Don't Forget - You are Amazing!

I love this little girl! :-) I had this long, elaborate post written out to encourage all you mamas out there, but I just don't have the energy to finish it right now...bummer. It appears that I have Mastitis again and oh my golly this is as unpleasant as the first time around. Don't you ever wish you could clone yourself just for the days that you are super tired, sick, burnt out or just needing someone to go to the doctor for you because you are too beat to go yourself. It's days like these that I really admire you mamas that have more than one child because at least when my munchkin naps after I get off work, I can nap too (for 30 minutes). It's also days like these that I realize how amazing and resilient moms are! We don't get the down time we need to recover from things but, somehow we keep chugging and we push through even the toughest of days! I think every mom should wear a hot pink cape and a hot pink mask with a suit that says, "SUPER MOM." hahaha. During one of my college classes a few years back I learned that the minimum salary for a stay at home mom (if she were to be paid for her labors of love) would equate to over $150K a year...minimum!! So, just be encouraged that even though you might not be bringing in literal money, your investment and diligent efforts to take care of your husband and children are extremely valuable, priceless in my opinion!!! Mom's, you are AMAZING!

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." Colosians 3:23

I Need Some Feedback -THANKS!

I think we've decided that we will tile the entryway to handle long term wear and tear and then we will put wood flooring throughout the rest of the house. I agree that carpet is a smarter and safer option with crawlers and new walkers in the house (thanks for that reminder ladies) so we might put off the wood until Daisy is a solid walker...but, truth be told I'm itching to do this because I know it will improve the look of our home so much. Carpet is cozy but, never looks as nice in my opinion. I will also need to invest in a big, cozy area rug for our living room as suggested so thank you for that reminder too! You ladies were such a huge help in making this decision so thank you!!





Joey and I are beginning to check out various wood and tile samples at Home Depot and Lowe's and we (or I should say I) are having a very difficult time pinning down what would look best in our home. We are debating on whether or not to have laminate or real wood floors flowing from our front door throughout the entire house (minus the kitchen and bedrooms) or if we should tile the small area that is our entryway and then lay laminate wood or real wood flooring throughout the rest of the house. We know that there are pros and cons to both but a big pro for tile is that it holds up much better under wear and tear (kids) and a front entrance gets a lot, but...will it look as nice as continuously flowing wood? Thoughts, suggestions, likes, dislikes. These pictures are just samples for the record.

Entertaining a 3 Month Old

Since the day we started changing Daisy's diapers on her changing dresser it has become one of her favorite places to chat with us and stare at herself and other objects in the mirror. She will squeal, kick, squirm, laugh, coo and smile for a really long time on her changing pad.
I started laying Daisy under her Einstein play mat when she was two weeks old. I would rattle the rattle hanging from the Octopus' arms for her everyday and now she smacks at the rattle by herself all the time and stares up at Teaki endlessly and loves it. We named the Octopus Teaki for fun:-)
You can't tell by this picture but, Daisy is laying in her crib under her mobile. She enjoys when I wind up her mobile over and over and over again. She will entertain herself for a good 15 to 20 minutes by listening to the mobile and watching it spin, looking at her ceiling fan and bright lights above her or just by staring at her colorful crib bumper. She squeals the loudest with excitement in her crib these days
Daisy doesn't love tummy time yet(hence all the drool of frustration), but I will say that during tummy time the other night Daisy happened to notice the TV was on and boy did she pull her head up super high and she proceeded to hold it that way for a good few minutes before she started drooling everywhere and getting upset. We're getting there!
Watching TV with her daddy...I only allow Daisy to watch a tiny bit of TV here and there. The primary reason is that I would rather entertain her with other things and challenge her motor skills more this point and because it just isn't necessary but, she sure enjoys watching anything on the TV, laptop, or even our cell phones if they have bright images flashing on them.
We often lay Daisy on a blanket on the living room floor and she entertains herself by looking at the things around her and at the ceiling light if it's on. She is quite content to lay alone by herself a little bit every day. I'm beginning to think Daisy might have inherited some of my temperament because she really likes her space, quiet time, and she seems to get overwhelmed by large crowds and too much stimulation...at this point anyway.
Daisy has never enjoyed being rocked or rocked to sleep but, every now and then if I let Daisy look at the light streaming in through the window, she will relax with me for a bit while I rock her and sing to her...granted, this activity only seems to work with me at this point.

Daisy loves this singing monkey! Thanks Elissa and Mike for sending it to Daisy! I used to get so annoyed by the loud tune (sorry) that it plays and it actually can get my ears ringing if I play it too close to my head but, Daisy just loves this thing and now so do I:)!! She loves swatting at the monkey and staring at the big black eyes. She always smiles really big when the music is playing. It's too cute:)! Also note the blanket draped over Daisy's arm. I picked up on the fact that she seems to take comfort in having something in her hand and by her face both when she is awake and when she is sleeping. I think I might have a Linus on my hands!

