20 months!

Welcome to the 20-month post! Let's dive in, because we have a lot to share!

Happy little bug!

So, I honestly just got back from hanging with Analisa for a bit before our sitter Emily showed up.

Here's a sample "conversation" I had with Ana, upon hearing her chatting with herself and slowly waking up from a nap:

"Hi Ana! How was your sleep?"
"MAMA!"
"You are such a big girl. Did you have a poopy? Kind of smells like it." <--- (sorry if TMI)
"Poopy! Yesh. Dada?"
"Dada just left for work. He loved spending the morning with you. You'll see him later!"
"Oh no, oh NO."
"Sorry, bear!"
"Emmy?"
"Emily is coming over any minute."
"Emmy soon?"
"Very soon! Wanna go have some lunch? I was thinking yogurt and a peanut butter and jelly."
"Yesh. JUICE."
"We'll get some juice too! Let's go change your diaper, find your sippie cup and grab lunch."

See you guys? She's a real, tiny human! Who has little chats with me! Where's my clapping emoji?

You might want to sit down for this next tale. Because it is so cute you will die.

On July 30 -- yes, I wrote down the date and some details from this event in my iPhone Notes because of its sheer adorability -- James, Ana and I were hanging on our front porch. I was blowing bubbles out of a little container for Ana, she was chasing them and yelling "POP" every time she snagged one, and James was just kind of standing by, tickling her and loving on her, per usual.

The next thing I knew, James and I were lost in a conversation, and I had stopped blowing bubbles for a minute. And then, out of nowhere, I felt this warm, tiny body squeezing me from behind -- and you'll laugh, actually. Because I had no idea who it was! My brain was like, "Do we have a creepy neighbor? Are Candace and Natalie surprising me? What in the whatttt?" And then I heard this ridiculous little giggle and I knew it was her: Ana! She had snuck up behind me and surprised me with the biggest bear hug she could manage. I was almost crying tears of joy once I realized, I was so happy! Like, how did she know to do that? She's getting more and more affectionate every day, but a surprise hug? OMG, I was dying. I couldn't stop smiling and talking about it the rest of the night. James, who was facing Ana at the time, said he saw the entire thing unfold, and it was one of the cutest moments he'd ever witnessed, to see Ana all proud of herself, and to see the look on my face as I realized the surprise hugger was in fact my baby. AH I'm tearing up again, just typing it out. What a little love bug! Between this and the kisses she volunteers all on her own ... I'm dead.

Baby face

What else? She has been singing up an absolute storm. If she's starting to fuss in the car, I'll just start in on the Itsy Bitsy Spider; the ABCs; Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes; Old McDonald; or A Bushel and a Peck. She'll join me in no time and she's actually pretty solid at the words!

We're still into the Children's Museum. Our summer pass is about to expire at the end of the month, but I'll probably renew for the rest of the year. It's such a good place for toddlers! It's way smaller than like, the Rochester, NY children's museum -- but everything is accessible and perfectly sized for a current-day bear. I'm sure she'll grow out of it at some point, but that point is not today ... and it's not even soon, tbh. We finally explored the outdoor area last week and it was really fun!

My fun girl

James and I did a pretty random thing and we went to Chicago two or three weekends ago. It was the perfect trip. He'd never been there, and I had these Southwest points that were about to expire, and I had enough points for 2 (basically free) roundtrip flights. I wanted to fly out of Flint, as I hear that airport is lowwww traffic and it's also right by our house, but they only had like, two flights offered on the Saturday that we needed, and they were both set too late in the day. So we used DTW, like usual. There wasn't much difference in the air! The flight was just under an hour, and although some might call it a waste, we only wanted to leave Ana for a quick overnight. I thought it was worth our time, NOT to be stuck in a car for 10-12 hours roundtrip.

James and I stayed at a Hyatt in the Loop, ate at some seriously delicious restaurants, walked until our shins hurt (was that just me? I'm never in appropriate shoes), did a little shopping, stopped by a few touristy spots but also hit up some of the other neighbs ... it was perfect. Outside of the fact that we're old people now and we were in bed EARLY -- hey, didn't bug me, actually -- it was honestly the most laid-back, fun trip. We just did whatever we felt like; had 0 plans and I ate the best avocado toast of my life before our flight back.

Oh and we really need Zara in this area. I realize it's like, a worldwide store, but we don't have one ... do we? Well, I know the Flint area sure doesn't. We don't even have f'ing Costco. Maybe Detroit has Zara? Although I can't picture it at Somerset or Great Lakes. I honestly could have spent $500 in there on Ana clothes (a conservative estimate). James is really good in times like those -- for example, I really wanted to get her this little sweater, it was kind of elderly looking, but what's cuter than a baby dressed like a grandma? (Nothing).

James was all, "Put that down. I'm raising a baby, not a 70-year-old widow with cats." lololol. I made it out of there with baby jeggings, a little boho top and a cashmere-type sweater. TFG it wasn't worse.

Ana had a great time with Grandbob and Grandma Leese (who are lately named just "Bob" and "Meese.") It's so funny how much she loves my dad. I mean, she loves both of my parents, obviously, but it's my mom who follows her around every Tuesday and does EVERYTHING with her. My dad will read to her or play for a bit, but usually, he's like, at work or tending to the puppy or winding down upstairs or off somewhere. I guess Ana fell outside and scraped her knee while we were on the Chicago trip, and she just needed her three sources of comfort. "Milkkkk?! Bluuuuue?! (Her blue blanket). BOBBB?!"

She'll just randomly try to find him around our house on like, a random Thursday. She'll run into the living room, like, "Bobbbb?" We went up north and she was peeking in doorways, checking out our rental, asking for him. It was the funniest/cutest. As if we're just hiding my dad in a closet.

"Bobbbb?"

Let's talk about BLUE, who I've probably mentioned a million times (yes, it's a person). Well, it's her blanket, but we use human pronouns. As in, "Blue? Where is he? Let's find him!"  I'm not sure how Blue ended up being a boy. Anyway, I finally ordered a backup! He got really dirty one afternoon and she still refused to sleep without him. So I just thought, enough is enough. Our wash cycles take forever and we need a plan B. So I got another on Amazon and holy shit, totally forgot how soft the OG Blue is -- and big! I swear, new Blue is four or five times bigger than the old. Does bamboo material continue to shrink, whereas even 100% cotton will just shrink the one time? Man. Old Blue is like a cloth napkin compared to New Blue. Ana definitely knows something is up, but will accept New Blue as one of her own. I just try to keep one always clean and hiding, so we can pull it out in case of an emergency. I think all hell will break loose if she finds out there are two Blues. Andddd this is what we're dealing with right now, with a 20-month-old :)

Up north -- this pic will make sense soon : )

Anyway, the one weekend James and I were in Chicago, and then next, all three of us headed up north for a long weekend. It was perfect actually! We went up to the Tawas/Oscoda area, which is where my extended family and I vacationed growing up. We used to rent out these A-frames right on Lake Huron, and I have SO many fun memories, summer after summer, of playing on the sandy beaches with my cousins, collecting caterpillars (what a monster), begging to go downtown (for the candy shop AND Marion's ice cream), etc. It was like a blast from the past to return. A lot had changed, but ... a lot HADN'T changed. It seemed like some things were like, frozen in time.

It was the principal at my mom's school actually, who had reserved a rental and she and her husband couldn't make the dates work. I guess she had posted it on Facebook, trying to see if anyone wanted to take over the cabin, just like, a Saturday through Tuesday-type deal, and my mom knew we had been looking for one final summer trip. We knew we wanted Michigan, something far enough but not too far, and this was ideal. It was probably only two hours from our house actually, which ... doesn't even seem far enough north to be considered "up north!" But with a baby bear who's getting more and more fidgety in the car, honestly, the drive was awesome. She slept on the way there but not so much on the way back, but such is life, I suppose.

Anyway, as I was checking in and grabbing the keys from the front office, as in, right when we pulled in for our trip, James was all, "Ana really wants to go in the water. She's obsessed with the idea." I said something like, "Well, I packed about 97 outfits for her. I don't care if she gets kinda wet splashing around in those clothes -- just let her in." OMG you guys. I walked down to the beach after getting check-in situated, and I was not expecting it: Ana was SOAKED, like, head to toe, the waves were crashing in as if we were at the ocean, and she was just loving every second of it. James said as soon as we basically gave her the all-clear, she marched from the car/office area directly into Lake Huron. Fully clothed, not giving one F that she's a tiny human and the lake was massive and roaring.

