Merry Christmas Eve to all!  I am very excited about Christmas this year since it is Raven's first one!  I'm excited to be "Santa" even though she is still too young to understand the concept yet.  I'm excited for her to see her new toys and be spoiled by her grandparents.  Christmas takes on a whole new meaning when you have a child.  Since my sister and brother in law are visiting his parents over Christmas, Raven already opened her gifts from them and got some toys, clothes, and books that she adores.  She isn't into stacking toys, but she loves destroying anything that is stacked.  I hope this isn't an omen to how she'll be as she matures!  

Raven's cute outfit from Great Aunt Bambi and Great Uncle Paul!

Just chillin' by the tree with Dad!

Raven is 9 months old today, we have officially kept her alive and well for 9 months.  It's weird to think it took about 9 months to incubate her in my belly and now she's been here for 9 months.  In honor of this milestone, I'm going to list some of Raven's favorite things:

*Empty water bottles
*Jumping up and down on the couch
*Tipping over trash cans
*Mumbling and laughing at herself
*Her stuffed monkey that JD has named "The Purple Monkey Dishwasher"
*Pulling off eye glasses
*Pooping (she seems to really enjoy it)
*Eating socks
*Looking at herself
*Bananas
*Baths (who doesn't love them?)
*Sleeping (also who doesn't love that?)
*Cuddles
*Her mom and dad and strangers.

3 months until the BIG ONE!  AH!  Until next time..

   I decided to put my Think Kit question on my mom blog today since it is about Raven.  They asked me to share a moment that stood out to me this year.

   As a mom, there are so many moments that stand out in Raven's development.  Obviously I will never forget the first moment I got to hold my baby girl.  It is an amazing yet odd sensation of holding this tiny creature that lived inside me for almost 9 months.  One second I was pregnant, the next second, I heard a scream of a newborn...so surreal!

   The first four weeks were a lot of feedings and naps (for the baby, not so much the parents).  Newborns don't really have a recognizable personality, at least I didn't feel that way.  Then came my birthday on April 23.  Raven was 4.5 weeks old.  I had her in her car seat in the bathroom while I put makeup on so we could go to lunch with my husband for my birthday.  I looked over at Raven and she looked at me, smiled, and made a small giggle noise.  It was my favorite birthday gift!  The smile and giggle symbolized that Raven's personality was developing and it was a wonderful moment I shared with her.

  Now at almost 9 months old, Raven has LOTS of personality.  Her moods can still be a little baffling at times since she's still a baby (crying one second, then suddenly laughing).  Her curiosity fascinates me as she discovers this new world she is living in.  I feel great joy when I hear Raven laugh because every mom wants their child to be happy and content.  I'm also thankful to have a social baby who smiles at strangers and enjoys car rides.

   It's still a long road ahead of me to raise a child, but I know it will all go so fast.  I just cherish the times she makes me smile and I'll never forget the first time she truly smiled at me.

Raven and I went to Target to get some home items, it is also one of our favorite places to go.  I happened to stroll by the baby toy section and saw a key looking toy that played music.  I put it up to Raven's ear for her to listen to it and she grabbed the toy from me and began chewing on the top of the box, oops.  I quickly tried to take away the toy to not damage it and she began to cry.  I went ahead and gave her the toy to buy for her.  I said aloud, "You have me so whipped."  A Target employee happened to be walking by as I said this and smiled.  At least it was money well spent, she is playing with the toy now (though she has a bajillion toys to choose from).  I guess it was my fault since I showed Raven the toy, but I feel like this is just a first of many times Raven will give me her sad puppy eyes and get a toy she wants.  I'm going to be sensible and not let her ALWAYS get toys, the last thing I want is a very spoiled child who becomes an entitled adult.  But hey, it's Christmas time and she is only 8 months old.  I'll let her have one toy she likes at the store.

Ever wonder what someone home with an 8 month old does all day?  Here is my general schedule.

Somewhere between 3-5 am: Raven wakes up hungry since she has a crazy fast metabolism.  I get a bottle from the fridge and hand it to her in her crib which lulls her back to sleep after she's done with it.

6:30 am:  This is usually when Raven wakes up for the day, sometimes a little earlier or later.  I change her diaper, get a bottle, set her in her playpen to drink it while I eat a little breakfast and watch the news.  I used to try feeding her spoonfuls of rice cereal in the morning but she hates it so she's happy with a morning bottle instead.  The next few hours, Raven likes to sit and play on the couch with some toys and mom hugs mixed in.  I usually have to change a huge poo diaper and one pee diaper during this time (and her clothes).

