Baby's First Disney Trip!

I hate Disney World. I can't even sugarcoat it. I flat-out hate Disney World. When I think back to my childhood memories about Disney World that aren't negative or brimming with ennui, I think of those Mickey Mouse shaped ice-cream bars. The ones where the ears are chocolate and the face is vanilla. It didn't matter how cold it was, I wouldn't leave Disney World without one. That's about where my love for Mickey Mouse begins and ends, I can admit it. I'm a Disney Grinch, a poor excuse for a Floridian, that girl who went to college in Orlando and never stepped foot onto Disney property in all four years. Worse even is the last time I was at Epcot, my dad and I watched John Goodman film a scene for Roseanne. Does that date me or what?

But then I thought of all those Decembers we spent in Disney World (getting my ice-cream bars, okay?) and all of those photo albums of us spending a weekend right before Christmastime at Disney World. And something happens in me where I get all sentimental and look over at Ethan and think of how he should have these memories (or pictures), too.

After much deliberation back and forth between my husband and I ("he'll be too young!" "He won't remember it!" "You don't even LIKE Disney World!"), we finally decided (or, okay, I won the argument) to spend a weekend in Disney World this December.

And so this evening, Ethan's first trip to Disney World was planned!

Thanks to the expertise of Adventures In Mommyhood's Victoria, we decided on a character breakfast at the Contemporary Resort, a park hopper ticket so we can experience the MGM holiday light show and the Character Spot at Epcot and the Magic Kingdom in general. (FYI, if you're planning a Disney trip, check out Victoria's post about Disney For Babies And Toddlers!)

Suddenly my attitude on Disney World has been a little bit altered. I've swapped out the ennui for excitement. I'm marking places to stop and see and thinking of all of the pictures we'll take (and those Mickey ice-cream bars I'll get to eat!). This December, Ethan will have one heck of a first Disney trip planned!

I've excitedly been gushing to Ethan that he's going to Disney World! He's going to have breakfast with Mickey and Minnie and all of those other characters I ashamedly can't even remember the names of! I'm not sure he's too excited yet, but my originally nay-saying husband is even showing little glimmers of excitement. There's just something magical about Disney World with little kids, I'll admit it!

Three Weeks!

Sunday Best - Augustana



Being a mom is pretty incredible. I can't think of anything more fun in the world, which says a lot considering 4 a.m. has become my new bedtime and I've yet to wear anything that hasn't ended up covered in spit-up. Even during middle of the night diaper changes, nothing can beat being a mom. I'm sure of it and I've only been doing this for three weeks.

That's right. It's been three weeks since Ethan has been born. When I look back on pictures from even the week before, I'm amazed at how much he's grown and is continuing to grow into his own little person. He's somehow shedding that newborn look and I just can't believe it. There's really no other word other than disbelief for how big he's getting.

I like to think we're settling into parenthood kind of well. I'm now one of those people who hold conversations about bottles, colic and swaddles and have no idea what movies are playing or what the most popular television shows are. And that's fine, because I can totally tell you all about how a MamaRoo works or how cool Clever Trevor the bathtub thermometer is. Like there's anything more important going on in the world than that.

Ethan is wearing his Seventh Generation diapers in a size one now and we had to return all of our unopened packs of newborn diapers! He's wearing a mixture of 0-3 month and 3 month outfits right now. I love watching his eyes focus on things, like his toy bar on his car seat or the mobile on his MamaRoo.

He's up every 3 hours for a feeding and a diaper change almost like clockwork, though his little appetite is starting to get a little bigger as time goes on. He's awake more during the day which I love because I get to read him stories and sing him songs and play with him.

He's also a champion at tummy time and is a pro at starting to hold his head up like a big boy!

Other favorites include California Baby's diaper cream, being swaddled in his Miracle Blankets, his Rock & Play Sleeper, Dr. Brown's bottles, the car ride simulator on his MamaRoo, stroller rides and car rides (and just being in his car seat), his Johnny Cash lullaby CD, Soothies pacifiers and his fingers.

Splish Splash!

Tonight Ethan had his first bath (no more spongebaths!) in his big boy tub.

I was so excited for this moment. We had our turtle-shaped tub thermometer. We had bath toys. We had our Method baby wash that smells like Rice Krispie Treats. We were ready to go!

...And he hated every minute of it.

But he smelled so yummy and looked so cute in his turtle robe. Excuse me while I turn into a pile of mush as a result of the cuteness.









"Is it over yet, daddy?"

Hold Onto These Moments As They Pass

Poor little Ethan has been battling some uncomfortable and no-fun-at-all tummy troubles the past couple of days. He seemed to be doing a little bit better so we took him to get some fresh air (nature's medicine, but of course) at the beach.

Our good friend Nea generously gave us gift cards to one of our favorite restaurants, Mellow Mushroom, so we decided tonight was a great night for take-out. (Thank you, Nea!) We drove up to Delray Beach where I picked up our pizzas to take home and made the aforementioned trip over to the ocean to breathe in the fresh air.