She was getting doused by the waves, but just like, shrieking out in delight, loving life. I thought I was recording the whole thing on Snapchat, but the sun was so bright, I guess I just ... wasn't? Haha I went to check my Story later and I think the glare was so strong; my thumb must have been holding down a random screen instead the the record button. Sad face! It was the cutest sequence.

Luckily, there was a lottttt more cuteness to capture in the coming days!

Like this gem.

My parents came up for a few hours on Sunday. James and I went downtown Tawas once or twice and I stumbled upon the bestttttt baby store -- like, honestly, one of the cutest shops I've ever found, like ANYWHERE, not just by Northern Michigan standards. Nearly everything was handmade, they had so many cute and unique brands, I was just like, in heaven. Also they had a bomb children's section, like with toys and games and stuff for Ana to entertain herself with, so she and James played the entire time I shopped (which was a while, tbh). Just like Zara, I could have easily spent $500. I didn't. This was another one of those times when I was a little relieved that I don't know the sex on baby #2! I swear, if I knew we had another girl coming, or our first boy, I would have gone 10x more HAM. Anyway, I walked out with a magnetic onesie (isn't that genius? Won't irritate the umbilical cord, easy for overnight changes!), a really cute woodsy onesie for when (s)he's a little older, a suctions-to-the-table placemat for Ana, new stubby silverware for Ana (why are all the spoons at Target soooo long?), a little something for a pregnant friend, and a cute af hair clip for Ana's second birthday. Not horrible, right? (No one guess my total).

Oh and it was really funny in that store how much Ana liked this one baby. I think it was the owner's baby ... but she kept pointing and saying in awe/delight, "BEEBEE!" (as if she's some older kid. That baby wasn't even all that much younger than Anz).

Oh OH and my final aside: For that magnetic onesie I bought, I was debating between pink, light blue and gray. Usually I'd just go gray; I don't even like the cliche pink/blue stuff all that much -- hence, one of the reasons I've chosen now both times around NOT to learn the sex. But the gray onesie was like ... almost black in this case, and I wasn't loving it. I was feeling odd about committing us to pink, especially in NB size, but the light blue felt really warm and gender-neutralISH, if you know what I mean. I asked James, "I could put new baby in a blue onesie, right? Like, even if she's a girl? Ana wore plenty of light blue!" James was like, "Um, yeah. Ana wears Michael Jordan T-shirts." (True story. "You can put new baby in whatever." <--- Agree! I did get some comments early on, "He's so handsome!" ... "Actually, she's a little girl." ... "Then why would you have her in a BLUE blanket?", but they've been few and far between. So ridic, right?

Lala and Po = BFFs

The rest of the trip can be summed up like this: Ana stole James' massive ice cream cone and wouldn't give it back (tell me you saw the Snapchat), she woke up honestly EVERY morning and said, "Outside? (Bathing) suit?"  and then ran into the water, despite our mornings starting out at 58 degrees, cloudy and windy -- so, brrr -- and thennnnn we had Sunday night. That was the best! Ana just wanted to stand at the break-wall in front of our cabin, which was getting pounded with waves. Like, there is no way for me to exaggerate how rough it was, out on the water. These waves would come to shore, hit the wall and just rainnnnnn cold water down on us. It was just the two of us out there for a bit, and we got soaked. Ana loved it. I was freezing and scared that my phone was ruined. James took over at one point and then Ana just wanted to burrow her little body into the sand. The whole trip was a bit of a sandy nightmare for James, tbh. Although he kept saying, "Honestly, whatever. As long as it's not our house!"

And I wouldn't exactly call the trip relaxing. One night we were just like, watching the clock from 5p until bedtime. Another night we crashed as soon as the bear was in bed (like, at 9:00). Haha it was quite the experience, though.

I'd say, "Ana, the waves!" And she'd wave at them. She was kind of a disaster at this Mexican restaurant. We ate hot dogs on the grill the rest of the trip. But like, #memories. She is just this ball of personality and love and words and happiness. I can't even express how much I love being her mom.

Fake smile ;)

Every time that she's just like, "I know!" or "I don't know!" or "I see YOU!", I just melt. We had two car rides this past weekend, to my parents' and back, where we hosted a little girlfriends get together + our babies, and Ana was just the happiest bug. OK, a little shy at the actual playdate, per usual. But the entire drive there and back, she just wanted to giggle with me, sing, kick her feet up, get my attention and tell me stories. And then even last night before bed, she wouldn't stop pinching my cheeks and saying "SHEEEEKS! MAMA!" and giving me kisses. It's usually our wind-down time, to have a sippie and watch a little Sesame Street/Daniel T, but we were laughing until we couldn't even look at each other. She could not even catch her breath. I didn't want to put her down, despite the fact that I wasn't feeling well and was pretty exhausted. She is worth every moment. I don't know how we got so lucky.

SHE is such a little mama. Grandma Leese got her a purse recently, and she'll just walk around their house wearing it, putting her babies night-night. I can't even. Speaking of nigh-nigh, that little regression I mentioned last time is a thing of the past (knock on wood). We just had a weird 2-ish weeks and she went back to normal. Well, we may have shifted the nap back by a half-hour or an hour ... but she's not dropping it anytime soon! And she stopped fighting it. Praise the lord!

OMG we (OK, *I*) killed a bug this morning after she tipped me off to its locay in the living room. It was a creepy little guy. Ana was all, "Bug! Bug!" and I squashed him with a paper towel. She was a bundle of emotion. "Oh no! Sorry! Sorry! Bye!" lololol. Do I apologize when I kill bugs? Where did she get that?

K, I have to wrap up at some point.

Our news!

So finally: The thing that finally came up this entry but I haven't really ADDRESSED addressed -- the pregnancy! We're expecting Baby #2 in January. I'll maybe do a longer entry about it soon, but here are some quickie notes:

--I'll be 21 weeks on Thursday.
--Not really showing unless I wear skin-tight clothes or you catch me from the side.
--I'm not sick, never have been (not this pregnancy or last). Not even nauseated.
--Was overwhelmingly tired during the first trimester, but that's pretty much it.
--I've had a couple food aversions, but I'm not as picky as I was with Ana (when I think I lost 15-20 pounds out the gate? I was probably only down 10 at the most, this time around).
--We're not finding out the sex (obvs). We have some finalists for names already but we won't be sharing. Ha sorry!
--My placenta is low, which is a long story but mostly nbd, but cross your fingers it self-corrects!

K, longer entry on all that is coming.

Next time we'll talk about: Potty training (could she be getting closer to ready? She's certainly showing signs. I do NOT want to rush it, but my mom and aunt suggested just setting up a little potty in a corner somewhere downstairs, so that she knows it's coming).

And her big-girl bed! I bought a frame off someone online and we're debating when to set it up. I'm not sure she'll ever be able to climb out of her crib, just based on how it's set up, so ... we'll likely pull the trigger before we get to that point. Maybe the next few months. But parents of older children will have to tell me all the things: How do you convince them to stay in there? If she's mad, won't she just ... crawl out of it? Or will I find her in a random corner? lol #sendhelp.

Cutest face you've ever seen?

19 months!

Developmentally, Ana has had a HUGE month!

I don't even think I'll be able to continue updating her word list after this time around. She just knows too many and I can't keep up. But just to do it one last time, I'll add a handful more:

-- Hot dog
-- Green beans
-- Juice (dooce!)
-- Shoes
-- Socks
-- Neck
-- Blue (boo)
-- Meow
-- Roar
-- Nahhhh (lol this is what she says when you ask, "What sound does a horse make?" ... instead of neigh)
-- Abby! (her favorite character on Sesame Street)
-- Duck
-- Pizza
-- Bubbas! (Meaning Bubble Guppies ... groan; must wean her off this)
-- TV (double groan)
-- I don't know! <--- yes, used appropriately, and yes, the full phrase. Kills me
-- Grandbob (Bob-bob)
-- Ball
-- Outside ('side!)
-- Open
-- Soon
-- Later
-- More
-- Up
-- Down
-- Egg
-- Beep beep
--Applesauce
-- Peach
-- Eat
-- Milk
-- Minnie!
-- Emily (Emmy) -- she's been saying this for awhile, but I forget if it made the list officially yet
-- Baby (bee-bee!)
-- Hop hop hop (if she sees a bunny)
-- Shhhh!
-- Waffle
-- Phone
-- Knee
-- Toes
-- All done
-- I know
-- I see you!
-- Banana ('mina)
-- Analisa (Ahh-yisa!)