9 am:  Did I mention Raven has a fast metabolism?  I make another bottle for Raven which she downs and then I try to lie her down on the couch with me to take a small morning nap (she won't nap anymore being rocked and placed in the crib).  I'm sure I started a bad habit, but I like the snuggle time and Raven gets a her nap in instead of screaming from her crib.  After hopefully a nap, I let Raven crawl and play with toys on the floor which I now have to constantly clean.  I have to pick her up a lot to avoid places she shouldn't go (she has an uncanny ability to try to grab things that are off limits).  I usually have 1-2 diapers to change too during this time.

11 am: Raven gets a bowl of baby food for lunch which I spoon feed her from her high chair.  This usually goes fairly well and clean up isn't too bad.  I then give her easy to eat puff cereal pieces or cheerios which is teaching Raven self feeding and she's doing a great job!  While she is occupied self feeding, I do dishes, tidy up the kitchen, and make myself some lunch.  Then it's time to check another diaper.

11:30ish- If Raven seems tired or didn't sleep well in the morning, it's back to lying down on the couch and soothing her to sleep.  If she is really tired, this is the time she screams and cries which can last up to 45 minutes until she falls asleep.  If she does fall asleep, I power nap next to her or watch some HBO.  Naps usually last an hour but have been known to last up to 2.5 hours.

1ish: After a bottle, we either go run errands (sometimes in the morning instead) or Raven crawls some more.  She also likes her walker but I have to keep the doors all closed when she's in the walker because her obsession is getting into trash.  She can move really fast in her walker, so I have to prepare the baby block-off areas prior to Raven going into her walker.

3ish: After getting some energy out, Raven usually takes a small nap, but only if I am holding her.

4ish:  JD comes home from work and all of us usually play with Raven.

5 pm: Raven gets baby food and cereal pieces again.  After supper, she gets a bath every couple days.  She has a towel warmer which I put her pajamas in instead which she LOVES once she gets out of the bath.

6 pm: Bottle time and play time!  I make dinner as well.

8 pm:  We give Raven a bigger bottle and then it's time for bed in her crib.  Some nights she goes to sleep right away, some other nights are a real struggle.  The latest she has fought sleep was about 9 pm since she was 6 months old.

After 8 pm:  I hang out with my husband, knit, shower, do chores, etc.  I can get a lot done without constantly supervising a curious infant.  I usually fall asleep around 10 since my body has kind of gotten used to getting up early so it wants to go to sleep earlier too.  Does that make me healthier, wealthier, and wise?

So this is my general day now, with exception to when I have wedding flowers to work on...that takes some multitasking.  Sometimes my mother in law will take her overnight and during a day in which I can get some more cleaning done or work on hobbies (a mom's day off if you will).   I know I have a lot more respect for stay at home moms now.  

Raising babies aren't easy, even though it is very rewarding.  I do miss day long adult interaction, but I know working away from home, I would miss Raven.  This makes me also respect working mothers very much.  It's hard to leave your baby daily, I'm sure!  That's all for now, folks.

It's no secret that Raven has a love and admiration for beards.  She was invited to meet Santa Friday night at the Circle of Lights in downtown Indy and you can tell she really enjoyed that beard.

With Raven's new found ability to crawl and move better in her walker, I'm still too terrified to put up the Christmas tree.  She has an uncanny ability to want to get into exactly what she should not get into.  Why can't ALL her toys, water bottles, socks, etc. make her happy enough?  She has also been biting my shoulder like a vampire, this development I do not understand other than I am raising a vampire.  Raven is currently kicking up the area rug to try to get her walker through (blocked off by an ottoman) in order to get to the tv.  Now she is screaming.  I better go distract her before she successfully gets to the tv stand.  

Raven's first Thanksgiving was a success.  She watched some of the Macy's Thankgiving Day Parade.  Then she went to her grandma and grandpa's and then over to Aunt Gwyn and Uncle Tony's house.  She showed off her slow crawling skills, her ability to say "Hi dada", and the art of clapping.  Her favorite moment was trying bacon for the first time.  She literally freaked out from its tastiness.   She also tried some turkey, but she was pretty indifferent to its taste.  I think my favorite part was being able to have Raven in a high chair next to me during dinner.  I felt like my heart was whole being surrounded by my family and baby.  I hope your Thanksgiving was as pleasant as ours.  It's pretty obvious what I'm thankful for.  Now if I can get Raven to take a nap with me today, I'll be even more thankful.

