Our daughter is 5 months old. At our most recent check-up with her pediatrician he said we could go ahead and start using sunscreen if we were going to be outside. Living in a place where it gets hot has kept us indoors most days this summer. However, our new home came with a pool and I am not one to sit and look at the pool from inside the house. I want to be in it! So, I lather myself and baby up with sunscreen. Put on our swimsuits (and her hat) and off we go.
This simple act has become topic of debate in our home because the sun is shining when we go outside to swim. Mind you, the baby is wearing a full bathing suit. Covered in SPF 50. Plus wearing a sunhat that covers her entire head. The only exposed parts are arms and legs. We are in the pool no more than 30-45 minutes. Then we dry off on a towel in the shade for a few minutes before coming back inside.
Our daughter loves to be outdoors! She would stay outside all day if possible. She loves to look at the trees and plants. I wish we could have her out more often, but it's just too hot right now. We do take a walk every night (all 3 of us) before her bath time. This gives her another chance to be outside with her father and I. They aren't long walks, but she enjoys them so very much. It's funny how someone so small knows what she likes : )
What are your thoughts and feelings on taking little ones outdoors in the summer? Do those thoughts change when it gets cold out? Please share!
Monday, July 30, 2012
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Java, joe, espresso...
Many years ago, during my first couple years in college, I started having some stomach troubles. No matter what I ate (and you could imagine how healthy I was eating as a college student living on my own) my stomach did not feel well afterwards. Finally I had to go see someone to help figure out what the issue was. It ended up being that I was lactose intolerant, but that was discovered after many, many tests and tracking my diet (after all of the tests). The news wasn't exactly shocking because there are plenty of people who cannot properly digest cow's milk. However, it did impact my eating habits quite a bit at the time.
During the process of elimination my doctor asked a number of questions about daily intake of certain foods or beverages. He was a little surprised that I really didn't drink pop - and still don't very often. He was extremely shocked at how many ounces of coffee I was drinking in a day. He was determined that the cause of all of my issues was the amount of caffeine I consumed daily. So, through a long and awful withdrawal process, I cut out the coffee. All of it. Since then I rarely drink the stuff because of the effects it now has on me. (Of course, after I found out that wasn't the issue I was pretty bummed, but decided to not start up again since I was feeling better.)
Well, due to all of this moving business and having to be top notch taking care of the babe I had a hankering and caved when we got to Panera for breakfast. I ordered the smallest cup I could get. Drank about 1/4 of the cup. Then operated in hyper-drive the rest of the day and well in to the evening!
Now you could say that it's great to know coffee will boost me like that so on days that I'm really dragging I can take a few swigs and feel wide awake for hours on end. Or you could wonder, like I do, about the effect of drinking so much that it really doesn't keep you awake anymore.
I learned through a very wise woman (whom I'll rave about in future posts) that an apple has more good for you boosters in it than any other food or drink you could consume. I experimented with this for a couple months before I gave in to agreement. That saying "An Apple a day keeps the doctor away" had to come from somewhere! There is also something to be said for the power of mint. Try rubbing some mint on your palms and taking a whiff of them when you feel drowsy. Does it perk you up? I know it works for me! (Mint also has many, many other great benefits. Look for them in upcoming posts!)
What do you do to energize or stay awake on days that you are tired? Is caffeine a regular part of your day? Have you tried other sources to help you energize? If so, will you share them please?
During the process of elimination my doctor asked a number of questions about daily intake of certain foods or beverages. He was a little surprised that I really didn't drink pop - and still don't very often. He was extremely shocked at how many ounces of coffee I was drinking in a day. He was determined that the cause of all of my issues was the amount of caffeine I consumed daily. So, through a long and awful withdrawal process, I cut out the coffee. All of it. Since then I rarely drink the stuff because of the effects it now has on me. (Of course, after I found out that wasn't the issue I was pretty bummed, but decided to not start up again since I was feeling better.)
Well, due to all of this moving business and having to be top notch taking care of the babe I had a hankering and caved when we got to Panera for breakfast. I ordered the smallest cup I could get. Drank about 1/4 of the cup. Then operated in hyper-drive the rest of the day and well in to the evening!
