Pizza, Ponies, and Party Hats, Oh My!

Feast or famine around here, huh? I know, I know. I've got all sorts of fantastic pictures of my little munchkin to share, but there just aren't enough hours in the day - between working full time (27 days to go!!!), spending time with my beautiful little girl, and trying to prep our home (and our lives) for this incredible new addition, there just isn't a lot of time for blogging. That being said, I do appreciate all of the folks who stop by All Things Ng to see what's going on with our family, so I'm going to try very hard to get back on the wagon. :-)

On May 27th, Abby attended her first birthday party. One of Abby's friends from daycare, Ajay, was turning 3, and his parents were throwing him a party at White Post Farms. We had a great time! While Abby wasn't really into feeding the animals, she loved watching them, and she had a blast riding the pony and eating pizza and cake. We have another birthday party this weekend, and I know that Abby is looking forward to another fun party!

Trying very hard to see what's in the pond beyond these bars...


My two loves!


Riding the train with her friend, Tommy.


"Fishies, mommy! I see fishies!"


Abby liked the zebras.


The camels were okay, but she wasn't as impressed...


Abby's very first pony ride! She wanted to wait for Dakota, who was the smaller of the two horses. She was very brave, and while mommy did walk a few steps to the side, just in case, Abby did great! In fact, she was telling anyone who would listen that she rode Dakota!


Climbing on the hippo at the big playground.


Pizza... Yum...


Petting the bunnies, Marshmallow and Fudge.


Mmmm!! Cake!!

One Year Anniversary

I couldn't believe it. After we got home from Abigail's doctor's appointment, I looked at the calendar. March 23rd. Lots of things were written on the calendar today. Our niece, Lauren, celebrated her 6th birthday. Our friends Ryan and Judy celebrated their wedding anniversary. Carey had a work function that required him to stay late at work. Abigail started daycare one year ago. WHAT?!?! My little munchkin has been in daycare for one full year. Wow.

When I wrote this post one year ago, I couldn't imagine that things would get any easier. I still have days that are hard, and I hope to eventually be able to stay home with Abigail. But, she loves going to Tutor Time. She has friends that she "talks" about on our way home, and she loves to "tell me" what she had for lunch and what books she read with Miss Samantha. Now that the weather is getting warmer, she's able to play on the playground pretty much every day - let me tell you, my little munchkin loves the swings! :-)

There are still some days that it is very tough to drop her off, but most days are like this morning. She was sitting with her friends and Miss Dolores, having milk and Cheerios, and as I left the room, she smiled a huge Abby smile at me, blew me a big, wet kiss, and said "Bye bye ma-ma!" My heart was melting as I drove away, and I had a smile on my face.

Snow Day!

A big storm is currently hitting the New York City area. We're not getting it as bad as some parts of the East Coast - the folks in central New Jersey are getting hit again, not 4 days after they got pounded this past weekend. But, we're expecting blizzard conditions this afternoon/evening and Abby's daycare is closed today, so Carey and I are both working from home.

The snow was just starting to fall when I snapped this photo at 11:50 pm on Tuesday night.

So far, things aren't too bad on Long Island. We have about three inches of snow so far, but it is the heavy, wet snow. (I'm thankful that Carey volunteered to go out to shovel the driveway!) The wind is blowing, knocking snow off the trees and just making it pretty nasty outside. I'm glad that we're spending the day at home, safely ensconced in our nice warm home. (Which is currently, by the way, filled with Abby's laughter as she knocks on the front window to get Carey's attention in the driveway. So cute!)

The view from our front window this morning at 8:30 am

Carey shoveling and salting the driveway. (Abby and I made him hot chocolate when he back back inside!)

I do have some work to do, including cancelling some of our scheduled courses, participating in a telecourse at 12:15 pm, and working on course evaluations. But, I also get to spend the day with my hubby and my munchkin. :-)

Abby mooching from daddy (mooching = begging for food). Abby really wanted some of daddy's oatmeal. :-)

The Heartbreak of Raising an Independent Child

I had a rough morning. I actually cried in my car after I dropped Abby off at daycare. I had a hard time pulling out of the parking lot.