There are probably a bunch more I'm forgetting!

Talker girl.

It's so crazy how much she soaks in. (Add that to the list of, "shit I say every month"). But for example, I bought a gajillion peaches from the farmers market a couple weekends ago, and I swear, Ana hadn't even had, or seen, a peach since last summer. But she spotted one on the counter one morning and said clear as day, "PEACH." No prompting. Just "peach."

OK.

James and I were all, "But how did you know that?!"

It's so hard not to repeat back the mispronunciations. I always have to say in my head, "With Ana, continue to call them BANANAS," even though James and I will be on the phone later that night like, "Hey, will you pick up some 'minas on your way home from work? I think we're out."

Oh! And then the other day, she brought this book over to me, meaning she usually wants to read it together ... but no. She flipped it open and started reading to me! It was "Kiss Baby's Boo-Boo" by Karen Katz (a classic in our house). She was going through the pages babbling, but actually nailing some of the correct words in the right places. "Ouch!" she said right on cue. "Oh no!" "Boo-boo!" "Mama. Dada. Woof-woof!" And then at the end, she pretended to give the baby kisses and make her all better. Like, who are you and how did you get so smart? It's overnight, I tell you.

She is so silly with us, too. Always making a funny face, or shutting or rolling her eyes and seeing if we notice, or doing these long blinks or winks. I love it. We'll catch on eventually and she'll laugh and laugh.

Funny girl.

She's even getting herself dressed. Is that surreal for anyone else? I swear, MY life hasn't changed much in the past 19 months. (Well, it has I suppose. Job changes and moves and having her!) But like, in her 19 months, she has gone from being this helpless little sack of nothing to a little girl who tells me what she'd like for breakfast, and who puts on her own pants. Even if they're backward and she puts them on OVER her romper.

... No one ever said she was GOOD at getting herself dressed, but she certainly is starting to understand how it all works. She can get pants and shorts most of the way on. She still struggles with shirts and socks, but the idea is there. She is very determined and doesn't want your help. I'll tell you that for damn sure.

Oh and she's a water baby, 100%. Loves to splash-splash in the baby pool but would rather stick her face in the sprinkler. Or attempt to unscrew the sprinkler and just play with the hose. She and James will just spray the hose at each other for a half-hour straight, meanwhile, I'm over in the beach chair sippin a La Croix, like, "that looks awful, I'll just be here if anyone needs me!" She also doesn't care if it's kind of chilly out. I'm convinced she'd play in the sprinkler in 40-degree weather.

She put these on by herself!

Ana is ... a little shitty at bringing out into the world, tbh, at the moment. But who could blame her? She kinda just wants to do things her way, and ain't nobody got time for a sit-down restaurant or a quickie trip to the grocery store. We still haul her everywhere because we're determined to make her an adaptable girl -- and we don't like interrupting everyday life too TOO much -- but just this morning, I was like, "I read that outings should be capped at an hour." And James was all, "I hear that. I think we read the exact same thing." This came on the heels of a particularly harrowing grocery shopping trip where she was ONLY interested in dumping her sippie cup full of milk onto the raw meat in that section of the store. (Barf barf vom). As much as I tried to distract and redirect and tempt her with the 'minas (bananas) to get back in the cart -- the look on her fact was just like, F you, F you and F you. We carried her out of the store sideways, her bucking the entire way, and ignored the fierce judgment from our fellow shoppers. Shrugggggs.

Oh and naps kind of suck rn too. I swear, she's still such a joy overall! I mean that with total sincerity. But she's just going through a phase in life where she's staking out her independence. Nap time used to start at 11:30a, we'd walk around and say nigh-nigh to stuff, and she'd happily accept that that was part of her routine, snuggle into blue blanket and call it a day (or more accurately, a nap). Now it's like, we don't even start the process until around 1p, because she just seems too AWAKE at 11:30. And even 12:30. So we do our best to tire her out, then we start on our new night-night ritual. We make sure she'd fed, sometimes offer a book, sometimes a sippie with a show, walk around and say goodnight, then it's us vs. her sometimes for a half-hour, sometimes for two hours. Today I almost gave up. Her willpower is legit. But then we looked at the monitor and the Anz was suddenly defeated. I've never felt more victorious. Once she's down, she's still a pretty solid sleeper. Although it's true that on days when we have Emily or Sarah, she'll nap until 5. When it's just us, like on a weekday or a weekend, she'll nap for 45 minutes. Such is life, I suppose! I feel like I hear about sleep regression at this age. If I had to guess, this is that.

The blue blanket obsession is legit. Now that she can ask for him (yes, him), we're realizing she wants him around for any and all scenarios -- and we've gotta buy a backup. I am NOT even a clean freak, but I can't watch her drop him on the floor at a restaurant or roll in the dirt with him outside, then snuggle him in her crib that same night. And opportunities to sneak him away for washing are few and far between. She is SO cute when she looks up at us and goes, "Booooo?" Gosh, it happens like, 16 times a day, but she is the sweetest, and she just loves her blanks.

Anyway, anyway, what was I saying? This all stemmed from nap talk. I'm ... assuming this nap battle (similar to a rap battle) is part of a sleep regression, like I mentioned. I have faith she'll still hold onto the nap a bit longer. We're not dumping it forever, right? (Say right). Orrrrrr I'm just being optimistic!

Oh and I meant to say this too: I'm not even mad at like, no nap but quiet time in her room instead. I have a good feeling she's doing that some days. Whatever. I just ... will take whatever I can get!

Ham sandwich.

K I'll share one funny story, then tell you how she's becoming the ultimate toddler and then pass along some cousin news, and I swear we'll wrap this one up. I am so long-winded, per always.

A few Saturdays ago, James and I made this plan. We always talk about wanting to go to Eastern Market, so we figured we'd drive down to Detroit as soon as Ana woke up in the morning -- hang out there for a few hours, shop a bit, etc. Then we'd put her down for a nap at my parents' place (they were up north), and if we had enough energy, maybe tackle the zoo in the afternoon. But if Ana napped for too long, we thought we'd at least grab a bite or an ice cream cone near RO. (Detroit area food is hands-down superior to anything we have out here). Cool. Good plan, right?

Wrong. Eastern Market on a Saturday was insane. Ana did OK in her stroller for a bit, but then got obsessed with the idea of getting out and running around. So James let her. I'll admit, I was kind of overwhelmed by the idea. The situation was just like, 8 million people walking in each and every direction, with our baby bear getting lost in the crowd while one of us tried to chase her and the other navigated with the bulky stroller. I was sweating, and it kind of stopped being fun. She, however, had a blast. I am normally a pretty relaxed mom when it comes to anything ... but at some point, I just wanted to leave. So we did!

We had gotten up pretty early for Eastern Market, so James and I were looking forward to the nap at my parents'. We did our naptime ritual, gave her a sippie and put her down in her Pack n Play, which is set up in Robby's old room. She fought it at first, but after checking on her once, she finally calmed down and the noise died off. We didn't have the baby monitor with us, but we were just starting to fall asleep in my old room (which is one thin wall away) when we just heard her go CRAZY. So I got up, grabbed her, brought her in with us, and just as I was starting to do a diaper change, I saw it: Marker. Everywhere. As in, all over her body.

I went back in Robby's room and, I'm not even sure why we didn't look when we set her down for the nap, but sure enough, there was a big pack of markers on Robby's desk next to Ana's P&P. Now that she's old enough and tall enough to reach these things ... yeah. You get it. The markers happened. All over her P&P, all over her. So that's why she had been so quiet. Cool, Ana! Good work. I attempted to calm her down and clean her up a bit, but she wasn't having it. Not one bit. She was doing this really alarming cry -- not like her usual "Oh I'm just resisting the nap" crank. So we felt we had no option. We got her out and let her run around in the backyard. I figured this would wear her down a bit more, and perhaps we could attempt the nap again in an hour or so.