Now you could say that it's great to know coffee will boost me like that so on days that I'm really dragging I can take a few swigs and feel wide awake for hours on end. Or you could wonder, like I do, about the effect of drinking so much that it really doesn't keep you awake anymore.
I learned through a very wise woman (whom I'll rave about in future posts) that an apple has more good for you boosters in it than any other food or drink you could consume. I experimented with this for a couple months before I gave in to agreement. That saying "An Apple a day keeps the doctor away" had to come from somewhere! There is also something to be said for the power of mint. Try rubbing some mint on your palms and taking a whiff of them when you feel drowsy. Does it perk you up? I know it works for me! (Mint also has many, many other great benefits. Look for them in upcoming posts!)
What do you do to energize or stay awake on days that you are tired? Is caffeine a regular part of your day? Have you tried other sources to help you energize? If so, will you share them please?
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Unpacking
Watching the movers put all of our belongings in to boxes is nothing new to us. We've both moved many times. As a military family we have moved twice across an ocean. We figured moving right down the street would be easy peasy! Not so much. We did take some considerations and moved our very sentimental or valuable stuff ourselves to save our worries. However, most of our things were packed and moved by hired movers. There were some things damaged and broken, which irritates me, but I feel that is what we get for not doing it ALL by ourselves. Though with a small baby it seemed like an impossible task for the two of us!
Now the process of unpacking has begun. Some parts of the house have been easy such as the kitchen and bathrooms. Our room wasn't too tough either, just debating over who gets what part of the closet. The nursery has taken me some time. I believe this is because of the vision I have in my head of what it should look like (cue nesting instinct). It will get there, it's just slower than the rest. The other room that will likely pose a hitch is the office. Up until this point we have either sat on the floor or at the $50 desk. Now we have a whole room to dedicate to a desk and maybe some bookshelves for all of the books I've held on to over the years (not to mention my pottery and artwork) or a seating area. The possibilities are endless and intimidating!
As I take our belongings out of the boxes, or watch my husband put our dishes in the cupboards, I can honestly say I am flooded with so many memories. Good ones. Bad ones. New ones and old. It is very humbling to know that so many unforgettable times were created around the objects we have obtained through the years. What is quite exciting though is to think ahead to the future and what wonderful memories we will be creating while we grow as a family in our new home!
Do you have a particular object in your home that triggers a very strong memory? What is it?
Now the process of unpacking has begun. Some parts of the house have been easy such as the kitchen and bathrooms. Our room wasn't too tough either, just debating over who gets what part of the closet. The nursery has taken me some time. I believe this is because of the vision I have in my head of what it should look like (cue nesting instinct). It will get there, it's just slower than the rest. The other room that will likely pose a hitch is the office. Up until this point we have either sat on the floor or at the $50 desk. Now we have a whole room to dedicate to a desk and maybe some bookshelves for all of the books I've held on to over the years (not to mention my pottery and artwork) or a seating area. The possibilities are endless and intimidating!
As I take our belongings out of the boxes, or watch my husband put our dishes in the cupboards, I can honestly say I am flooded with so many memories. Good ones. Bad ones. New ones and old. It is very humbling to know that so many unforgettable times were created around the objects we have obtained through the years. What is quite exciting though is to think ahead to the future and what wonderful memories we will be creating while we grow as a family in our new home!
Do you have a particular object in your home that triggers a very strong memory? What is it?
Monday, July 23, 2012
Shhhhh....don't wake the baby!
After about a month and 3 weeks of very busy scheduling our daughter is as ready for a break as we are! Between traveling home to Northeast Ohio from Virginia and back again, getting the new house move-in ready, getting the apartment move-out ready and missing all of the people she met last month she is one tuckered out little lady! Her nap schedule has been pretty bad for the most part (and I worked very hard to get her on a great sleep and nap schedule prior to our trip home). Last night our normally stupendous night time sleeper seemed to not make it in to a deep sleep at all, which meant my Husband and I did not sleep well either. This morning she only took two 15 minute naps instead of her normal hour. However, I did get some solace when I finally got her down for her used-to-be-normal nap time. Though this one may not last as long as they used to, she has been out for two hours and sleeping very soundly. For all of our sakes I hope that this is the start of getting her back on to a good nap and sleep schedule.
What tricks have you used to keep up that napping schedule when you have to be out of the house?