Other activities:

-Long walks around the neighborhood in her stroller

-Looking at anything bright and colorful such as her soft baby bible, a big bag of skittles (she liked crunching the plastic together too) lights, or any bright colored toy

-Of course being held is a top favorite activity!

-Eating. Daisy loves to eat and does not like to stop eating...can't you tell by her size:0 lol

-Attempting to stick her entire fist in her mouth is a new favorite pastime

-super short cat naps...about 30 minutes long (makes it impossible for me to get much done when she is asleep)

I learned pretty quickly that a baby often has to be taught how to enjoy something. Daisy didn't really gravitate towards specific things right off the bat but, with repetition and by making an effort to engage her, Daisy has grown to enjoy a variety of things. Hopefully we'll have the same luck with food someday!! hahah yah, right. :-)

The Meat House

Joey and I were recently introduced to The Meat House by his mom (thank you!). I had the opportunity to stop by this fabulous new find with my hubby today. Ive never enjoyed cooking but, since my husband has taken a liking to grilling I am enjoying the experience a whole heck of a lot more! All I have to do is come up with simple, tasty side dishes (lol) like frozen garlic bread, frozen veggies, baked potatoes, bag salad, or even delicious Mac N Cheese...(did I mention that I hate cooking (??) and then he does the rest! It's wonderful! And for the record I am not proud of the fact that I am horrible and disinterested in cooking and I do attempt meals from time to time but, I have yet to actually enjoy the experience. After grocery shopping, preparing the meal, cooking the meal and cleaning up the mess I feel like I have worked a second shift. To all you ladies out there who love cooking I admire you!

We have always picked up our meat wherever we happen to be shopping whether that be a grocery store, Target or Wal-Mart and we were just fine with that but, now that my eyes have been opened to the awesomeness that is The Meat Market, I don't know if I will ever be able to buy my meat anywhere else!!! The moment we walked in the door, the aroma of delicious marinated meats filled our nostrils. The little shop is also full of gourmet marinades and specialty foods that you can't find anywhere else. There are tons of different types of steak, chicken, fish, ribs etc. to choose from and everything is super fresh and top notch quality. The customer service was excellent and we were even given two little packs of marinated steaks for free which is evidently the shops custom with first timers. How neat is that!

Here is a link to their shop if you want to check them out in your area: The Meat House If you stop by or are already a fan let me know and let me know what you enjoy getting from The Meat House so we can pick it up the next time we go!

Tonight Joey is grilling seasoned steak on our charcoal grill and tomorrow night in celebration of Joey's 27th birthday he is grilling some delicious seasoned chicken! YUM! He wanted to teach me how to grill, but let's be honest...if he teaches me how to grill then I won't be able to use the excuse, I don't know how, anymore to get out of it and that wouldn't be good!! hahahaha

Wow, I can't believe I actually did an entire post without saying Daisy, baby, sleep or mom. Well, I guess now I did:0

Father's Day Recap

Jess took these two pics and I just love them. Daisy wasn't in the mood but, they are still super cute to me:)
Beautiful 12 week baby girl --- Daisy Love

Jess and her guy Noah -- cute:-)

Cousin Nicholette meeting Daisy for the first time -- So good to see you Nic!
Daisy hanging out with Grandma Abby -- she loves to blow bubbles and drool now. lol

cousins - Shannon, Jessica and Nic - Beautiful Girls!
Dakota hanging out in the shade. She loves that bone!
Shannon and Daisy -- You are a natural Shannon:-) Miss you!
Look whose the center of attention as usual. lol:)
Siblings: Shannon, Tyler and Nic

mama and her girl
Everyone hanging out in the killer 90+ heat. One of these days we hope to build a patio cover!!
Joey's Mom, Sister and her boyfriend, Aunt and Uncle and Cousins all came over and we had a good ole Cali style BBQ. In North Carolina where we now live a BBQ is a pig roasting...in California where Joey and I grew up a BBQ is to grill any type of meat on a grill...not a whole pig for the record. So, that being said, we had a California style BBQ just to clarify:-) Joey's Uncle Tom is is an expert behind the grill in my opinion. I have never tasted such flavorful and juicy chicken, ribs and hamburgers in my life. I felt like some gourmet restaurant had stopped by to cook us all dinner!! Seriously, the meat was DELICIOUS!! We had yummy watermelon, rolls and roasted potatoes. It was such a wonderful day and we all had such a great time. Thank you Baileys and Martinez' for coming over. It was such a treat!!

Love My Little Love - 3 Month Checkup

Daisy had her 3 month checkup this morning. She weighs 13.6 pounds is 23 1/2 inches long and I can't remember her head size but, it was average which is good:-). The pediatrician just raved about how healthy and adorable Daisy is. I told her I was worried that she might be too round and jolly for her age but, she said she looks perfect and could be a Gerber Baby cover model! haha Nothing like a great compliment to put a mama at ease. Daisy had to get two shots this morning. I had been told at her last checkup that she would be getting four shots, so when I learned that Daisy would only be needing two shots today, I actually felt relieved. Daisy of course was not a happy camper after the first shot and just as she started to calm down from that one then came the other one which produced the most unhappy cry I have ever heard come out of Daisy's cute little mouth, a purple face and tons of tears. I'm proud to say that I held it together really well and fortunately I was able to soothe Daisy in just a minute and then I nursed her in the room which calmed her even more. She fell asleep immediately after which was wonderful! I gave her some baby Tylenol and as we speak Daisy is napping again. The medicine and shots combined can make a baby very sleepy...and fussy, but for now just sleepy.

