McClellan's MiMi in da' house ya'll!!

My mom was here last weekend and I can't even begin to describe how great it was to have her here!! I was definitely in need of some girl time and we had tons of that!!

She flew into town on Thursday night and McClellan greeted her when we got home from the airport-Mom couldn't believe how big she had gotten and how much she had changed! The last time Mom saw McClellan was July 4th so it had been about 2 1/2 months-lots of changes since then!

Friday we had a full day of shopping - to say that McClellan's closet is full is a HUGE understatement. We got some amazing deals and loaded up on all kinds of adorable things for Punky-including some white high top shoes that look like they have been tattooed with cupcakes-HA!! She'll be stylin' for sure with those on!

Saturday was gorgeous so we headed up for a day of fall colors and hiking!! The leaves were gorgeous and we had a great hike and lunch at Golden Gate State Park.

On our way back to town we stopped in Boulder and walked around Pearl Street and the fall art festival they were having.

As always McClellan was perfect and loved ever minute of the time she got to spend with her MiMi!

Swing Time!!

We had a great day today!! We went to Garbanzo's, ordered lunch and then headed to a park to eat and enjoy the beautiful weather today brought!






After lunch McClellan had her first swing ride-it was a *HUGE* success!!! She loved it!!




Dang...I just gotta brag a bit here...she looked sooooo darn cute in that swing!!

We also walked around the DU (Denver University) area and loved the scenery. I am ready to move there!! As soon as I win the lottery that is. : ( We walked around the campus and then headed to Ben and Jerry's for ice cream cones-YUM!

Today was one of those days I've dreamed about...guess dreams really do come true! : )

Harvestival at Grant Farms

You know that place we get all those vegetables and fruit from? I've blogged about it before, I think...they had a "Harvestival" this weekend up at the farm outside Wellington, CO. We weren't going to go as it's quite a haul and the tickets were $20/each. BUT...this week they gave members free tickets!! Each person was given one ticket to Saturday's event and one ticket to Sunday's event but when I was picking our share up another member gave me their tickets...so we made the drive up after all. Here are a few highlights:

~Hanging out with Daddy listening to bluegrass band Boulder Acoustic Society


~Some of the yummy, local fare-beer from Fort Collins Brewery & grilled artichokes and corn from right there at Grant Farms. YUM! The artichoke hearts were to die for!!




~Matt trying to eat corn without McClellan grabbing it-not easy!!

~The chickens and their new homes on the buses!!

~McClellan and Matt hanging out with some of the farm animals:

~After we left the farm we headed to Loveland to Matt's parents house for a BBQ. McClellan wasn't feeling too hot (more on that later) but she pulled out a couple of smiles for us anyway.

~McClellan and her Grandpa Millner

4 months old today!!

Weight: 14 lbs 1 oz

Height: 24 inches

Head: 41.25 cm

McClellan "passed" her 4 month appointment with flying colors!! Developmentally she is a rock star!! She impressed the Dr. again this month with pulling herself into a standing position when she grabbed onto the Dr's fingers!! Go Punky Go!!

Sadly, McClellan had to get shots at this appointment. Two shots in her thigh and an oral vaccine. I turned away and didn't look while the nurse was doing the dirty work. She let out this horrible cry, then Matt immediately picked her up and within seconds she was smiling again. She's such a trooper!!

McClellan is changing so fast, every day it seems there is something new she's doing. She's mastered the rollover-both back to front and front to back, and back and forth and to and fro. She rolls around all over the place! We're constantly having to put her back on the big blanket that we spread out on the floor because she rolls and wiggles off it constantly!

She loves to play with her toes and grab onto her feet and rock back and forth. Keeping socks on her is almost impossible! Changing her diaper can be tricky now too. She moves so much that if we're not careful she's going to flip right off the changing table!!

She also started daycare in this past month. She's doing great, and so are we, with this new change. We are so lucky to have found Erica and her full time assistant Brandy to care for McClellan. Every morning when Matt drops her off they tell him how cute she is and every night when I pick her up they tell me how "perfect" and "mellow" she is.

Erica laughs that taking care of McClellan makes her want to have another baby-I'd say that's a pretty great compliment. Yesterday when I picked McClellan up Erica even came out on the porch after I'd walked out to tell me that she thought Matt and I were great parents!! Yay us!!

McClellan you are such an amazing little girl. You are growing so fast and changing so much every day. I tell you that "I love you" at least a million times a day. Every day I think that I couldn't love you anymore than I already do, and yet the next day comes along and my heart is even more full with love for you. Your smile is infectious and your laugh contagious. You have made your Daddy and I happier than we ever thought possible.

Happy 4 month birthday little girl!! We love you!!

Long time no blogging ...

It's been over three weeks since I've had the time to share anything here - busy. That's how the past three weeks have been.



Busy. Emotional. Stressful. Hectic. Overwhelming.



The night before my first night back to work was horrible. I sat on the couch holding her in my arms bawling for hours. I cried so much that my face burnt from all the tears and my eyes were swollen. Knowing that the next day I'd be walking out the door, leaving her behind for 9+ hours was killing me.



That first day, telling her goodbye was more painful than anything I'd ever felt. I kept wondering if she'd wonder where I was, why I'd left or worry that I wouldn't come back. I held her forever that morning, until the last possible second, and then kissed her goodbye through tears, handed her to Matt and walked out the door...back to work.



I cried that day at work, a lot.



Luckily Matt stayed with her the first week and then my sister and nephew came out to watch her-that helped so much. Knowing while I was adjusting to working again she was still at home with her Daddy and then her Aunt made it much easier those first two weeks.