UGH. She immediately went in the backyard, picked up a pile of dirt, and tossed it up in the air, LeBron James style, like with the chalk. Dirt just rained down all over her head and everywhere. And then as if that weren't enough, she started like ... shampooing her hair with it. So it was caked into her hairline in no time. And then we looked up and she was just like, rolling across the grass in her white pants -- shirt up to her belly button so you could see her marker tattoos -- and this is when James and I started referring to the afternoon (or her) as Dirt McGirt 2017. We let her live it up for a bit. Her cousin Molly came over. We had lunch. We were just like, YOLO!

Until finally, James and I thought it was time for a bath and nap attempt #2. Holy SHIT, you should have seen the tub. It was the grimiest thing ever. I washed her hair, and like, a potted plant came out. We just kept laughing like, howwww did this happen? It all escalated so quickly. Luckily, the markers were washable, not permanent, so I was able to get most of her artwork off her thighs. And feet. And stomach. And arms.

Dirty bird!

We tried the nap once again and she was just doing that same panicky, alarmed cry. Like, whyyyy?

I knew she had to be exhausted.

She sleeps at my parents' all the time. I couldn't figure out what was different. She had a fan on, like usual. The room was dark. She had blue blanket. Yet she was HOWLING. By this point it was like, 5 or 6 I want to say. I was exhausted from our day. I asked James if we should just go home. Even if she would have napped, it would have been so late by the time she woke up. I was over our dinner plans. I was over ice cream (even though I wanted Ray's or Custard Cup SO BAD). So we grabbed our shit and bounced. And guess who -- the MOMENT we buckled her into her car seat -- crashed into the deepest sleep you've ever seen? Of course.

We got home, played with her for a bit and it was bedtime. Well, we confirmed that day why it's kind of impossible to plan on much with a toddler! It's so funny in hindsight, although when we were in the moment, I kind of wanted to laugh and cry all at the same time.

Speaking of toddler stuff. I've totally said before that she's been showing signs. But never like this. She'll get laser-focused on one thing: like dumping her juice out all over the carpet. And I try not to say a firm NO often, but like, this is one of those times. The redirect, the distraction ... isn't holding as much weight as it used to. So then she'll get crazy pissed. Or like, I was holding her yogurt yesterday while she spoon-fed herself (which, in and of itself was painful to watch because she wouldn't take help or suggestions). And she just did notttt want my hand on the yogurt. She just kept prying my fingers off, going, "Nope nope nope nope nope." Or when I didn't want blue blanket eating messy breakfast with her. (Lesson learned: Pick your battles). Man. She really wants to do things her way or the highway. That is a power struggle if I've ever seen one! I try to give her plenty of choices throughout the day so that she feels like she's helping run the show. But like, this toddler stuff, I can only imagine, is going to continue to progress. I'll have to revisit Dr. Jenn's book and see again what she has to say!

Still as happy as ever.

We still love her more than ever, she is SO loving and sweet, and I still swear every month "19 months is my new favorite!"  But I think I'm just preparing more and more for this wild ride of her 2s and 3s!

And last but not least: Ana has her first cousin! Her first FIRST-COUSIN, that is. Liz and Ryan had Emma (I believe) July 13, and she is the sweetest. The girls are just more than a year and a half apart, so that'll be super cute for them to kind of grow up close in age. We don't have a trip to Rochester on the books just yet, but I told Liz to keep me posted once they're ready for visitors. It can be hard in the beginning! Just knowing how much we struggled to establish breastfeeding, and then we were moving across the country ... I didn't want to get them in over their heads, with us pre-planning a trip for like, the following week or anything like that. So it'll be really fun once we go again. Can't wait to meet you, baby Emma!

OK you guys ... this was long. See you for the 20-month post!

Don't these cousins kind of remind you of one another? Emma is on the left, Ana is at right : )

Halfway to 2! Or is it 3? Either way, Ana's 18-month update

Whyyy is it June 26 and I'm just now writing Ana's 18-month update?

She's very photogenic in this shirt, if you recall.

I was just joking with James like, "My blog sponsors are disappointed! I've left my advertisers hanging. The people NEED to know what life is like this month with a baby bear. What am I doing?"

Um, but in all seriousness, I am pleased to report that I'm finally designing my own site on Wix and buying a real domain. This is years overdue. So you won't have to come to this ugly blogspot every month (with a crazy long URL). So, all 7 of you, please weigh in: Aren't you excited?!

I feel like I should be doing more posts like my last one -- which, actually, way more than 7 people read ... I was floored! -- if I really want to drive traffic. But let's be real, this was never about traffic or page views. I'll take my digital managing editor hat off now. So let's talk LMA! Or, Little Miss Analisa, for those of you NOT on the group page.  ;)

Baby bear is growing up! TEARS.

Big girl.

I swear, I'm constantly trying to strike this balance between living in the moment and documenting the absolute shit out of our days. I just want to remember every cute outfit and every toothy grin! She is so sweet and just the absolute love of our lives. Understatement!

James and I crawled into bed last night, exhausted from chasing her around together for a full Sunday and agreed: she is TIRING. But it's just so worth it. Even the silly hissy fits (she lost her mind about a purple bucket up north and I couldn't help but laugh when she wasn't watching), I mean, the tantrums aren't that frequent. She is 96% of the time still her happy little self. A ball of smooches and cuddles and giggles. We are just enamored with her, to say the least. She has the keys to our hearts and she knows it. She even comes and gives hugs and kisses, sometimes without being asked. She repeats nearly EVERYTHING. And she is so so good at saying a few of her words! "Juice" is clear as day. Anz even has some combos lately: "I do too!" or "Mama no!" or "Dada YES!"

I love hearing her say "yesh" after months and months of just "no." No to everything! Even when she means yes.

Ana is just the smartest, most joyous little ladybug. I'm so proud of her.

Baby in a maxi!

The doctor at her 18-month checkup was like, "How do you think she's doing?" And I just rambled. I was like, "She sings and we sing together and she's starting to put together word combinations and she uses a spoon and she knows who we all are and she loves people and her toys and she plays with me more than ever and we have this eye game and she picks up items of our clothing and properly identifies who they belong to and she now says one-two-three-sometimes FOUR and she's just the BEST!"

Dr. L was like, "All sounds good to me!" and then our appointment was over.

Honestly, we spend like, 10 minutes total with her at every appointment. Which is good on some level, right? I mean, Ana's healthy and we don't have many concerns. I think we're still looking for a new pediatrician regardless, mostly because Dr. L waffles back and forth on SO much shit. One month Ana has SEVERE torticollis until oh no wait, no she doesn't. Another month she's worried about putting this Vaseline-type stuff on a certain body part, and then the next visit, it's as if it never happened. But that's a post for another day: "12 reasons I knew it was time to switch peds."

We did learn Ana's now in the 50th percentile for both weight and height. A very average baby, indeed! ;) She is nearly 32 inches long, and 23 pounds. She's evening out finally and losing some of her baby fat, which is largely because she's so BUSY BUSY BUSY.

I can't even tell you how busy. It's honestly the cutest thing. I probably said this last time and maybe even the time before, but she just creates these little tasks and jobs for herself. It's next-level these days  though. She'll stay busy ALL morning and not need me one bit as she moves all her crayons from the table to the couch cushions, or her toys from one bucket to the next. She loves these stacking coasters we have in our guest room, and will just march back and forth from her bedroom to this room, one coaster at a time, lining them up in different spots. It's so fascinating to watch her brain develop as she teaches herself things. You can just see her mind working as she picks up items, weighing them, comparing them, moving them ... I'm obviously biased but I think she's so so smart.

You do have to hunt for things though. Today blue blanks was hiding in her Minnie airplane and James' sandals were in the entertainment center.

Also she lovvvves babies. She'll see babies on TV and shriek in delight, "BEBE!"