   Well it's happened, we have a crawler!  A slow, clumsy crawler but our babe is scooting!  We have only had her crawl on her area rug in her nursery since we have all hardwood floors that aren't the cleanest (do they sell baby cloths with mops on the knees?)  The advantage of the hardwood floor, though, is that Raven can REALLY speed along in her baby walker.  She is also stepping very well when we hold her hands, and she absolutely loves it.

  We have begun the process of baby proofing due to her mobility and curiosity.  For instance, I had a little square vase filled with rocks and branches that had to be retired from the living room.  Despite my best efforts, Raven was able to get to her hands on a branch and attempted to chew on it.  I'm still trying to figure out what to do about our Christmas tree and all our glass ornaments, yikes!  JD said maybe we shouldn't have a tree this year but I am determined to have my beautiful adorned tree that can somehow be out of Raven's reach.  First world problems.  Oy.

These are so true.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/what-no-one-tells-you-about-becoming-a-parent

   We still do not have a crawler.  Whenever I try to practice crawling with Raven, she sways on her knees then falls flat on her tummy with her limbs out like a sky diver.  Soon after, she starts to pull her body in circles which she quite enjoys but unfortunately does not propel her forwards.  Raven just can't comprehend moving her knees forward to crawl.  She can stand holding onto something and she is a champ at stepping (walking with her hands held), but crawling is a no go at this point.  I would say at least this buys us more time with baby proofing, but Raven can get into a lot when she is in her walker so baby proofing has already begun.  Maybe Raven does know how to crawl, but prefers us picking her up everywhere and is holding off on showing us she is capable of moving forward on her own?   

    I am having a hell of a time trying to keep socks on Raven.  She loves to take them off and gets mad when I try to put them back on.  She has been in a lot of footie pajamas lately because her feet get so cold.  I still do not understand her attraction to chewing socks.  I guess there are a few things I still don't understand about her behavior, but I feel like I will never understand everything she does.  Oh well, at least some of her odd habits are entertaining!  Now, if we can just get her to crawl!

http://www.studentbeans.com/worldweirdweb/a/wins/23-best-pics-from-reasons-my-kid-is-crying5650.html This link shows toddlers crying for certain silly reasons.  It reminded me of our pizza box incident the other day.  Silly kids.

I just wanted to point out that my child went through a half hour screaming/crying fit today because I did not let her gnaw on a pizza box in our recycling tub.  I also had to take away a manila folder from her that she found on a small shelf the other day and the screams ensued.  I love that she has independence using the baby walker, but she is starting to test my limits and I have found myself saying "NO don't do that!" a lot.  We put baby locks on our low kitchen cabinets because now she has found the ability to open those.  Raven also loves to quickly grab her own dirty diaper which can be quite disastrous if it's #2.  I also believe the days of 1+ hour naps are over, at least for now.  With all that said, she has gotten very entertaining with her various facial expressions and reactions.  My baby is also FINALLY growing some hair, hallelujah!  I can't wait for the day I can give Raven little pig tails.  That's all for now, mama is tired and thankful for a reluctant baby asleep finally.  Until next time..

Raven enjoys the simple things in life.  She likes to eat her socks.  She loves to play with empty soda bottles.  Towels provide lots of entertainment.  I feel like as a society, we spend SO much money on stuff for babies when hand-me-downs work just fine, store brand formula/diapers are just like the name brands, and soda bottles can be more entertaining than a $20 sensory toy.  At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if she is wearing Burberry and $50 headbands.  If Raven wants to spend the day in sweat pants possibly from 1985 that were her father's, she will.  She is happy, well fed, and loved.   I hope my daughter always has this mindset.  Whether she is rolling in dough, or barely paying her bills, she finds pleasure in the simple things like she does now (though eating socks at 21 might look a little awkward).

I would say that Raven had a pretty spectacular October (even though she won't remember it).  She got to go to the Boo Zoo with her mom, aunt, and nana in her fabulous dragon costume.  She was quite comfy in it and did not fuss once.  She also visited our friends' house Halloween night for baby treats in her dragon costume!

Raven got to go to a bonfire and went on her first hay ride.  She loved watching the fire (hopefully she doesn't become a pyromaniac) and Grandpa held her on the hay ride which she seemed to enjoy.  She was snug as a bug in a rug as you can see:

Even though Raven is far too young to carve pumpkins, we got a baby pumpkin and carved it for her.  I think we carved a pretty good face on it depicting Raven when she is cranky.