What tricks have you used to keep up that napping schedule when you have to be out of the house?
Saturday, July 21, 2012
It's all coming together
My apologies for the lapse in posts. We had some very hectic days trying to get the new house painted, our sentimental or valuable things packed here and taking of our little one. However, all of the hard work has been paying off because the walls are looking FAB-U-LOUS! Just as a little taster I'll let you in on what we did so far.
Living Room - blue striped walls
Master Bedroom - very dark greyish purple walls
Master Bathroom - medium to dark lavender walls (our bathroom theme is black and white)
Nursery - light green walls with a forest coming soon thanks to Aunt Liz : )
All of this work has also shone light on situation that we need to remedy. Our little lady loves to have attention, just like all babies I'm sure. This need for someone to be around is totally fine as long as we don't have tasks that actually need to be done. Getting our house ready to move in to is not something we can put off at all because our lease is up in a few days. We have to get the house ready to move in and the apartment ready for inspection to move out. It is work in both places! Our attentiveness has been running a bit short since we've been so busy. Our daughter is still in the room with one of us at all times. We do talk to her, sing to her and pop over to play for short periods of time but we cannot give her the amount of attention that she is used to getting at home. We are not fans of letting her cry it out because that technique frustrates everyone in the room with an end result of our baby girl becoming very distressed. So with more long days of moving and getting our new home ready we are all getting quite exhausted. I'm ready for some advice!
What are some tips to help keep our 5 month old entertained while we work on the move?
Living Room - blue striped walls
Master Bedroom - very dark greyish purple walls
Master Bathroom - medium to dark lavender walls (our bathroom theme is black and white)
Nursery - light green walls with a forest coming soon thanks to Aunt Liz : )
All of this work has also shone light on situation that we need to remedy. Our little lady loves to have attention, just like all babies I'm sure. This need for someone to be around is totally fine as long as we don't have tasks that actually need to be done. Getting our house ready to move in to is not something we can put off at all because our lease is up in a few days. We have to get the house ready to move in and the apartment ready for inspection to move out. It is work in both places! Our attentiveness has been running a bit short since we've been so busy. Our daughter is still in the room with one of us at all times. We do talk to her, sing to her and pop over to play for short periods of time but we cannot give her the amount of attention that she is used to getting at home. We are not fans of letting her cry it out because that technique frustrates everyone in the room with an end result of our baby girl becoming very distressed. So with more long days of moving and getting our new home ready we are all getting quite exhausted. I'm ready for some advice!
What are some tips to help keep our 5 month old entertained while we work on the move?
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
No more white walls!!
So, we are officially home owners!! It feels like the signing should have taken longer considering the amount of commitment home buying is. We have been very fortunate that my Step-Mom flew in to town to help with our little lady while we prepare our humble abode. It has been awesome to have an extra pair of hands around to help us get some of our tasks finished in the new home and to help take care of our baby girl! Thanks to having someone to watch over the babe we got to put the first coats of paint in two rooms. It is so fabulous not to have white walls anymore! Tomorrow will be full of more work to get our place ready and I am more than looking forward to it : )
What is something else that you would recommend getting completed before the movers come and pack us up?
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
So many colors!
I attended college over ten years to obtain my bachelor's degree in Studio Art, so when we actually started looking for our first home all I could think about was what I could do with the place to make it bright and colorful! Of course my husband and I discussed at length the colors that would be going in to our new home, but actually deciding on one that we both liked was tougher than I imagined. The final choices are:
Living Room - flat blue walls with high gloss stripes of the same color
Master Bedroom - medium grey that favors purple
Master Bath - medium purple
Nursery - very light green
Pictures will follow once we are finished!
Monday, July 16, 2012
And so it begins...