Do you want to know why Monday morning saw me crying like, well, a baby? My little girl is growing up. Yep, something as simple (and inevitable) as that.

Abby is currently in a bit of a mommy phase. She likes being around me. She likes it when we play together. And, unfortunately for my back, my 23+ pound daughter likes to be held by her mommy. All the time. When my back is hurting and I feel like I can't get anything done without having a munchkin attached to my hip, I remind myself that she will eventually grow out of her "mommy phase" and won't want to be held by me anymore. That makes me hug her just a bit tighter and realize that I can get done whatever needs doing later on.

This morning, after a quick trip to the doctor's office, I dropped Abby off at daycare. When we arrived (about an hour later than normal), the Blueberries were having story time. I set Abby down, took off her coat, and urged her to join her friends. She smiled at me, ran over, and immediately started crawling on the foam mats with her friends, stopping occasionally to look at the pictures in the book that was being read by one of her teachers. I hung up Abby's coat, unpacked Abby's diaper bag, and took a few minutes to speak with her other teacher. Before leaving, I walked over to the circle, kissed Abigail, and told her that I hoped she had a great day with her friends. She smiled at me and then started laughing with Derrick. (I assume it was an inside joke...) I wished the teachers a great day and walked toward the door. At the door, I stopped, turned around, and saw Abby looking at me. I blew her a kiss and told her that I loved her. At this point, I was honestly ready for a crying fit. But, Abby looked at me with a huge smile on her face, waved, blew me a kiss, and then continued to crawl all over the mats with Derrick.

Is it wrong of me to want my kid to cry when I leave? Is it wrong of me to want my little girl to be sad that her mommy has to leave for work? As I cried on my way to the train station, I realized that the answer is yes and no. It's not wrong to want to know that my little girl loves me. But, she knows that mommy and daddy would not leave her with someone whom we didn't trust completely. She knows that we are leaving her at a place where she will be safe and will have fun and will enjoy new experiences. So, while I am slightly sad to know that Abby does not melt down every time I leave the room, I am glad to know that Abby doesn't melt down every time I leave the room. She is learning to be independent and to interact with little kiddies and other adults besides mommy and daddy.

So, I was sad. I didn't really want to see Abby upset, but a small part of me equated an Abby meltdown with Abby love. Which it's not. Just because Abby didn't cry when I left her today doesn't mean that she doesn't love me. It just means that she is growing up and enjoys playing with her friends and teachers. Plus, the small voice in the back of my mind reminded me that I am her mommy and she always has a hug and a smile for me. So, play on, little Abigail. Have a great day at Tutor Time today. Play with your friends and eat your yummy lunch and take a refreshing nap. And know that while you do all these things, mommy is sitting at her computer, loving you so much that her tears have been replaced by a smile.

Happy Halloween!

It was a very busy, but very fun, weekend in the Ng household. The weekend started off a bit early - Abby had a Halloween Parade at daycare on Friday, so I took the day off. After letting Abby sleep in, I took her over to Tutor Time and returned home to finish up some housework and wait for the furnace repair guy to come over. (Just routine maintenance, but we wanted to get it done before it started getting really cold!) Carey came home from work early and we went over to watch the parade. Oh. My. Goodness. I have never seen so much cuteness condensed into one area before!

On Saturday, Carey and Abby went to Tot Music in the morning, and then Abby went down for a nap right around 1:30 pm. As soon as she woke up, she ate and then we got ready for our family Christmas photos. (I know, right? But, it's less than 8 weeks until Christmas. Crazy, huh?) We got home, gave Abby dinner, and then went to a Halloween party.

Sunday was a bit of a lazy day for us because Abby's sleep schedule was off. Don't know if it was the end of daylight savings time, all the Halloween excitement, or just the fact that she wanted to spend more time with her mommy and daddy. But, little munchkin woke up around 11:00 pm on Saturday and we couldn't get her back down until almost 1:30 am. She wasn't sick - she just wanted to play. Needless to say, mommy and daddy did not want to play... So, aside from church and a quick run to pick up some diapers, we hung around the house and went to Bart & Melissa's for dinner.