As Indy residents know, trick-or-treating got pushed back to Nov. 1 due to the storms.  Since it was a bit chilly, we decided not to take Raven out but we did have lots of trick-or-treaters (we ran out of candy, whoops!).  Raven really enjoyed all the kids coming to our door since she is a naturally social child.  She was happy and giggling all evening as seen below.

Raven also loved all the Halloween decorations at the stores, it seems that nothing really spooks her.  I guess she does have our genes as Halloween being our favorite holiday!  I'm looking forward to her trying a little turkey in a few short weeks...then we will be on to Christmas.  Where is the time going?!  At least I know that Raven's first autumn has been a grand time.

Raven has learned to clap and is quite pleased with this development.  I like it because I can say a joke and she claps which makes me feel like I'm an incredibly witty person although she probably doesn't even understand what I'm saying.  In fact, I talk to Raven all day because she is the only one around, similar to that of a crazy cat lady.  I have a feeling Raven will be the type of toddler who says very inappropriate things in mixed company in which I'll have to tell her that's not appropriate though I will be laughing on the inside.  She does have this gene, I cussed in front of the president of Purdue once and although mortified, he told me "It happens to the best of us."  As of right now, Raven can only mumble which furthers my theory that babies are similar to little drunk human beings.  I just hope her first word isn't a cuss word.

JD was just complaining that I need to write another blog post.  I have to say, it's harder getting out and doing things with Raven now that it's colder.  In the summer, I could just throw her in a onesie and go on walks or run errands.  Now I have to dress her warmly and worry that she is warm enough.  Knowing I have to get Raven all bundled up makes me less motivated to go out.  I better get used to this because it's only going to get colder and darker for the next few months.  There are a lot of things I love about Indy: close to family, safe neighborhood, nice people, and cool events to name a few, however, today made me realize I really want to live someplace warm and dry.  I miss summer already, but this picture of Raven holding a giant fake flower makes me feel much better.

Raven is 7 months old already, 7 months!  It still feels like yesterday that I was pregnant and now she is over halfway to 1 year!  As the old saying goes "The days are long, but the years are short".  I feel like the months have been so short.  My mind still thinks spring should be starting but it's now getting into late October!  Maybe it's a mom thing, that you lose track of time because you are so focused on raising a baby, or maybe I just wish time would slow down sometimes because it seems to be flying and I never want to forget Raven's little toothy baby grin and bald head while still having the luxury of her not running around the house trying to get into everything.  To be honest, these 7 months have not been easy dealing with my own health issues while raising a kid, but each day I put her first which has made me a better person.  In fact, I feel like I'm much nicer now.  I say hello to passing strangers, I'm more empathetic to those around me, I have more patience than I did before, and I respect and love my husband more everyday with the way he is as a father.  Ok, no more mushy stuff.  Here is a pic of Raven in her dragon hat (part of her Halloween costume):

This picture makes me never want her to grow up!  

Raven has 6 teeth already and is about to pop 2 more!  Sometimes I can tell she is in a lot of pain and I feel so bad I can't immediately take the pain away.  The doc ok'd to give her Tylenol but until it kicks in, she just gnaws and cries.  Teething comes with other issues: drool.  The drooling Raven gets causes her to cough or get diarrhea (sorry to be graphic but I'm an honest mom).  She has to always wear a bib because sometimes the drool comes out like a faucet and it saves us on outfits (which can be very hard to try to dress her sometimes, she likes to kick and wiggle).  I know we will be dealing with teeth for the next few months so I just have to be there for her when her gums hurt.  I treasure the moments she is in a good mood because that means she isn't in too much pain to cry.  I do love her little teeth though, but I have to make sure she doesn't bite a finger anymore because those puppies are sharp.

                                   Look at dem teeth!  She has more than some Walmart shoppers!

Thank Zeus for grandmothers aka my mom and mother in law.  Here is a list I composed of why they rock:

1. Free babysitting! (more so my MIL since my mom lives an hour away and has a very hectic schedule)

2. Great advice on baby questions

3. Someone to vent to when the baby has thrown up on you, won't stop crying, has poop up her back, has kept you up all night, etc.

4. Raven gets showered with toys, clothes, diapers, etc. (this is especially great since I keep a budget and have to refrain myself from buying a $30 outfit I see that Raven might wear only twice if that, she's growing like a weed!)

5. Raven LOVES both her grandmothers and I love seeing her so happy seeing either of them.

6. I've learned a lot about my own infancy since having a child has brought back a lot of nostalgia for my mother.  It's nice to know more about my own past.