A year ago my husband and I left the island of O'ahu in Hawai'i on a trek across the country to our new home in Chesapeake, VA (my husband is in the Navy). We shipped my car and flew in to Seattle, WA where we started our journey. Along the winding road we stopped at many interesting and exciting places (including several National Parks, my favorites being Yosemite and Arches). We spent a few days with an amazing hostess in St. Louis, MO. Then headed off to reconnect with family that we hadn't seen for far too long in Ohio, New York and South Carolina. During our travels we discovered some exciting news - we were expecting! When we got to Chesapeake it was a whirlwind search to find a place to put our things. We attempted to settle in, but really didn't unpack much since we both wanted to move again in the not to distant future in to a single family home. After a scare at 24 weeks of the pregnancy and some really boring bed rest we welcomed our daughter (right on time) in February. Then the job of transforming in to parents began. Of course, we are still working on that every day and intend to for the long haul! As if all of this wasn't enough excitement for the last year we decided to go ahead and start looking for a house. We hunted vigorously for the perfect home but, like most first time home buyers, ended up moving forward on a place that fit almost all of our requirements. Today we will do the walk through of our new home. What an amazing and exciting day this is going to be! Neither of us can wait to make a place our own : )
Sunday, July 15, 2012
A little Q & A
I'm really good at answering questions so here are some random ones (thanks to www.gettoknowu.com) to help you get to know m a little better.
What is something most people do not know about you? My favorite color is yellow!
Did you ever want to change your name? If is to what? Only after I got married. Taking my husband's name was a no-brainer for me.
Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets? Why? Sunsets. We had the opportunity to live in Hawaii for 3 years (Proud Navy Spouse here!) and seeing those gorgeous sunsets every night really left an impression on me!
Where is the funniest place you have ever fallen asleep. On a curb in New York City after driving all night to see Lance Armstrong race! Yes, I did get to see the race : )
What pet frightens you? I'm not a huge fan of dogs. They aren't so bad once I get used to them, but I am definitely a cat person.
At what point did you life change for the better? There have been many pivotal moments in my life such as graduating from college, moving away from home, meeting my husband, but I feel I have always had a good life. I've learned lessons from bad choices, met many great people along my journey to amazing places and currently live with a wonderful man and beautiful baby girl. I hope it just keeps getting better!
What do you think about when there is nothing you have to think about? What I'll be doing next. I have to always be on the go.
If you could see 24 hours into the future what would you do with this ability? Save lives : )
What is the worst physical pain you have ever been in? I had a kidney stone at Christmas time a few years ago. Worst - Pain - Ever! Even worse than labor and delivery (and I did that drug free).
What exotic pet would you like to have? Salt water fish because I really miss snorkeling in Hawaii every weekend.
If you could have one superpower what would it be? To be stronger. I've got awful upper body strength.
How do you know when you have had too much? I clench my jaw and my neck gets tense. Then it is time to walk away before words come out that aren't so nice.
What is the most dangerous thing you have done? Hiked the Kalalau Trail on the island of Kauai. Glorious experience but terrifying at times!
What is your favorite season? Fall! I am so happy to be living some where that has fall again!
How do you prefer to get bad news? First. Don't sugar coat it, just give it to me straight.
Are you a morning person or a night owl? Definite night owl. I chalk that one up to years spent as a bartender (and a party girl).
Do you consider yourself a sore loser? Why? Yes and so does everyone who knows me! I prefer to win. LOL! It's a vice for me!
When in your life have you had a "now or never" moment? When my now husband asked me to move to Hawaii with him even though we'd only been dating about 9 months. What a good decision it turned in to!
What does your signature say about you? I've tried to perfect my signature. It's just ok. So I guess it says "work in progress."
What is something you have always wanted to try? Skydiving. It would be awesome!
What is the last thing in your life that went according to plan? The labor and delivery of my daughter. Thankfully we had health and a wonderful doctor on our team so we were able to do it the way we wanted!!
What was your first pet? A cat. No dogs for this lady.
What was the first thing you ever won? A swimming race when I was younger.
What do you hate the sound of? Beeping. Annoying!
Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets? Why? Sunsets. We had the opportunity to live in Hawaii for 3 years (Proud Navy Spouse here!) and seeing those gorgeous sunsets every night really left an impression on me!
Where is the funniest place you have ever fallen asleep. On a curb in New York City after driving all night to see Lance Armstrong race! Yes, I did get to see the race : )
What pet frightens you? I'm not a huge fan of dogs. They aren't so bad once I get used to them, but I am definitely a cat person.
At what point did you life change for the better? There have been many pivotal moments in my life such as graduating from college, moving away from home, meeting my husband, but I feel I have always had a good life. I've learned lessons from bad choices, met many great people along my journey to amazing places and currently live with a wonderful man and beautiful baby girl. I hope it just keeps getting better!