Okay, not to be redundant, but is this the cutest little ducky or what???

Thanks to Aunt Anne and Uncle Jon, who gave Abby this adorable ducky costume! :-)

Abby is on the Mend...

Well, it sounds like it was a rough weekend in the Ng household. But, it was actually a very "not rough" weekend in our house. Weird, huh?

On Friday afternoon, Carey received a call from Tutor Time that Abby had woken up from her nap with some green "gunk" in the corners of her eyes. She was otherwise unbothered, playing, eating, and laughing just like always. And since the gunk wasn't returning, Tutor Time said there was not an immediate need for us to pick her up. Just in case, Carey called the pediatrician's office and made an appointment for Abby on Saturday morning. Well, as I sat on my 4:31 pm train home, I was poked in the arm by someone, only to find my handsome husband looking at me. The nice lady sitting next to me kindly moved to let Carey and I sit together, and he then informed my that Tutor Time called to let him know that Abby was running a fever of 100 degrees. :-(

We arrived at daycare, and our poor little munchkin was sitting at the front desk with Miss Jenn, one of her favorite ladies at Tutor Time. Abby was pretty lethargic, just sitting with Jenn, not really eating. She perked up a little bit in my arms, but she also felt pretty warm. When we got home, Carey and I took her temp again and found it had gone up to 101.4. After a call in to the after-hours doctor, it was agreed that we'd give Abby some Motrin, watch her to make sure her symptoms did not get worse, and then take her in for her scheduled appointment the next morning. Aside from the fact that she stayed up way too late on Friday night (she didn't go to bed until almost midnight!), Abby slept well and woke up smiling. With mildly crusty eyes, but smiling nonetheless.

Dr. Cohen did a thorough exam of Abby and was able to rule our croup and ear infections right off the bat. (Thank God! These are illnesses that Abby struggled with last winter, and I was worried to think that she was possibly dealing with them already.) Our poor little munchkin did have a mild sinus infection that had migrated to her eyes, causing conjunctivitis. (For all you novices, that's "fancy doctor speak" for pink eye.) It was strange, because other than some green eye gunk after waking up, Abby didn't really show any signs of pink eye. But, when Dr. Cohen looked inside her eyelids, he said that she definitely had it, so I'm thankful that we caught it before it got too serious. (As you may or may not know, I got pink eye about 2.5 years ago, and it was not fun. As an adult, it was hard not to rub my eyes because they itched so badly - I could only imagine how difficult it would be to get a 14 month old to keep her hands away from her eyes!)

Abby had a good weekend, eating, sleeping, and playing much like she always does. And we have been waking up with progressively less eye gunk each day, so I hope this means that she is on the mend!

Daycare Update: Abby is a Blueberry!

Yesterday was Abigail's first full day in the Blueberry Room. (She's now considered a toddler - yikes!) Last week, Abby was "transitioned" from the Strawberry Room to the Blueberry Room, spending some time in both rooms, being introduced to the new teachers slowly, and having time to get used to her new surroundings. Monday marked Abby's first complete day as a Blueberry.

Thankfully, the transition seems to be going very smoothly. The other kiddos in the Blueberry Room are kiddos that Abby has played with at various points when she was a Shrimp and then a Strawberry. Most notably, Abby and her best friend, "dimples Derrick", are now back together, and it's as if they were never apart!

Some big changes that came along with this switch:

