Bazey Mama: Teeth. Crafts & TP

Hi Friends-

Sorry for being so MIA....a certain Toddler's current teething issues have taken over my life.

Literally TAKEN OVER.

Miss Isla has gotten 3 teeth since New Years. It took her 11 months to get one and now they're taking over her little mouth. She is constantly chewing on something, drooling through her clothes, breaking out in a rash on her face, blowing out her diaper (how embarrassing for her) and sticking her fingers in her mouth whining. As of tonight she seems to be on the verge of another upper tooth...and the saga continues.

This week has been a serious challenge. I keep repeating "this too shall pass" to myself....I should really just get it stamped on my arm. I wonder if B's into a tatted up lady :) Isla refuses to nap which I completely understand considering all those chompers she's working on. I still go through the routine twice a day with her but for the most part she just can't quiet herself enough to sleep. This in turn gives me NO break during the day. I usually use her nap time to clean the house, catch up on emails, blog and lately to plan her birthday that I'm hopelessly late on arranging. (I swear- next year, I'm planning everything BEFORE Christmas!) B has had to work late so I've literally had no time to myself between the hours of 7:30am-7pm. That's a really long day with an 11 month old. yi-yi-yi.

Yesterday after Isla couldn't sleep on her first nap I decided we had to get out and get our errands done- no matter what kind of a mood she was in (I'm sorry to all of those other shoppers Isla may have harassed--completely not intentional- I was just SO desperate to get her birthday done!) I made a Michael's run and grabbed a ton of birthday crafting supplies and then headed to Bell Square to go to Apple. My stupid iPhone has been losing it's charge pretty much immediately. I fully charge my phone at least 3 times a day. When it went from 65%-10% in 30 minutes while I was waiting in line at the god-forsaken USPS (where I got to turn in more documentation for my lost Christmas package- FOR THE LOVE- JUST PAY MY LEGITIMATE CLAIM!) I decided it was time to head into Apple and get it looked at. Unfortunately I didn't know you can schedule an appointment before you get there so when I arrived and Isla was not 'making nice' with her stroller they told me it was a 1.5 hour wait.

Seriously?!

I decided to suck it up and pace around the mall and try to get things done. By the time our appointment arrived and they told me my battery needed to be replaced which would take another 30 minutes I happily obliged instead of doing what I really wanted to do--which was scream from the over-lit mega store that they should have an express lane for Moms juggling kids, Isla was LITERALLY doing somersaults in my arms. It was a total upper body workout.

I headed to Nordy's to try and find her something to wear for her birthday. When she started scream-crying in her stroller and flailing I knew it was time to release her from the Britax. I found the ladies lounge and let her play with two other little girls whose Mom's were feeding their siblings. As I watched these two ladies nurse their babies and yell at their daughters who were tying balloons around each others necks and scaling over-plushed arm chairs that they were using as a faux-baby gate I thought to myself, "never, never will we have two kids. Isla will be an only child. That is it." And if our future family was decided yesterday Isla would probably be an only child.

After terrorizing Apple some more I got a text from my Sister who said she was coming over to help me craft for Isla's birthday....It was the BEST NEWS I'VE HAD ALL WEEK! She came over with Taco Time (our secret fast food habit--that we don't consider fast food ... "Hey, it's local!"), we crafted a ton of cute birthday projects and we drank glasses upon glasses of wine and watched the Great Outdoors. It was an evening full of interesting conversations like "Did Jim Belushi die?" (upon which she told me that I was confusing him with David Duchovny...and let me just tell you, I know my Belushi....this is coming from the girl who earlier in the night confused Glen Close and Meryl Streep--seriously?) and how your feet are naturally supposed to lay when you go to bed so they don't fall asleep. Just add some fancy initials behind our names....it was pretty scholarly. :)

Today I realized just how ironic it was that on the day I decided Isla would have NO siblings my own came to rescue my evening (and sanity!) I don't know what I'd do without her- Thanks Min!

Today we also met our friends from the East (i.e.: Snoqualmie :) for a morning playdate at Mom&Me Crepes in Gilman Village in Issaquah. The place is brand new and still settling in but the play area was perfect for all the kiddos (ages ranged from 6 month old, Kenley below to almost 3 years old). The play area was super clean and well kept. It was lovely to get together with the ladies and chat about babies and play with the kids. It was also good to know that Isla can hold her own with bigger (i.e.: 2-3) kids and is getting better about motoring around. I definitely can't leave her alone but she does pretty well and it was fun to see her making new friends :) She was so tired when she got home she slept for a blissful 40 minutes while I frantically made 50 phone calls I'm delinquent on. Thanks I.baby!

Although I may sound completely cynical about this little lady, her phases and the craziness of Mommyhood there is truly nothing better. She has changed my heart in so many ways - every day I'm grateful for her. Today I tried to rock her for her second nap. At one point she looked at me and smiled that new-toothy grin and laughed a giggle right in my face. I couldn't help but laugh back and then we had lots of laughs and big smiles together. There's something to be said for just 'rolling with the punches' and being adaptable. One day I know I'll look up and she'll be going to Prom and graduating college--these moments are precious. I want to remember every last one of them--no matter how sleepless I am, frustrated I become or bad I think it can get. At the end of the day, I rock our sweet girl and say my own little mantra wishing for protection and love as she sleeps. It puts my heart at ease and is the perfect way to wind down our day together.

I mean really....who could resist this smile? :)