And you should hear her talk! She will just ramble for like, a full minute, not bothering to come up for air at all. She gets her shoulders and hands into it, she's very expressive as she explains, and she is just like, insisting on something. I wish I knew what she wanted to tell us. Every now and then I'll catch a real word or two in there, but for the most part, it's all garble. But her inflection and tone are spot on! What a bear.

Per usual, I'm all over the place!

What else did I mention that's new -- self-feeding with utensils? That's kind of new-ish. She's always fed herself finger foods (which is all food with baby-led weaning), but one day she just seemed like she wanted to do it herself, so I handed over the spoon. Now she does yogurt and applesauce. She's not very good, but she's getting there. It's mostly frustrating because she won't take correction, even gently. I'll flip my spoon or hers or try to show her the correct scooping motion, and she loses her mind. Even when I try to make it casual and fun. Teeth-brushing kind of goes similarly. Such is life with an 18-month baby, I suppose! Oh and the fork is happening a little bit, but still largely a work in progress.

I bought a TON of new toys for her off Facebook Marketplace. I swear I spent like, $40, and I came home with this ginorm Amazon box of stuff. It's all gently used, but obviously Ana doesn't care. I was feeling guilty about the fact that we hadn't upgraded her toys since she was ... 6 months? With just a few exceptions. Haha, not that she minds that, either. She'd rather play with the teaspoons and envelopes and our wine bottles. But I feel good about finally getting her some updated stuff! She's loving this Minnie airplane I mentioned and her new castle.

Ana and Aunt T

It's also nice as the warm weather continues to get even warmer. We snagged her a sprinkler (well, we snagged ourselves a sprinkler) and a baby pool last week at Target and she had the best time splashing around. We did the same thing at my parents' the previous Tuesday and I'd never seen her happier. We wished it could have been warmer at Silver Beach Lodge this past week with my extended family -- we just got back! -- but we got at least one beach day in. It's so nice just to have everyone around and visit with the fam who we rarely see. Ana seemed so big this year, compared to last! When we were there last July, Ana was just sitting up in the water, not able to do much else.

We also just upgraded our car seat, just in time for our Rochester trip (coming up Wednesday!)  Did everyone know except me that you're supposed to switch to a convertible seat around the time the baby turns 1? My cousin Amanda told me it was a recent recommendation, but like, I just knew our bucket seat lasted until 35 pounds and I was gonna keep the Anz in that thing until that very point. UNTIL I started reading about it, felt super out of the loop, and ordered one online ASAP. James is going to install it maybe after work. I'm excited to see if this helps Ana sleep better during that long car ride! Fingers crossed.

I'll go hide in a cave now, I can just feel your judgment for keeping my baby in her bucket seat until 18 months! ;)

Final new items? We now respect nap time like no one's business. We used to just breeze right past it, running errands and banking on her sleeping in the car or whatever. Now it's like, if we've missed a solid crib nap, we've effectively messed up the rest of the day. So it kind of sucks, but from the hours of like, 11a and 3p, we are home. Non-negotiable. Sometimes she naps for an hour (sadface), sometimes she naps for four hours (holy YES), but either way, she's getting her home-nap in, damnit!

And I'll leave you with some mom tips. Not because I think I know everything -- (far from it, actually. I've been winging this thing since December 2015). But just like, here are three quickie things from me to you, if this can save you in any way.

1.) If your baby chews up all her food, or hoards it in her mouth and you THINK she's eating, only to have her spit it all out a minute or two later, don't give up hope. "She's just not into blueberries/or fill-in-the-blank-with-any-food anymore, I guess," I've said to James seemingly a million times lately, feeling hopeless and confused. But listen: she IS into blueberries still. Babies don't know what tf they want. Try the berries again tomorrow and you'll probably be fine. Don't make small things big things.

2.) Other moms with backed-up babies: (read -- constipated babies). Your baby might not have a milk allergy. Milk is just binding af, and if you cut it out, or at least, cut back on it, you'll likely see some success. But again, that isn't because your baby is necessarily lactose intolerant. Milk is just shitty. People ask me all the time when they learn Anz largely drinks coconut milk, "When did you learn she was lactose intolerant?" Which I guess isn't the strangest question. But like, she's probably not. I frequent the post-MiraLAX baby groups and so many moms are baffled by this.

3.) Getting rid of cable really is the best. But a week before AT&T comes to downgrade your package to basic-ass TV, DVR the shit out of Bubble Guppies and all her favs. This has honestly saved us so hard! Money and happiness. Also, Daniel Tiger and Sesame Street are so much cuter than the garbage on Nick Jr.  Did you guys know DT is like a cartoon version of Mr. Rogers? Or were James and I the final two parents on Earth to learn that news? I'm all on board with that cute af Daniel Tiger! I've been singing his songs around the house like crazy lately, and loving every second.

Oh, and over-the-top smile is back. She is such a faker.

Not even cute.

See you next month! Also, I'm cutting down to once every few months once she turns 2. I realize these can be repetitive af.

But you're just here for the pics, I feel you.

20 misconceptions about being a new mom

When I learned I was pregnant in early-ish 2015, I was definitely excited. But it was scary too -- I didn't have any close friends who were moms yet, and I realized I'd kind of have to go first in my own close-friend group. That freaked me out! I hadn't babysat much, past the age of 12 or so. I couldn't even tell you the last time I held a baby, pre-Analisa. And even when coworkers would bring in their new tiny bundles, I'd find a reason to leave the room (judge me, please. I deserve it!)

I just wasn't a baby person, really. I didn't know what age-appropriate questions I should be asking.* So I avoided altogether!

*Lesson learned: Those milestone "Is she walking yet? How many words does she say?" questions are a bit much. (Too much pressure!) The best questions you can ask are like, "How do you like being a mom? These moments are so precious, right?"

So yeah, once I started spreading the news about my pregnancy, I got a LOT of advice (most unsolicited). And then in the early days/weeks/months once Ana arrived, we got a LOT of questions. "Is she sleeping through the night? How is she eating? Nursing is so painful, right?"

But in those early days/weeks/months, despite the invasive questions, I started to feel like, none of this is so bad. People make this new-mom gig sound way worse than it really is. So many of the questions too are based on ... I'm not sure, actually. Old-wives tales? Other people's experiences? Stuff you hear about on TV? I swear, there are so many misconceptions out there -- at least, that was our experience.

And when you're this cute ... we can get past anything!

And sure, we've certainly had our challenges. Even now, when Ana fights a nap (which isn't often), it's like, I'm sometimes dramatic and my world is ending and I overanalyze and freak out a little about the long day that lies ahead.

I'll also admit, Ana's a pretty easy baby overall. Even from the beginning, we just ... didn't let her be a pout-pout fish. "Oh, you're whining, bear? Let's dance!" <--- That was seriously my motto, regardless of how tired I felt. But it worked! She's such a happy girl, even to this day, and I feel like talking her out of her grumpies helped. I know I shouldn't take credit for too much, but I do believe babies are totally a product of their environment.

ANYWAY, blahblahblah, I know I only have one baby. That makes me no expert. And like I said, Ana's pretty easy to read, so there's that. Maybe in a few months or years, I'll look back on this list and cringe. And so much will have changed! But maybe not. I decided to write out all the crazy shit I heard early on, and tell you why it's wrong, wrong, wrong (or, why it was wrong for US), and honestly, why this new-mom thing isn't so hard after all. Don't listen to the voices!

(But let's talk if James and I ever decide to have another. I heard all bets are off once you have two or more!)  ;)

Also, I feel like I could write this same-style list for "20 popular misconceptions about childbirth." Again, every experience and baby is different, I've only birthed ONE, but there is SO much scary shit floating around. I'm here to tell you it's not as bad as everyone wants you to believe. If you're ready to put in the work.

Oh, and spoiler alert re: this list: A lot of these new-mom/new-baby misconceptions have to do with sleep! Let's hop to 'em --

1.) Misconception: Once the baby is born, you won't sleep for the next few days/weeks/months.

Fake news, y'all. We got home from the hospital, Ana was asleep in her car seat and James said, "why don't you take that hot shower you've been planning and then get some rest?" So I did. Ana probably slept for six-ish hours, and it was glorious. James and I panicked at first, because the Kaiser nurses told us that breastfed babies should be fed every two hours or so, and to even wake her and offer the boob. But my mom was all, "She'll wake up if she's hungry! That's what feeding on-demand is." And that's when we confirmed, never wake a sleeping baby. Ana got up when she was ready, definitely ready to eat but not famished.