On a side note: Our nanny has flown the coop or in other words deserted us. A handful of people are aware of the issues we were having with her but, I really was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt and be patient with her. Last Friday was a bizarre day and the nanny was just down right rude and abrupt with me and today she just decided not to show up or call. I had to take the day off at the last minute because I don't have a back up. It of course makes me question myself and Daisy and wonder what we did wrong to make her flee but, regardless, she is gone and perhaps it is a blessing in disguise because I was planning on letting her go as soon as we could find a replacement. I guess the feeling was mutual. lol. Joey's sister has been kind enough to be a stand in nanny until our replacement is available in a few weeks. God is ever faithful to provide and to hold us steady so to Him I give all the glory! I'll keep you posted on how all this pans out. Stay tuned....

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my Daddy and to my hubby who is an amazing Daddy to our daughter Daisy!!

Dad, I wish I lived closer so I could give you a huge hug and tell you in person how much I appreciate how hard you have worked for our family and how constant and patient your presence has been in my life. I'm so incredibly grateful that you and mom are still together and that we can all get together as one family for holidays and get togethers. I am a very lucky girl!! I pray for strength, health, joy and peace in your life and I praise God for blessing me with you

Joey, thank you so much for all that you do to take care of our family. You work so hard and put in long hours and then come home and do chores to keep me happy and hang out with Daisy to give me breaks. I love that you adore your daughter and are always telling her how cute she is and how much you love her. I love that you even made up a cute little song for her when she was little to soothe her and calm her down. I pray that the Lord blesses you with extra energy for your long days, good health, joy and a Big large mouthed Bass at your next tournament!! hehe

Also, Happy Father's Day to Grandpa Martinez, Grandpa Bailey, and to all our other family Father's and friend Father's. You all play such a huge role in lives of your kids and families! Thank you for all that you do!! xoxoxo

This and That

Daisy meeting her cousin Robin for the first time

Joey went fishing after work and caught a monster bass. Approx. 7-8 pounder!! Nice catch!
I startled my poor baby just as she woke up with a flash in her face. It was horrible of me I know, but isn't her face cute!!
sleeping so peacefully. I can't get enough sleeping pictures because she looks so serene.

Not much new to report on over yonder. Daisy is 11 weeks old now and is such a wonderful baby (for me) lol. I would be happy if I had 3 more Daisy like babies because she is so much fun, easy, sleeps and naps great and regularly now and...well, I could go on and on about how much I adore my little girl. Don't get me wrong, we have tough moments such as today when Daisy woke up at 3:30 in the morning crying pretty good and just wouldn't go back to sleep. Sigh. I fed her and an hour later I was able to put her back to sleep for another hour and a half. Being a mama is exhausting but, when that precious little face greets me each morning and those priceless little giggles warm my heart, I forget about everything else. It's so worth it!

First Giggles and Squeals

In the last week or so Daisy has discovered her lungs and her voice. The first time she squealed I was washing my hands and she was laying in her crib playing under her mobile. She squealed/shrieked and my heart stopped, my body freaked out and I totally thought she had cut her arm off or something. I went bolting into her room and saw her smiling up at her mobile and screaming in excitement at it as it spun around. It took me a minute to calm down and process that not only was she okay but, she was having a blast listening to herself talk. Oh how I love her little voice! Please forgive my annoying voice (it's what Daisy likes) and repetitive blog talk at the end of this video. I was excited...what else can I say:-)

Maybe I Need to try This EVERY Morning:-)

Overalls

Daisy adores her Daddy:-)
I never seem to get pictures of Daisy smiling with me but, I promise she does!! lol





Daisy was given a pair of overalls and I could barely stand how cute she looked in them. They are still a tad too long on her but, she looked like such a big girl already!! It absolutely blows me away that Daisy will be 11 weeks old in just 3 days. Oh my golly, slow down baby:-)

We got an awesome video of Daisy squealing/playing with me and I will post it soon. Mom, you will be amazed at how much more talkative she has gotten since you were here last. There is no words that can describe how exhilarating it is when you hear/see your child do something for the first time or even the first several times. It is thrilling and priceless! I was wondering if Daisy was going to be a super quiet kid because she really didn't chat much for so long...nope, not a problem anymore! lol

Daisy is wearing 3-6 month outfits most of the time now. She still fits in some of her 0-3 month onesies etc. but, jammies are too short unless they are 3-6 month. I'm dying to find out what this kid weighs and what her length is...one week until her checkup!