What do you think about when there is nothing you have to think about? What I'll be doing next. I have to always be on the go.
If you could see 24 hours into the future what would you do with this ability? Save lives : )
What is the worst physical pain you have ever been in? I had a kidney stone at Christmas time a few years ago. Worst - Pain - Ever! Even worse than labor and delivery (and I did that drug free).
What exotic pet would you like to have? Salt water fish because I really miss snorkeling in Hawaii every weekend.
If you could have one superpower what would it be? To be stronger. I've got awful upper body strength.
How do you know when you have had too much? I clench my jaw and my neck gets tense. Then it is time to walk away before words come out that aren't so nice.
What is the most dangerous thing you have done? Hiked the Kalalau Trail on the island of Kauai. Glorious experience but terrifying at times!
What is your favorite season? Fall! I am so happy to be living some where that has fall again!
How do you prefer to get bad news? First. Don't sugar coat it, just give it to me straight.
Are you a morning person or a night owl? Definite night owl. I chalk that one up to years spent as a bartender (and a party girl).
Do you consider yourself a sore loser? Why? Yes and so does everyone who knows me! I prefer to win. LOL! It's a vice for me!
When in your life have you had a "now or never" moment? When my now husband asked me to move to Hawaii with him even though we'd only been dating about 9 months. What a good decision it turned in to!
What does your signature say about you? I've tried to perfect my signature. It's just ok. So I guess it says "work in progress."
What is something you have always wanted to try? Skydiving. It would be awesome!
What is the last thing in your life that went according to plan? The labor and delivery of my daughter. Thankfully we had health and a wonderful doctor on our team so we were able to do it the way we wanted!!
What was your first pet? A cat. No dogs for this lady.
What was the first thing you ever won? A swimming race when I was younger.
What do you hate the sound of? Beeping. Annoying!
What is something most people do not know about you? My favorite color is yellow!
Please, feel free to answer a couple of questions yourself. I'd love to get to know you, too!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
What's in a name?
My blog name had to be something meaningful. I take pride in the names I have come up with for the artwork I have created because there is usually an underlying meaning, a play on words or they are very tongue-in-cheek. So I felt compelled to do the same with this blog. Here's a breakdown:
Momma's - I am now a Mom and these are my words.
Daily - This is obvious because I plan on posting happy thoughts every day!
Relish - I'll let dictionary.com show you, but I think you'll get it after you read it:
Relish [rel-ish] noun
1. liking or enjoyment of the taste of something.
2. pleasurable appreciation of anything; liking: He has no relish for obscene jokes.
3. Cookery
a. something savory or appetizing added to a meal, as pickles or olives.
b. a sweet pickle made of various vegetables, usually chopped or minced.
c. an appetizer or hors d'oeuvre.
4. a pleasing or appetizing flavor.
5. a pleasing or enjoyable quality.
verb (used with object)
8. to take pleasure in; like; enjoy: I don't relish the long drive home.
9. to make pleasing to the taste.
10. to like the taste of.
Now, go enjoy your day and pass along a smile! They are contagious!
Friday, July 13, 2012
Hello and Welcome!
I'm starting this blog for two reasons.
1.) To give people a positive perspective every day.
So much of our lives are filled with negativity (in our jobs, on TV, at school, etc.), I am more than ready to make a positive impact on people's lives. Previously I had the opportunity to do this as a teacher with the students and parents I worked with throughout the day. Currently as a stay at home mom I will attempt to do this daily in e-mails and posts on my blog. I hope you choose to follow along and get a little sunshine that you will look forward to every day!
2.) To be honest about daily life and get a perspective from others in a positive setting so that we can all grow and learn from each other across many topics.
We all have our own opinions of how we like to do things in our lives. I am hoping to share the experiences that I go through, topics that I read about, questions that I may have or just general banter and have conversations on this blog about those posts in a non-antagonistic manner. We can share our opinions without negativity and rudeness, which is something that is encountered so often it has become commonplace in our society.
I hope that my blog helps to start a positive revolution or at least make people think twice and rephrase their responses to each other. I hope that you will begin to see the good in your daily lives and share it with me along the way. I hope that my daily positive posts will help to start your day off great or end your day with happy thoughts!
Here's to being full of Sunshine & Smiles - - - Sara
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