And sure, with sleep stuff, you start to adapt to a new normal, but honestly, newborns sleep effing CONSTANTLY. They might get up frequently wanting to nurse or be changed or something, but then when you're done? They typically go right back down. One night early on, I was feeling like Ana and I had been nursing alllllll night. We cluster-fed for like, eight straight hours. But then she slept with me from like, 6a-noon before needing any more milk. I promise the early parts aren't so bad. Babies doze like, 22 of 24 hours in a day. Enjoy it while you can! I promise 16 months is a much harder age.

2.) Misconception: You can't bring them places early on.

"Make freezer meals!" they said. "Stock up on shampoo and toiletries and groceries so that you never have to leave your house!" they said.

Yeah, what? Why?

Target baby!

Leaving the house feels like a new lease on life sometimes, especially in those early stages! By all means, take your time in Target (the baby is likely sleeping). Go on a drive. Go out to eat with your husband (the baby will likely sleep through all of it). Who gives one shit if people judge you? I remember getting a baby milestone email at like, 12 weeks, "Maybe it's time to run your first errand with the baby!" and I just remember laughing and laughing. By that point, we had moved across the country by car, stayed in random hotel rooms with her, done pretty much everything under the sun ... and she was fine.

You're not going to break the baby. A few germs from the outside world are good for the immune system. A little baby-crying never hurt anyone, even at brunch. Seize the damn day!

3.) Misconception: Babies need lotion.

Why did I get gifted so much damn baby lotion?

Also, every company under the sun wants to give you free samples ... but seriously, why? Baby skin is the sweetest, softest, BEST all on its own. We didn't start using lotion until Ana was like, 15 months, and it was the dead of winter and the back of her arms felt really rough and dry. I wouldn't have started a day sooner.

4.) Misconception: Babies need lots of baths/a nightly bath.

Traumatized.

I'd hear about these moms who gave their baby a bath every night ... again, whyyyy? Ana hated it in there at first, so I wasn't particularly excited about scrubbing her down too often. But like, if you keep them in fresh clothes and you're just lying around the house (which you absolutely will be in those first few months), there's no reason to over-bathe.

I understand more frequent baths once they're toddlers and they're eating real food and mashing potatoes into their hair (oh, was that just us?) but until then ... once or twice a week, yo.

5.) Misconception: The bedtime routine must be extensive.

So, when Ana was teeny, we'd do (occasional) bath, book, bottle, swaddle, bed. It took like, 15 minutes, tops. These days we do teeth-brushing (which is laughable at this point), a book, jammies, bed. I know a lot of moms have to do 27 things all in a specific order, but why lock into that? Maybe we'll have to when she's 4, you say? Fine, maybe I'll be wrong about this one down the line. But for now, I feel like a quick routine is perfectly fine. Sometimes if her feet or hands are dirty, I'll wash those too -- given that it's not a bath night. Sometimes we'll be at Grandma Leese's and we've already read 19 books earlier in the day, so I'll just let her flop on the bed for a few min (her fav), hand her a toothbrush and put her down. But I am notttt committing to an over-the-top bedtime routine at age 1 1/2, or any earlier.

Hi guys!

6.) Misconception: You have to sleep-train or put them on a schedule. Or teach them days/nights.

Honestly, you do you. If you want to sleep train, I know some moms who swear by it. But trust me when I say, I've talked to enough people -- and we were those people -- whose babies just kind of figured it all out. She'll fall into a routine eventually. I feel like it's not a requirement to force it.

7.) Misconception: "Don't let them sleep in the car! They'll never nap/sleep at home!"

Not true until they hit past the age of 14 or so months, in our experience. Again, infants are tiredddd. They'll sleep anywhere and still get transported up into the crib no prob.

8.) Misconception: A long daytime nap means trouble for bedtime.

Opposite! I've read this all over the place, and it was definitely our experience too, but a well-napped baby makes for a better bedtime baby. Putting them down when they're overtired is the worst, and I feel like they wake up way MORE in the night when they've had shitty naps. Nap on, my child!

9.) Misconception: Co-sleeping is for murderers.

Sleepy Jim

I thought I'd neverrrrr co-sleep, just like I'd never hand over my cellphone to the babes and I'd never allow TV time. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Ana needed to sleep basically attached to me at first, and I was nursing, and I needed sleep, too. So whatcha gonna do? For us, the answer was, bring her to bed. It's kind of nice: you can sleep on your side and she can nurse. We're always RIGHT THERE in case she needs anything. And I swear, you just don't sleep the same with a baby in bed.

Sure, you won't be getting that hard, drooly, deep sleep that you really crave ... but it'll suffice, and it's better than nothing, in the early days. What's your alternative? Set her down in the bassinet 50 times only to have her wake up screaming 2 minutes in? (That was us). So we loved co-sleeping/bed-sharing with Ana, felt totally comfortable with it, and did it through probably month four or five.

By all means, if it makes you nervous, don't do it! But for us, it just worked.

10.) Misconception: Babies are spit-up factories.

Ana spit up like, maybe 10 times total. Anyone else have a lack of vom? My mom really warned me, saying I was like a machine when I was a baby, ruining clothes and spitting up a tonnnnn. Not so much over here.

11.) Misconception: Babies need to be socialized.

I mean, it probably couldn't HURT, but even our doctor was like, "yeah, not till they're 2ish!" And even then, it's like, whatever a mom wants to do, I understand. Hell, even Dr. Laura doesn't believe in preschool. It's true that it hasn't always been a THING. Our grandparents didn't go to preschool. Babies -- especially infants -- just want to be around their mamas. (Oh, and for the record, we'll likely send Ana to preschool, but I'm hoping it'll be all about play, and not like, sight words and 50 other benchmarks my California mom-friends warned me about). But yeah, re: socialization, I just feel like, if your baby's getting some, awesome. Good on ya! But if she's not, honestly, she has a lifetime of socialization ahead. Don't sweat it. Schedule a play date every now and then and you're probably fine.

12.) Misconception: Your milk comes in right away.

Well, it doesn't for everyone. I was getting asked a BUNCH about if my actual milk was in -- which, weird thing to ask someone -- and I was freaking out because it took maybe three or so days. Don't panic. It's coming.

13.) Misconception: You can snuggle them too much, and they'll get used to that and depend on it.

I mean, they're babies. You cannot spoil them. There's no such thing as too many cuddles. I was attached to Ana (physically) for probably the first six months, if not 10, and she's perfectly fine. We sleep apart these days and she's very independent. She also relishes telling me "NO NO NO NO," and will not cuddle me under most circumstances, so I'm happy I got them in when I could.

Early snuggle sesh.

14.) Misconception: She will LOVE rice cereal.

Hated it. Wasn't into oatmeal, either. We moved on to other foods fairly quickly. It wasn't until I asked on Facebook that I found out Ana wasn't the only weird one who hated RC. It happens. She got her iron in another way.

But I felt bad! So many people were like, "Did she sleep well? AH my baby was so excited to have food! She loved it, didn't she?" I was like, "Um, not really? She's constipated af and spits most of it out ... we moved on to pasta?"

Stink-eye. "Six straight months of breastmilk and formula and this is what you feed me?"

15.) Misconception: Keeping them up later means they'll sleep in later.

lolololol.

See #8 and it's the same concept. We kept Ana up till like, 11p once for Liz and Ryan's wedding and crossed our fingers she'd sleep till 11a. She was very much a 12-hour nighttime sleeper by that point. But nope, she was still up the next day at 8a or 9a. Now, in the early early days, before she had a schedule, she was kind of up at all hours of the day for feedings and such. But once she was established on a bit of a routine, which came months later, I quickly learned this stay-up-late/sleep-in-late logic doesn't quite pan out.

16.) Misconception: You'll want to pump so that you can get more sleep.

Only if you want to dry up your supply!*

*Might not be a thing for everyone, but I had to werk-werk-werk-werk-werk like Rhianna to keep my supply halfway deece.