Matt was an amazing stay at home dad that first week-he had amazing dinners ready each night came home, the house was always clean and the laundry caught up. Honestly, he did more than I did while I was home with her!!



Aunt Maegan spoiled McClellan rotten while she was here. Miss McClellan will be stylin' with all the new clothes that she got!! Keeton was a great helper too!! They came to see me at work one day and we all went to lunch and McClellan got to see everyone I work with.



Week 3 brought the dreaded start of daycare. Honestly this day was easier than I thought it would be. I think having already been back at work for two weeks helped. We'd also gone to Miss Erica's house for dinner the week before-we got to meet all the other kids and parents that McClellan will be hanging out with during the day. That was a HUGE help-McClellan got to meet Erica and Brandy, we got to watch them interact with her and get more comfortable with the whole idea.



My daily schedule looks something like this:

5:00am - wake up, shower, get ready

5:45am-go in and turn on McClellan's radio and soft light to start waking her up

6:00am-get McClellan up, change her diaper and b/f her

6:20am-McClellan gets passed off to Matt while I get dressed and race out the door

6:30am-I'm out the door between 6:30 - 6:40 and heading to Castle Rock

7:15am-Typically I get to the office by 7:15

4:00pm-time to race out the door and head to day care to get Punky

4:45pm-arrive at daycare and see the smiles I've been missing all day!!

5:00pm-arrive home-McClellan has already fallen asleep in the car on the way home

~unpack diaper bag, repack diaper bag, change my clothes, unpack my lunch dishes from work, start dinner...

5:45pm-McClellan starts to wake up, diaper change and get ready to feed her

6:30pm-Matt gets home, finishes making dinner

7:30pm-We eat dinner and McClellan falls asleep, again

~clean up kitchen, make lunches, get things ready for the next day

9:00/9:30pm-feed McClellan and get her ready for bed

~finish cleaning up and get ready for bed

10:30pm-I'm heading to bed and exhausted I crash within seconds...yes I mean seconds



It sucks. If you look at the schedule you'll see that I'm with McClellan for 30 minutes max in the mornings and about four hours in the evenings-at least two of which she's sleeping. I see my daughter, awake, for a total of maybe 2 1/2 hours a day Monday - Friday. It blows.



Trying to squeeze in tummy time, book reading, cuddle time and feeding during all 2 1/2 hours.



::sigh::



It makes me sad. I cry a lot. I feel like in the mornings, I'm not really "with" her-I'm watching the clock the entire time knowing that I must be done by 6:20 so I can get dressed and out the door on time. There is very little room for error with my schedule. I have to leave home on time to get to work and I have to leave work on time to get to daycare.



I feel like I am burning both ends of the candle ... but, it is what it is.



To say that I'm not jealous of Matt for getting leisurely mornings with her before he takes her to day care...yeah, that would be a lie. They get cuddle time and then take a walk with the dog while I'm racing to get to the office and starting my work day. Jealous-absolutely. Happy-yes, that too. Happy that McClellan gets this special time to bond with her Daddy.



::sigh::



This is our new life, and every second counts.

Dear McClellan,

Tomorrow my title gets a little longer. I'll go from Mother...to Working Mother.

This means that tomorrow morning I have to get up really early, and sadly that means I have to wake you up really early too. I'm going to have to go back to work tomorrow and leave you at home-luckily this first week you'll get to stay with your Dad and next week your Aunt Maegan and Cousin Keeton are coming out to take care of you.

I want you to know that there is nowhere I'd rather be than with you, and that if there was anyway I could stay home with you I would...but I can't. Don't think for a second that I want to leave you behind and be away from you all day-that couldn't be further from the truth. If I could, I'd stay with you every second of every day, listening to your little giggle, getting lost in your gummy grins and holding you in my arms and watching every second of you growing up. You have no idea how hard this is for me little one.

I want you to know that no matter what my title is and how long I have to be gone during the day, my most important job will always be being your mom. There is nothing that is more important to me than you are, believe that.

These past 14 weeks have been amazing...you are a true dream come true and I never imagined that I'd be so lucky.

Don't doubt that I'll be thinking of you every second of every day and that as soon as I can I'll be rushing out of the office to come home to you. I probably won't let you go all night-so be prepared for tons of cuddling and kisses!

I will miss you more than you will ever know.

Love you forever and a day-
Mom

3 months old!!

McClellan is 3 months old today and growing like a weed! Today she weighed 13 lbs 3/4 oz - I took her into the Doctor's office to check on her.

Her third month brought about lots of changes and more firsts-

~Rolling over from her back to her stomach! Apparently this is the "harder" roll over too!

~Sitting up and staying there with a little help - she can do it and not fall over!!


~She's started grabbing on to things-my hair, her bottle, toys, blankets-you name it she's grabbing it!



~Giggling-she giggles and responds to you laughing with giggling back at you-it's honestly the cutest thing I've ever heard!



~Crunches-this kid is going to have abs of steel! If she's on her back, no matter where, she's lifting her legs and torso and doing little crunches-she's going to have amazing abs!



~She is no longer being swaddled at night-we went cold turkey with getting rid of the swaddle and she hasn't woke up a single night! No miracle blanket, no swaddle, no sleep sack-no nothing!



~She had her first temperature-BOO! She ran a temp of 100.2 last week-which may explain why she wasn't "performing" for Ann at her 3 month photo shoot!



~She had her first mountain trip & gondola ride on our trip to Breck' last weekend-she loved it!





~She's so wiggly now-it's hard to change her diaper these days she's so squirmy!!





~She loves laying on her back, grabbing her toes and rocking back and forth-it's so funny to watch!





I can't believe my little girl is growing up so fast!