generally only doing this when she was mad.

When she was happy and wiggling on the floor, she started making movements toward raising herself into a crawling position. She would lie on the flor and work very hard to try and get her knees under her. She didn't quit get it until last night.

Last night, as I was on the floor playing with her, she actually started to get into the crawl position. She had her tummy off the ground and was resting on her hands and knees. She can't hold it for long, but she is sure trying! She starting to get the frustrated fussies that she had when she was learning to roll over, so I know she's really going to push herself until she masters this new position. And then we're on to crawling, I'm sure.

It is just so cute to watch her try this out. I can't believe she is big enough to do this. What happened to my sweet, immobile baby? She's growing so fast! Much quicker than I thought!

She just keeps pushing herself farther. I don't know where she got her drive, but I'm proud of her!

Back from Anchorage

Our trip was a lot of fun, even though I had to work for half of it! We shopped until we dropped (literally) and we got to enjoy a nice change in scenery.

Esther did really well on the plane, considering it was her first experience. She even got her first set of wings! The trip up was pretty much a breeze. She fussed a little, but mostly played and slept. Nursing really helped. The flight home, however, was a little different. She was tired and she refused to suck on anything during take off. Her poor ears must have been hurting, because she screamed a lot. After a few seconds, though, I was able to get her to latch and that really helped her calm down (and even sleep a little).

In Anchorage, she enjoyed having her day with daddy Thursday and Friday. Tim loved it too! He really needed a break and I think he loved having that time to relax. He didn't have a car during the day, so he and Esther hung out in the room, sipped coffee in a cafe, and walked around the hotel. And they were able to catch some much needed Zs.

Tim is such a great daddy! My heart overflowed with love for him (and appreciation for traveling with me on such short notice. He's the greatest! He put up with my shenanigans up there - me getting stressed about driving. Me wanting to stop into every store imaginable. Me spending money on the tutu I had always wanted to get Esther).

Meanwhile, I got to wake up early, navigate the insanity that makes up the Anchorage roadway, and assist with a day-long training. As drab as that may sound, I actually enjoyed it for the most part (got a little bored on day 2).

In the evenings, we visited book stores, malls, and target, doing our best to stimulate the economy :). Esther did not like all the shopping. She would have rather been at home rolling on the floor, but she did okay with it. Our sling was a lifesaver. She was happiest when being carried. She'd get to pull things from shelves and chew on various items. She even picked out a few things for herself (note: we had planned on getting those items for her - she just picked which ones :)). She has now added a new book (Books are for Reading) and a new stuffed horse(selected by Tim, approved by Esther).

On the weekend, we raced from shopping center to shopping center (gosh, I do sound like a shopaholic!) and got some professional pictures taken of Tim, Baby, and me.

We visited Baby's R Us and loved it. It was only so-so until we discovered the nursing section. This section was a dream - giving us an opportunity to purchase items that we have desperately needed!

I was also able to get a new diaper bag, which I love, and some wall stickers for the nursery.

All in all, we dropped a bit on items for Esther. We got her a bathing suit and rain coat from Old Navy and a tutu from Gamboree. I love it all! It was worth it :)

We tried Esther in the hotel pool (we finally bought swim suits for all three of us...). She did not like it too much, which I think a part of it was because the pool wasn't very warm. Oh well!

Aside from that, we took it all easy and tried our best to relax. It was a blast having that time with Tim and Esther.

Overall, Esther did quite well, which is good considering her parents like to travel! Our next trip will be longer in duration, involve a new climate, and a longer stretch of airplane time, so that will be a better test of how she will do :). After that, who knows, maybe Tim and I will try her on an international trip! I can hear the jungles calling us :) :) :)

I did take a few pictures of Esther up north, but not many. I'll try to post them soon.

Anyway, this has become pretty lengthy and I apologize. I just wanted to update everyone on our trip.

Love you all!

PSA: Whooping Cough Vaccine

There has been a rise of whooping cough cases in Alaska. The state is recommending that adults with infants or who are in contact with infants receive the pertussis vaccination.

Here is the message we received in our state emails:

State health officials recommend the Tdap vaccine for people ages 10-64 years who are due for a 10-year tetanus and diphtheria booster shot. In addition, adults who have contact with infants ages 12 months and under, health-care workers who work directly with patients, and women who plan to become pregnant are strongly encouraged to get the Tdap vaccine if they have not already received it.


I just wanted to let everyone know this. If you are in Juneau, I believe the Public Health Center is offering free vaccines. You can also request one from your doctor.

Love you all!