And well, don't get me wrong: I lovvvved being able to pump when nursing got tough, and it was so nice for James to be able to give her a bottle, and sometimes I'd get an extra hour or so of Zzzs in. However, I pumped for about seven months, like a crazy person, and never took more than 3-4 hours off, like those entire seven months. That meant I was up just as much, if not more, than the baby. It's a commitment and it's certainly not the easy way out.

17.) Misconception: Getting the baby to sleep through the night is the ultimate goal.

Whatever, man. Sure, it's SO NICE once you finally start getting those 4, 5, 6+ hour stretches in, but like I said, even if it's during weird hours, babies definitely sleep. It can be really hard to drop whatever you're doing, neglect the dishes, blow off your plans, etc. But sleeping while the baby sleeps will save your sanity. You gotta do it.

Even once she starts sleeping through the night, you'll find something else everyone will bug you about, or something that'll drive you up the wall. So don't put too much stock in this one.

18.) Misconception: You need a baby monitor for everyday use.

Maybe if you live in a castle. We don't! I tried using the monitor nightly once we started putting Ana down in her own room. And I swear, every time she moved or made a squeak, it was so amplified on that monitor, I'd wake up and panic. Or at least wake up like WHAT'S GOING ON? Finally, I was like, she's one room over. I'll hear her if she needs me. That's been the best. Never looking back!

I do love our monitor for our sitters and my parents when they watch her and when we're on weekend trips ... but you might find, especially as the baby grows up, more distance is better. Lately I even wish Ana was on the lower level of the house, seeing as she hears us chatting at 3a, gets FOMO and wants to hang. Then cries when we won't let her. #toddlerprobz

19.) Misconception: They'll grow out of their clothes in 10 seconds.

Not as true as people want you to believe. Just never buy true-to-size, if you want my 2 cents. For example, when Ana was 6 months old, we were already buying 18-ish months. Half because she's a chunk, and half because you can make these pieces last SO much longer if you give them some room.

20.) Misconception: Stuffed animals are so extra.

These are Ana's friends! To this day. Luckily, we got tons as gifts, because I never bought any. But yeah, I always focused on clothes, other toys, developmental stuff ... but you know what, stuffed animals have made her super happy since she was a tiny baby. Don't sleep on these guys.

Stanley the Snowman was a friend to me, too! Holding Ana's paci in while I pumped.

Bonus round:

Misconception -- "You should have them in cute outfits early." But what about skin-to-skin? Ana was pretty much just rocking a diaper for the first month because we were bonding. Also, lol to infant shoes. We couldn't even entertain the idea of getting a shoe on her foot until well beyond the first birthday.

Misconception -- Nursing HURTS.

K, I'll admit the first two weeks can be super tough. Not trying to minimize that! But hear me out: It shouldn't HURT hurt beyond that time. Granted, I had to stop entirely because of pallet problems and my unproductive eater of a baby, but trust me when I say, I worked with a bunch of lactation consultants (like it was my job), and they all agreed: People shouldn't freak you out about nursing hurting. Is it uncomfortable? Hell yes. Do your nipps feel like they might fall off and they're on fire early on? Yikes and yes. I wore icepacks. And getting that latch down? Can be a real bitch. But if nursing gives you serious pain beyond the first few weeks, something isn't right. Go get help! I certainly did. No shame!

Misconception -- Babies hate tummy time (not necessarily true).

Misconception -- "Don't give her a pacifier! She'll never give it up!" Or, one day around 6 months, Ana spit it out and refused to go back. I miss the poppy now, all things considered. Some days when she's crabby, I wish she'd still take it.

All in all, my point is NOT to be a know-it-all, or rub in your face that we have it pretty easy over here -- knock on wood, of course. I just feel like, there's so much doomsday shit about pregnancy, so many people want to share their horror birth stories, etc. And everyone's so excited to tell you about how awful the first year is, and lay these expectations on your back. I'm just here to share that it doesn't always have to be that way. Every baby is different, yes, but hopefully, this made you smile and think to yourself, "I can totally do this." Because you totally can. You got this, mamas!

All these early pics are making me sadz!

17 months!

Analisa is the funniest, happiest little girl. We just love her more and more every day! We're constantly like, "She's big! No, she's HUGE. When did she grow up? How is she this little person all of a sudden?"

She marches around with her own plan, giving herself little jobs, tasks and assignments ... it's the cutest. SHE is the all-time cutest.

Coloring!

At my parents' last weekend, she was just like, moving cups around in the pantry. Taking one stack, then splitting up all the cups, then lining them up. Then re-stacking, then moving the stacks, then seeing where they would fit elsewhere in the pantry, etc.  Little stuff like that! Oh and she LOVES coloring: examining all her crayons, picking colors, "drawing," everything involved. What a lady.

And now with Grandbob.

I think it was last month when I questioned if we were having some sleep issues. Nah, not really. She fought her naps for maybe a week or so, and I was all, "How will I handle life without an Ana nap?" And then I blinked and she was napping again. I guess I hear about 18-month sleep regression, so maybe it was that. Who knows. She's back to normal! I will say, she's trending earlier when it comes to nigh-nigh time and wakeups.

She gets up between 7:30 and 8:30, while it used to be between 8:30 and 9:30. James and I are still trading off weekday mornings, for the most part, although we like getting up as a family from time to time. We cross our fingers like crazy on our respective mornings, like, "8:30, cmonnnn 8:30!" (That's me praying she'll roll over and go back to sleep if I hear her first squawks at 7:30). She's still very happy in the mornings. She sings to herself, we'll watch a bit of cartoons in our bed, and then she's ready to play, play, play.

Ana just like, GETS it. I feel like she understands SO many more words than she can say. You can refer to the list from last month -- she's still mostly hung up on those, with only a few additions.

Our sitter Emily has heard "mon!" As in, a variation on "c'mon!" when Ana wants her to follow. James swears Ana said "I see you!" (which I say to her alllll the time), clear as day. Oh, and I taught her "ha-ha!" Which she loves to say very sarcastically.

Oh and she added "YES!" : )   (Rarely used). And 'ome. (Like home).

Bear.

The other night -- going on a tangent, brb -- I was giving her a bath and she splashed me in the face. I don't even think SHE realized how big the splash was going to be! And I said to myself, in this serious but sarcastic way, "Dare you to do it again." And she got so excited. She did it again. And then I was all, "Do it again!" like a challenge. I swear, in a minute, she was screaming laughing. I laughed so hard there were tears. It was like an inside joke, and it's moments like those that I just cannot get enough of. I want to remember them for all time.

Ana's really turning into a daddy's girl. Do I say that too often? I mean, she ALWAYS loves on him, loves getting thrown on the bed by him, getting walked around the house upside-down by him, etc. But it definitely took her awhile to say da-da. Nowwww she says it constantly. And she'll find like, a piece of his laundry or something of his, and say, "DA-DA." Yesterday was Monday and I swear, she was a little confused as to why he wasn't around, after a full weekend of hanging out.  :(

We took her to Birch Run on Sunday and I got her like, an entire summer wardrobe for next to nothing. I know everyone thinks she has 9,000 pieces of clothing, but you'd be surprised. I went through her stuff from last summer and couldn't salvage much, despite the fact that I typically buy big. I think she had only 2 pairs of shorts that still fit, and one was hot pink and the other an aggressive polka-dot blue. We needed shorts, more PJs, casual tops, sandals, a new bathing suit or two ... and man, did we ever score. I actually added up what her lot would have retailed for at real stores, and it was about $350 worth of clothes. I slay at sales.

She was so cute at the outlets, hiding in the racks and "finding" mommy. Then she'd do this big wave once I caught her eye.

Loving the Birch Run pony.

What else? Ana loves yelling and will just let it rip. It's all babble and you can't make out a word, but James thinks it's the funniest thing. She's very insistent on what she's yelling and I wish I knew what she was saying!

She still lovvvvves outside. The weather's been a little nicer lately! It was like, HOT a week or two ago, but it cooled back down and now it's finally trending nicer again. I can't wait to put her in all her summer rompers and bathing suits and hats.

Playing!

We're going up north with my extended family at the end of June, almost directly followed by a trip to Rochester. We didn't mean to plan the vacations so close in proximity to one another, but that's the way things fell. I was just glad James and I could get all the time off on relatively short notice.

