Mollie D: October 2016

Monday, October 31, 2016

Margaret Catherine is Four Months

She is growing so fast! She had her four month a appointment and is strong and healthy. 14.2# - all breastmilk! She is a very happy baby who is very attached to her mom. This post is a little delayed, and we are already seeing improvements in the clinginess. She is definitely not as laid back as Charlie was, but she is still a crazy good baby. She mostly sleeps through the night. She has nights that she gets up here and there, but for the most part, she is a great sleeper. She is rolling and grasping and eating like a piggy!

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Trip home to see my parents- just the girls

Every once in a blue moon, we plan a trip where just my sister and I go home. No husbands, no kids, it's so nice to get time like that every once in a while. Maggie was invited because I'm her food source. Plus, who doesn't want a little Maggie around!?! Because it was just Maggie and me, we flew. It was too far to drive with her being so small. I was nervous about the flight....I've never flown with a child, even when Charlie was little. I put a call for tips for flying with a little one on facebook and it's the most comments to any post I think I've ever posted. Most said it's a piece of cake. They must be better parents than me, because IT WAS NOT A PIECE OF CAKE. First, don't fly Southwest with kids. They let you check a bag for free, but only allow one on board. I'm flying United in November and your pump, diaper bag, are all free on top of your carry on (but no free checked bag) They let you board early, but no assigned seating. With United I was able to call and try to get the best situation for our next flight. So I went straight to the back of the plane and sat in the back row (tip, the back row is narrower than any of the other rows, sit the 2nd to back row for more room) I figured if I had a chance of having an empty seat next to me, it was the back row. Plus, it's so loud back there, if she cried, maybe it would be muffled. No such luck, I had a very kind, but very large woman next to me the whole time. Everyone told me to breastfeed for takeoff. There was NO WAY I could have breastfed. The seats were so insanely narrow, and with this lady next to me...no way. So I just held her up against my front. She slept most of the way there and was a rockstar until the plane had to do a 360 and she started to scream. Even my ears were hurting. Luckily, I had the nicest people in the world around me. No dirty looks, no scowls, only encouraging words and sympathetic eyes. Thank God the flight was only a little over an hour. The seat belt sign is on the whole time because of the short flight. I asked the stewardess if I could please get up and walk her. She said 'I can't say yes, but you are a grown woman' THANK YOU. So we were able to duck behind the wall where they make drinks and bounce. By the way, it's a killer leg workout to bounce with a baby on a descending flight. THE BURN. Plus, not knowing what I was doing or where I really needed to go and not having that second pair of hands for help, made it very hard. I learned a lot on this flight for future trips and feel much better about said future flights, but this first one was hard. I couldn't have done it without the lovely people that helped me fold down my stroller, hold doors open for me, offer words of encouragement....in a world of assholes, this flight restored my faith in humanity.

On the flight

GRANDPA TIME!

Mark & Jan, Dave and Louise, came over for brunch on Saturday morning to meet Maggie. She got NO attention.

Jan loves little babies!

Saying goodbye, I love that you can see Jan looking at Maggie in this picture

And here are a million picture of my dad and yes, each one is the tiniest bit different so I WILL POST THEM ALL

As always, we drank good wine, ate good food and thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. Lucy always makes everything great!

Oh you know, just FREAKING out in the car. I was trying to distract her with the flash

Saturday, we went over the see Ruth and Theresa. Steve stopped in for a minute. It was so great to catch up with them. The Heaths are my family outside my actual family. I spent so much time with them growing up. I used to see them every time I came home, but it's just gotten harder and harder. I'm so glad we set aside some time to see each other. Ruth LOVED Miss Maggie.

After the Heaths, we stopped out to see mom's grave. I'm trying to figure out the last time I was out to see it. I bet it's been almost 20 years. I don't get much out of the grave site, I don't feel she is there and it mostly just brings up bad memories from the funeral and such. But I have to say, it was really nice being out there. The concrete base her stone is on has crumbled but the stone looks exactly as it did the day it was erected. It's so funny because I have this memory of her being buried on this HUGE hill - uh, it's absolutely tiny. Funny how your memory works. But it's gorgeous out there, I'm glad that is where she was lain.

We didn't fly out until Sunday evening, it was so nice to hangout with my dad. We usually have to rush out first thing Sunday morning.

We sat and watched the Vikings game and just got to be together which is my favorite. My dad asked if it was 'ladies day' at the Vikes game because they are all wearing pink. Uh...no dad. They were wearing it for breast cancer, I about died from laughter. Plus, he yells and curses at them the whole time which I also find hilarious

Didn't want to leave, but it was time to head home to daddy

Packed up, ready to go

My boys were at the gate when I got off the plane. I was expecting them at the curb. It's a little thing, but nothing could have made me happier than seeing them there.

DADDY

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Royals - First night out and Maggie's first game

Matt got invited to a work outing to the Royals game on Friday. We hadn't been to a Royals game all season. I'm guessing because they were already knocked out of the playoffs, they had a bunch of clients cancel, which left an opening for us. But free tailgate and beer? We agreed and enjoyed our first night out since Maggie. We had a GOOD time, maybe too good of a time....if you can tell from this picture.

Then on Saturday night, we took some tickets from Matt's brother that he couldn't use and headed BACK out to the ballpark with Matt's parents.. It was an overcast day with a nice, cool, breeze - perfect day to take the kids for a 3:00 game on a Saturday.

We were about as nosebleed as you get, but it's always fun to sit outside at the ballpark on a beautiful day. Maggie was a champ. She loved the lights and noise.

Charlie got a hold of my phone....

Little boys are weird.... PS- did you know you can take one bottle of water or sports drink one liter or smaller into the ball park per person???? We stopped at QT on the way there, saving us a bundle.