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.