• Abby is now on a schedule. In the infant room, the babies were fed on demand, able to sleep on demand, etc. Now, breakfast is served at 8:00 am, lunch is served at 11:00 am, nap time is from 12 noon - 2:15, and afternoon snack is at 2:30 pm. Obviously, they aren't starving our child, and we supply supplemental foods that she can eat if she's hungry and it's not a meal time. However, the schedule that they have set up seems to be working really well for Abby.
• Abby no longer naps in a crib. (I know - this shocked me, too!) Toddlers take naps on cots - basically a small mat that is taken out for nap times and stored away at all other times. This allows more room for toys and activities in the classroom. I was worried when I found out that Abby wouldn't be in a crib, but she has been doing great. In fact, she's napping longer than she was towards the end of her time in the infant room. I think that, because the lights are turned down and all the other kids are down for naps at the same time, Abby doesn't feel like she's missing anything. For example, yesterday's nap was almost 2.5 hours, compared to 45-60 minutes in the Strawberry Room. It's definitely noticeable - Abby is in a great mood when I pick her up, and she's not crabby when we're home at night.
• The toddlers also go outside to play on the playground. (Which might help explain those longer naps!) Tutor Time has playground space behind their facility, and this space is divided up by age group, that way little kids aren't trampled by bigger kids. Well, on days when the weather is nice, the Blueberries go out to play and Abby absolutely loves it. She will just run around, exploring and chasing the other kiddos.

So, in a nutshell, Abby is doing great. And, in honor of her first day as a Blueberry, we dressed Abby in, what else, BLUE! :-)

Exhausted

We picked up Abby from daycare on Friday, and the poor little munchkin was just exhausted. She fell asleep on the way home (a less than 5 minute car ride) and she didn't even wake up after Carey got her out of the car...



Sometimes it's just exhausting to be this cute...

A Cute Story from Tutor Time

I have to work "the late shift" at work on Wednesdays (10 - 6), so Carey picks Abby up from daycare every Wednesday. I got home around 7:45 last night, and my little munchkin was already asleep! (Glad she is sleeping better these days, sad she was already asleep so I couldn't play with her...)

Carey proceeded to tell me a "funny daycare story." I braced myself, because sometimes Carey's definition of funny and my definition of funny are not always the same. (Carey's funny is sometimes my mortifying...) I think that I've mentioned Derrick, one of Abby's little friends at Tutor Time. Well, to borrow a phrase from Forrest Gump, Abby and Derrick are like peas and carrots. They always play together, one won't nap if the other is awake, and if one is upset/crying, the other is always right there, either trying to comfort or crying, too. (In fact, two weeks ago, Derrick's family went on vacation, so he was out of daycare for a full week. When I saw his mom after their return, she said that they visited Derrick's grandparents, and when Derrick's mom mentioned Abby's name, Derrick started looking all around his grandparents' house, like he expected to find Abby there! So cute!)

When Carey went to pick up Abby yesterday, he noticed that she wasn't wearing the same outfit that she'd left the house in that morning. (Okay, maybe he didn't notice. Maybe Miss Alita pointed it out to him. I just don't want to make him look bad on the blog...) Alita explained that, during the course of the afternoon, Derrick somehow manged to get the top off his sippy cup, and he and Abby proceeded to have a water fight. That's right: my little munchkin got into her very first water fight at daycare yesterday. According to Alita, the kids had a blast - it was a "good-natured" water fight.

What surprised me was that Alita said they've never seen kids of this age (Derrick is about 3 weeks older than Abby) play so well together. Oftentimes, kids will play pretty well with whatever other kids are around, but Abby and Derrick seek each other out and are always finding new games to play and new ways to interact with each other.

So, yesterday was another of those moments when I felt "not so bad" about having Abby in daycare. I miss her, oh boy, do I miss her during the day. (And I absolutely hate it when I'm not there to help put her to bed...) But, I love that she is social and is learning to play with other kids (yes, she does play with other kids besides Derrick) and is using her imagination when she plays. I love to watch her relationships with the other children in the Strawberry Room grow and develop as she reaches new milestones. (Let me tell you, when Abby started crawling, she became a little social butterfly!) I am constantly amazed by Abigail, and yesterday was no exception!

Follow-Up: Abby woke up a bit earlier than normal this morning since she went to bed a bit earlier than normal last night. So, I was able to get in some cuddles and kisses before I left for work. What a great way to start my day!! :-)

Daycare Update: Abby is a Strawberry!