Otherwise, it's been a busy month for our fam. I'm about to fill in this Sunday for my third Sunday in recent weeks ... which is a bit of a haul. Working Sundays solo is so crazy. But I've had coworkers off, so you gotta do what you gotta do! I'm forever thankful for having a partner like James to play with the bear when I have to fire up my laptop on a rare weekend day.

We have a new Friday sitter as well. Her name is Sarah and she seems great! She's only worked a few Fridays for us so far, but I can tell I really like her. Ana likes her, too! Goodness, it really takes a village. I don't know where I'd be without Emily, Sarah, James, my parents ... the list goes on.

Happy little friend.

Here's a final story: James was asking Ana a few weeks ago, "Analisa, where's the ball? Where's the ball, Ana?" and she wasn't finding it. But then she finally spotted it a few minutes later, when she was looking for some other toy, and she turned to James, points to the ball and goes, "Ohhhhhhh! Ahhhhh." She even bopped herself on the head. And her tone was just like, "Duh! There it was the whole time, not even hiding!" Smart girl.

She's also big on petting my hair and saying "Mama. Mama. Mama." It's so sweet, except it has a flip side. When she's mad, she puts on an extremely hurt face and goes, "Mama NO. Mama NO. Mama NO." Sorry for letting you down, bear bear.

Can you believe she's halfway to 2? I certainly cannot.

These are the happiest days.

16 months!

This month ...

Analisa has been saying: SO much. This little gal has a lot on her mind! The babble is in full force, constantly streaming if we're around the house. (Not so much when we're out and about, or around new people). A guide:

Thank you! = Ah doo!
I love you = Eye-ohhhh or lately, eye-ah-ooooo
One, two! -- Uh, TWO!
Ana
Hat
Night night
Mama
Mama-didda (but never any form of dadda on its own)  :(
No
Oh no, oh no, OH NO <--- very doomsday
Buh-bye! (with great delight)
Hi!
Wow!
Woof-woof-woof
What?
Up!
All done! = Ah dah!
The end = ee annn

The first time she said "wow" was just the other day. It was perfect actually, I was all, "did you know, blahblahblahblahblah?" And she just looks at me and goes, "Wowwwww!" Very sarcastic sounding. I burst out laughing.

She repeats everything, which I've probably mentioned previously. All her little habits and day-to-day stuff just get amplified as the months go by!

Recently I wore this maxi dress -- and I'll admit, those aren't usually my style. I mean, tbh, getting DRESSED isn't usually my style. Work-from-home is a lifestyle (involving sweats, seven days a week). Anyway, I came down in this dress and James was all, "wow. Just for the park? I mean, you look great, I'm just not used to seeing you all done up." And I was just like, "whatever, it's new, I wanted to see how it fit. It's kinda boho, which isn't my usual scene, but do you like it?" James had never heard the term "boho," like, bohemian. So he taught the word to Ana, and he'd ask her, "what's mommy wearing?" (and either say it first or whisper it in her ear), and she'd repeat back, "BOBO!" She was so proud of herself and we'd laugh and laugh. I tried to get her to do it for my parents and she wouldn't ... but I have to remind myself from time to time, she's not a puppy and she doesn't always want to show off her tricks.

Cutest Easter dress of all time?

I am feeling: So sentimental about packing up her winter clothes! I swear, I just ordered that batch from Old Navy, what feels like yesterday. James joked that one outfit "she might be able to wear to her first day of college," referencing to how big it was. So HOW can we be retiring these clothes already? Someone please tell me. Tear.

(I will say, my aunts and parents got her the CUTEST spring and summer clothes in her Easter baskets! Including a "bobo" skirt of her own from Aunt Teresa. And the cutest Cat & Jack romper! AH I can't wait to show you).

She is eating: So. Much. Food. I came downstairs recently and Emily was like, "Ana ate three hot dogs for dinner." I was like, "What? Three? How did you even know to make three? Even I wouldn't eat three hot dogs for dinner." lololol

What a lady.

And it's funny -- she doesn't eat much meat; we're not sure if it's a texture thing or what. But we often offer up shredded chicken, or pulled pork, or meat that's mixed into spaghetti or soup ... and she has no interest. She only tried hot dogs recently (because they're crap, let's be honest). Now she's all, "why you guys holdin out on me? Gimme that PROCESSED gross meat, plz!"

What do you want next, love? Some jerky?

She's also loving, when it comes to food: Raisins, pineapple, melon, green beans, waffles with a little peanut butter, YOGURT omg yogurt, applesauce and anything with cheese. Although we're still limiting her dairy intake because I'm more convinced than ever that that's what constipated her. We're still kind of hit or miss on that whole sitch -- she withholds from time to time, but it's been a lot better ever since we permanently switched her to coconut milk. We haven't had to crutch on the smoothies anymore though, so that's positive.

Her personality has been: Very fun, as usual! I had to describe her personality in my latest batch of doctor paperwork, so I wrote something like, "she's very playful, active and spunky. She loves to laugh and engage with people. She loves her stuffed animals, dogs that walk down our street (and Daisy!), and she seems very engaged and secure with us. She has an infectious giggle that we hear often and she's often very content just hanging with us. She seems proud of herself when she does something right and we clap for her, and loves books and learning." #concise

Of course, she's at the age where if she's pissed, she lets us know. She can be borderline ridiculous at times (right now all she wants is pens. Which isn't so bad when she stays on the paper. But she wants to draw on the leather couch, for example). Need to get this girl some crayons, stat.

And JUST starting probably 3 days ago, we've been having some sleep regression, if you could call it that. But I feel like I should save that for next month's post, seeing as it might be temporary, and we're marching closer to 17 months anyway.

I got a pen!

Ana is obsessed with: Going outside. Which has been really tough, considering the weather is unstable af. It was gorgeous out when we dropped Anz with my parents and went to the Tigers game. I wanna say it was in the 70s. But we explored around the backyard this morning and it was 42, windy and muddy. Wah. It's been raining a lot lately. Mostly just in the mornings, but it makes it pretty gross. Ana will just stand at our sliding door and bang on the glass, whimpering to go out. I cave a lot, but when it's extra yuck, I redirect or try to keep her mind off it. And then just as I think I've succeeded, she'll bring me her shoes and coat, like, HINT HINT.  ;) #fail

Outdoor bear.

Something that made me laugh: When we went to the park (in my "bobo" dress), there was a group of maybe 15-20 teenagers playing basketball on the court. Naturally, all Analisa wanted to do was run around in there with the guys, but James and I gave it a firm hell no. It was a pretty organized game actually, and they were NOT the types to enjoy a 1-year-old interrupting their game. So we walked around outside the court, and Ana's form of rebellion was to steal all the extra balls she found in the grass. She'd pick one up (she loves lugging around heavy stuff), and take off, attempting to run away with the ball. It was half the size of her! (Same body type though). lololol James and I were cracking up.

Who gon stop me, ah?

Ana liked the swings but didn't want much to do with the other kids or the playground. She'd much rather steal basketballs or dig around in the mud. Or chomp on twigs for added protein. What a lady.

Oh, or another story: When we went out to breakfast after running errands a few weeks ago -- I paid the check and ran outside, thinking Ana and James were freezing, waiting for me. I thought I had given the keys to James, but I realized I forgot. I felt awful! It was chilly and rainy. And guess who was having the time of her absolute life, splashing through the puddles and running free? Miss Bear herself. There were actual squeals of delight, no joke.

She's now up to: At least 10 teeth! It's hard to count because she does NOT want me poking around in there. Twice-a-day teeth-brushing is suffering due to this. I think she's cutting even more teeth, hence the sleep probz. But yeah -- 10, you guys! 10.

Can you spot some?

In general, she: Plays hard and sleeps hard. Up until this week, which, again, I'll address next month if it continues, she gets 11-14 hours a night (consecutive), still naps, and James and I are fairly well-rested. Which is huge, considering we both work nights, full-time. Alternating sleep-in mornings helps, as well.

Have you seen her: Pigtails? Holy shit is she ever cute.

Pigtails + dimple? GTFO

See you in like, a week or two because I'm horrible at timely updates!