Ugh seriously? I don’t mind it when it’s chilly outside or even in September/October… but August? Yikes!!! It is already consuming my television!!!!!! Haha. I don’t mind a good Sunday afternoon football game that my husband, father, and brother like to enjoy together, but I like spending my evening nights doing things other than sitting around my house while football is on day in and day out. Last week the Lions played a practice game, and actually won! But that is beside the point… football already started in the middle of August, dang. It isn’t really the football itself that bothers me, I think it is what football represents, cold weather, and boring Sundays.

Oh wow she is growing right before my eyes. She is almost 10 months old now. Her behaviors are changing, she is learning new things like waving and pointing. One change that has not set so easily with me is her new napping requirements. She always took two naps per day. The first around 10:30 AM and the second around 3:30. Lately, she has been falling asleep around 11:30 AM and waking up around 1:30 PM. Then I would put her down at 4:00 PM and that would work and she would then sleep until around 6:00 PM. Then a few days ago she started refusing her afternoon nap! She wasn’t crying when I put her down at 4:00 PM, but she was just not sleeping. I feel totally guilty leaving her in her crib for two hours if she isn’t even sleeping.This drove me crazy. So today, I bit the bullet and did it. I tried the one nap per day thing. My intention was to see how she was behaving all morning and put her down at 1:00 PM. Well after our walk about about 11:30 AM, we came home and she basically had a melt down on the living room floor. I thought to myself, “Ok, she must be exhausted.” And I put her to bed. She was quiet for about ten minutes and I thought she was sleeping. Then suddnely she started making noise and was playing. Well, it was only 11:40 AM so I figured I would get her out and keep her up until 1:00 PM so she could take one long, afternoon nap. So that is what we did.I fed her lunch at 1:00 PM and put her right in her crib after that. I think she fell asleep around 1:30-1:45 PM. I hope she sleeps til 4:00 PM! Haha. It’s gonna take some getting used to, for the both of us. I was really content with those two naps, especially the later one…  the morning nap was a good time for me to get cleaning done, start dinner, and do random things around the house and the later nap was for ME! I would have coffee, lay down, relax,or even finish dinner. Well, as long as I can keep her nap later in the day, I think I will be ok.

As I sit here with my beauty in my lap, my left hand on her bottle and my right on this keyboard, I can’t help but anxiously wait for the weekend to officially begin. I miss my husband more than ususal on this long Friday. I cannot wait, just a few hours more and the weekend is here! I am looking forward to staying in with my little family. My husband, my beauty, my 2 dogs, and maybe even my Dad will come by for dinner. After dinner I will enjoy a nice walk with my 2 loves and when the little lady is settled in bed it will be time to relax with my husband. Tonight I plan to cuddle with him on the couch, watch a movie (or maybe some DVRed GH), have some popcorn or roast some delicious marshmallows out on the deck. I am very excited for this evenings festivities and for the awesome storms we are supposed to have all day tomorrow. Good storms make good cuddle sessions!

This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day. It is the first one since my Mom passed away and my first time being a Mother. Needless to say, I am at a loss for words… and feelings. I hate when people tell me I should be grateful for my daughter… it’s like NOOOO KIDDING!!! I never said I am not. It’s just pretty difficult to celebrate something that directly correlates to how much you need your Mother and she is gone. Ok, enough said… these are supposed to be pretty thoughts.

There really isn’t great things on TV in the early part of the day. I do enjoy watching Regis and Kelly and sometimes The Doctors if they have a topic that sparks my interest. Other than that there really isn’t anything worth my while. I would much rather be playing with my daughter and when she is sleeping, putting in loads of laundry, picking up around the house, and making dinner. In between all those things I end up walking to my lap top every 30 minutes and check my Facebook. I admit I am a Facebook addict. Why waste energy on a television that isn’t even being watched? So I turn it off after Regis and Kelly usually if not before. Unless there is a guest I really like, I only watch the beginning of the show when they are joking around with each other and talking about recent news. I like peace and quiet or my favorite music while my little one is asleep.

When it starts to consistenly be warm and nice out I would much rather be doing something outside with my best little friend. The nice days we have had so far we spent at a local outdoor mall or the park. She is not yet crawling or walking so strolling her around is quite relaxing for the both of us! I can’t wait to be able to spend practically every day with her out in the sunshine! Just so I have baby sunblock!!!!!!

I absolutely cannot wait for when the majority of the days are full of sunshine. Since it is April still, every nice today comes with much anticipation. I am constantly checking the weather to see what my next few days could be like because if it’s nice, I like to make plans that involve being outdoors. Taking my daughter to the park, walking around at the outdoor mall, and taking walks in our neighborhood are all things we love to do. It is such a great feeling to be able to wake up warm. Getting out of bed and not having to throw on a sweatshirt or socks is such a treat for me! My favorite thing about the Summer is flip flips! I absolutely love to just slip them on and off I go. No socks, no uncomfortable sweaty shoes, just my Summer feet and a small barrier between them and the concrete. In the Summer I take my shoes off as often as possible. Being barefoot really reminds me of being a kid. In the Summer, all the neighborhood kids would be out all day and well into the evening with just a few short breaks for lunch and dinner. Coming in the house at night after a long day of playing always meant we had some dirty feet! Dirty feet remind me of Summer and oh how I love dirty feet. I don’t like them in the winter or due to not bathing. I only love them simply for the fact that they became that way from good Summer fun. It’s going to be wonderful being able to watch my daughter do those very things. Water balloon and squirt gun fights, riding bikes, strolling our dolls down the sidewalk, and running around in our bathing suits was part of our daily agendas when I was a kid. Who knows now… I do know that I will not allow my daughter to stay inside all day watching TV or playing video games, or chatting online. I really hope when she is of age to play outside kids still have the same anticipation to get out there and just be a kid. I know I am not a kid but I will still be playing outside this Summer!