7. I have gained a new respect for both of them.  This baby raising stuff is not always easy and both raised 2 kids!

I also wanted to point out that having my mother in the delivery room was very special.  My mom is not an outwardly emotional person (unlike myself).  The moment Raven came out, my mother burst into tears of joy and I will never forget that raw emotion she expressed in front of all of us.  I personally was too tired (21 hours of labor that included 3 hours of pushing will do that to you) that I didn't even get that emotional.  I will hold this memory close to my heart the rest of my life and will tell Raven the story when she is old enough to understand.  Her grandmothers (and grandfather) love her immensely and I don't think JD or I could ever repay them for how much they have done for our little girl.  She is very lucky to be so loved by so many.

Ok, enough sappy stuff!  Here's a pic of Raven eating bananas, wooo!

Baby giggles are the best.  There is nothing that says you're doing parenting right than when you hear your child laugh or smile.  All of Raven's random noises are quite entertaining, but sometimes it's hard to hear the tv over how loud she is (wonder where she gets that from?)  On the other hand, baby cries are the worst.  True, this is how babies have to mostly communicate when needing something, but I hate hearing her cry, it breaks my heart.  I'm not looking forward to toddler temper tantrums but it will be a necessary evil.  In the meantime, I'm just going to soak in every time Raven laughs, giggles, or smiles.

Today we are going to talk about freedom.   My sense of freedom left the moment I found out I was pregnant.  No drinking, no ibuprofen, no certain raw foods, and the most important is I had lost freedom over my own body.  As soon as 4 weeks pregnant, the morning (noon and night) sickness started as well as the severe heartburn.  I was dizzy, wiped out, and my hips started to get jabbing pains.  Second trimester was better, except I still had nausea and heartburn which continued until I gave birth.  As my belly grew, the excess weight hurt my back and feet.  Fortunately, I was still able to be active.  I went to a few concerts, out to dinner, met with friends, shopped, worked, and slept without being interrupted (except towards third trimester where she'd kick me awake or I was too uncomfortable for sleep).  Then little Miss Raven was born.  Her needs came and still come first which makes it hard to have much sense of freedom.  Thank goodness I have a great husband who can help when he's not working (respect goes out to those single parents or those taking care of multiple children).  Being a naturally independent person, it's been an adjustment for me to not have a job outside the home, to work around Raven's schedule, to find babysitters if there is a place I need to go sans baby.  On that note, it's important after having a baby to still have date nights with your husband or at least some alone time.  I'm lucky we are at a stage where Raven can entertain herself for a little while so I can take a shower, but she still needs plenty of attention.  I'm still adjusting to having to plan out things vs. doing what I want on a whim, but this has been good for me because I'm notorious for not thinking ahead.  I've also had to have a lot of patience, which has never been my virtue.  Some days still feel like a crash course in parenting, but the love I receive back makes me know I'm (hopefully) doing an ok job at this parenting thing.

It stinks to be sick.  It stinks to be sick when you have an infant to take care of.  It stinks to be sick when your husband gets sick too.  It stinks when your baby then gets sick.  There is something NASTY respiratory wise going around and the King household has it.  I feel extra horrible because I was the one sick first so I started this charade of illness (after just recovering from gallbladder surgery to boot).  I  just want everyone to be healthy but this bug strain is hanging around.  It's a helpless feeling!  Hearing Raven cough breaks my heart, and I'm pretty sure I'm annoying everyone with my cough.  Not to mention, snot is just gross.  There is nothing fun about snot, especially when you take a ton of cold medicine and it still finds a way to fill your nose or throat. Hopefully we all get well soon, but in the meantime, we just have to sniffle and cough through it.  Stay healthy my friends.

We are now in the phase where EVERYTHING is interesting to Raven.  She is trying to grab my laptop and use it as we speak.  It's great because she has an abundance of toys that can entertain her but she also gets bored after awhile and needs a change of scenery.  I find stroller walks tend to really help when boredom hits.  I'm dreading the winter when we can't go on as many walks.  Sometimes we go for drives since Raven loves being in the car (thank goodness, I know some babies hate it).  Raven also loves to sing when I play music (usually more of a happy yell/scream, so punk rock singing might be in her future).   I love how curious she is but I know once she can crawl and/or walk, she will need a VERY close eye.  I might have to invest in a baby cage to soothe my paranoid thoughts of her getting into electrical chords or tipping the tv over.  Ok, I was kidding on the cage but our living room might become covered in foam padding very shortly.  It still seems like yesterday she was just a little lump that only wanted milk or sleep!