I wonder if Ethan will love living so close to the ocean one day or if he'll be a beach grinch like his daddy. I spent a great deal of my pregnancy (prior to the bedrest) at the beach, sitting in the sand and reading my books or walking on the shore and breathing in the salt air. I secretly hope that some of my love for the magic of the beach passed down to Ethan!

We spent only about five minutes out on the sand and Ethan slept through all of it, but he sure did look cute in his little sailor outfit and hat. Passerby congratulated on us on our cute little baby and the weather was just beautiful right before sundown so I'd say it was a success. (Even though I admittedly can't wait for the days of building sandcastles and watching Ethan's face as the waves run over his feet for the first time!)

I've had this song in my head since we decided today was a great day for Mellow Mushroom and a drive over to the beach:



It's been so long since I've seen the ocean,
I guess I should.

On Mommying

My friend Katie over at Look! I Can Grow People told me something yesterday that her mom has been telling her: motherhood is all about sacrifice and giving up your expectations to face the unexpected. That resonated with me because it's a lesson I'm trying to learn myself and quite possibly the most true words I've ever read. Since she shared it with me, I've been using it as kind of an over-and-over-again mantra to myself. So far, I've learned just how true these words are. Motherhood is most definitely about giving up your expectations and facing the unexpected. No matter how much you've read, researched, prepared, stocked up or memorized, motherhood will always be ultimately learn-as-you-go. Things will happen that you never planned for. I thought being diagnosed with preeclampsia and being put on bedrest was the biggest of my worries at the time. After all, delivery is the only cure for preeclampsia and so I imagined my perfect c-section which would result in my baby being handed straight to me, a perfect and instantaneous breastfeeding relationship and a pain-free recovery at home with my perfect new family. Then my water broke. Then I learned that there really is such a thing as birth trauma and this is where Katie's mom's quote began to really make sense to me.

And then I learned, too, that being a mommy means having to heal quickly. You can't lay in bed and cry with the blinds pulled shut for days on end when your plans are thrown off course. You have to heal and face the unexpected and be a strong mommy. I'm 25 years old and I can't recall a single time my mother was out of commission growing up. Even at her sickest, she was in the kitchen making dinner or helping with homework and it really seemed like she was invincible. And she was, because she's a mom. Moms are supposed to cloak themselves in invincibility and convince everyone around them that nothing is too hard or too strong to get them down.

I am a mommy now. I have let go of those preconceived notions I had about motherhood and doing everything by my perfectly-tuned plan. Being a mommy means doing things you never thought you'd do. It means learning to laugh when people who have never had children attempt telling you what is best for your child or learning to turn the other cheek when people who have not been in your shoes offer their unsolicited critiques or disapproval. At the end of the day, there is a beautiful little boy who I call my son and he is surrounded by so much love. Nothing else matters.

I am a mommy now. My sole responsibility is to care for my son and love him (and maybe spoil him just a bit) and give him the absolute world and beyond. Nothing else matters but his happiness and well-being. When his daddy and I watch him sleeping in his bassinet at night, nothing else matters in the world. When there are piles of dishes in the sink and even taller piles of laundry attacking your hamper, being a mommy means knowing that holding your son and rocking in his glider is what you make time for. Dishes and laundry can wait.

I'm in the process of healing both mentally and physically and have to say that I'm proud of my success on both accounts. I'm sure without my iron pills and red-meat diet (which I am growing so sick of, you can only imagine) the anemia might sneak up on me again but with the supplemental assistance, I'm feeling awesome these days. I've learned that there is no time to wallow in pain or misery or self-pity or frustration when life throws you a curveball when you have a beautiful little boy who falls asleep in your arms as you sing the "Mommy and Ethan are rocking in the chair" song (my husband would like it noted that I'm not a lyricist and this song makes it frighteningly obvious). There is no time for shame or self-doubt or letting the stinging c-section incision beat you down when your husband is home from work for a month and a half and you have all of this time to spend together as a family. The love permeating through our house is incredible.

And nothing else matters in the world.



These days in addition to healing, my days have consisted of car rides (Ethan's most favorite things and admittedly mine, too, as I can't see anything other than awesomeness about my husband chauffeuring me around to get a cup of coffee) and family walks around the block.




My husband turned 26 years old on the 2nd. It's crazy to me that when we first met, he was celebrating his 16th birthday. I've often said that growing up alongside the love of my life is perhaps the greatest thing ever but I want my statement altered to read that watching the love of my life grow into an amazing daddy is by far the greatest thing ever. We sang "happy birthday" and ate gluten-free carrot cake and my husband requested that all he wanted for his birthday was to spend time with his son.



And so I know now that even if my plans get thrown off course, even if things don't go exactly as how I rehearsed them in my head, life will end up okay. That's guaranteed thanks in part to the beautiful, perfect little boy who I am so lucky and proud to call my son. In just a couple of days he will be two weeks old and, already, he has become the greatest source of my inspiration.