                                         "Hey ma, check out these sunglasses I got my hands on!"

Here is the scoop on poop.  If you're going to have a baby, you're going to be dealing with A LOT of it.  You will be amazed how much waste a baby can produce, you will be even more amazed at how it can somehow sometimes travel up the back or stomach.  Baby poop also changes day to day.  Most times, it's nothing to worry about, but other times there might be an issue like illness, lactose intolerance, or food intolerance (if you've started solids).  Teething can cause diarrhea which is a whole other monster to deal with.  During Raven's worst blow out diapers, she has always seemed the happiest as if my gagging sounds or looks of horror are amusing.  Also, don't be surprised if your child starts to urinate everywhere and/or spit up just as you think you're done cleaning up down there.  You might even hear a little giggle come out of your baby after they've destroyed the changing table; it is most likely their revenge for that 'cute' outfit you forced them to wear for family pictures.

As a parent, I think you get used to constantly cleaning up body waste like it's no big deal, we really don't have a choice anyway!  Just remember, someone was cleaning your bum at one time too...and be sure to thank them because it's not the glamorous part of parenthood.

This post is about sleep, oh sweet slumber.  I used to hate to go to bed early and wake up early when I worked full time before I got pregnant, and now that seems like the stupidest complaint.  The weekends before her went like this:  Stay up til 2 am, sleep in til 10:30ish, go get some Taco Bell, and watch WE TV until I actually felt like doing something.   When Raven was born, I didn't sleep.  It was a mixture of her waking every 2 hours to eat and my anxiety as a new mom.  If I got an hour of sleep in, that was a miracle.  There was no day or night.  It was just light or dark out with some little naps in there.  I've always had issues with insomnia so it was hard to sleep on demand, even taking Benedryl.  Around 3.5-4 months, she began to sleep through the night: 8 pm-6 or 7 am.  Now we are in the dreaded 6 month sleep regression where she wakes up 2-3 times a night wanting a bottle or comfort...but she's still wide awake and ready to conquer the day by 6:30 am!  Now, we are very lucky because my Mother In Law loves to have an overnight with Raven once a week to give us a date night or just to unwind.  Still, I wake up several times a night and rise early because my body is used to it!  Weekends don't feel like weekends except JD is home.  It's true that being a mom is a full time job.  Raven is thriving so the sleep sacrifices are worth it.  I still wish I could sleep on demand, though.

                                                 Slap happy from sleep deprivation, hooray!  

Hello World Wide Web!  As many of you know, I'm a mom to a beautiful 6 month old girl named Raven Hendrix King (Raven was named after the old Celtic name, my husband JD is Scottish/Irish aka Skyrish.) Also the bird has important symbolism in many Native American tribes (JD also has some Native American blood in him).  As for me, I always thought it was a pretty name regardless of its meaning or those who voiced their distaste of the name to me (yes, some people feel the need to voice their opinions when not necessary).  It beats Hashtag or Gertrude!  Raven's middle name is a pretty simple explanation, JD and I LOVE Jimi Hendrix and wanted Raven to have something musically inspired in her middle name.  This is Raven:

We are very lucky that our chunkster of a babe is healthy and is now smiling a majority of the day versus when she had colic and reflux during the early months.  Her toothy smile is better than having no lines at Starbucks, or a double rainbow.  Yup, that's how awesome her happiness is.

However, I still have days where I am like "WHAT THE **** AM I DOING?!  WHO ALLOWED ME TO BE RESPONSIBLE TO CARE FOR A COMPLETELY DEPENDENT HUMAN?!"  I have been known to neglect house plants or craft projects, so this is still so crazy for me even after 6 months.  Until you are a mom, I don't think you realize HOW MUCH your priorities change and how little annoyances don't annoy you anymore because you don't have time to even care.  As long as baby is happy, then good.  If baby is asleep, then HALLELUJAH! (not that I don't like her awake, but sometimes some peace and quiet is a beautiful thing)

Anyway, I don't want to be one of those moms that gushes about how their kid is better than anyone else's, I just wanted to make a blog to share experiences from a real mom's perspective.  She is changing everyday and this blog will bring me back to those milestones.  Or, if I get in some weird accident where I have severe amnesia, JD can show me this blog to remind me that yes I am a mom.  Oh God, I almost made a comparison to 50 First Dates, but that movie is so bad that I am embarrassed that my brain even thought of that movie.

One last pic of Raven and me, yes she has a big head.  Until next time!