I realized that I hadn't posted an update on daycare in quite a while. I'm happy to say that Abby is doing great at Tutor Time! We had our very first parent-teacher conference in May, and Miss Natalie told us that Abby is doing really, really well. She is reaching her developmental milestones: pulling toys toward her/pushing toys away from her; perfecting her pincer grasp; responds to her name; smiles when she is spoken to; watches the other children; plays well with other children and by herself. Since this conference, she has developed so much more! She's now able to feed herself finger foods, she pulls herself to a standing position using furniture for support, she is starting to cruise, she is able to crawl over items (like toys or pillows) that are on the floor, and (my favorite) she gives me kisses! She'll turn her face toward my face, open up her mouth, and just lean in to give me a big, wet, open-mouthed kiss. So precious!! She still doesn't really give daddy many kisses. But, I think that can be explained by two factors: 1) mommy asks for kisses all the time, so Abby knows that mommy expects lots of kisses, and 2) daddy sometimes has a scratchy face at the end of the day, and I think Abby doesn't like stubble!

The one concern that Miss Natalie had is that Abby didn't really seem to have any fear of strangers. When different teachers would come into the Shrimp Room to give the regular teachers a break, Abby had no hesitation or anxiety. Miss Natalie said that this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Some babies are just more social, or some reach the fear of strangers at a different point. I think Miss Natalie just wanted to make us aware of Abby's social personality so we can be watchful and vigilant as she grows up. Since the conference, we have noticed that Abby shows some hesitation when surrounded by unfamiliar people. For instance, this past weekend, when Carey's entire family came to our house to celebrate Father's Day, Abby was always looking to see where Carey and I were, and it took her a while to "warm up" to the relatives that she hadn't seen in some time. So, I think we may be seeing the beginnings of the fear of strangers...

Finally, the latest daycare development: Abby is a Strawberry (or will be very soon!). As of the summer, Tutor Time is renaming all of their rooms. (Right now, the rooms have ocean animal themes, with Shrimps, Angelfish, etc. as the classroom names.) The classrooms will now be named after fruits, and Abby will be moving up to the Strawberry Room! This room is actually connected to her current room and separated by a baby gate. So, Abby has actually spent time in that room, with those teachers, already, but she will be making the move official come next week. Starting on Monday, she will be spending more time in the Strawberry Room as she adjusts to the new children, new teachers, and new surroundings. Miss Natalie and Miss Aleeta have both said that Abby has been doing really well during the times she has been in the Strawberry Room, so they said we have nothing to be worried about. An added bonus is that several other babies from the "Shrimp" Room are moving into the Strawberry Room at the same time, so Abby will have some of her friends with her as she makes the change. We're excited that Abby is moving on up, and we're very proud of our little girl!

So, that's Tutor Time in a nutshell. Abby has been doing well, and every day when I go to pick her up, I have some surprise waiting for me in her cubby, whether it's a "gram" (a record of Abby's day) that says that she was crawling all over the room today or enjoyed watching the cars drive by in the afternoon, or a piece of artwork made with little hand prints or footprints. The pictures of Abby that decorate the room show her with huge smiles, and that makes Abby's mommy smile, too!

Abby in our living room, standing up and playing with her toy. She's such a big girl now!!

School Pictures

That's right, folks! Abby had her first "school picture" taken at daycare at the beginning of the month. We picked them up last week, and I wanted to share it with you.

(Sorry for the quality. My co-worker who usually helps me scan stuff for the blog is on vacation this week, so this is a picture of the picture...)

The ladies at Tutor Time said that Abby was the best at picture time. While the other kids fussed, cried, or wouldn't sit still, they sat Abby down, got her attention, she smiled, and they took the picture. On the first try! The ladies asked if we take pictures of Abby. I said that we might have taken a few. A few hundred, that is. Well, if your kid was this cute, wouldn't you take lots of pictures, too??? :-P

Daycare Update

A few people have asked, so I wanted to update you on the daycare situation. Happily, Abby is doing great! She loves playing with other kids (as evidenced by the pictures we have of Abby with her cousins), and the walls of the Shrimp Room at Tutor Time now include some of the artwork done by our little munchkin! (That's right, Abby is a budding artist!) There are cute little flowers that were finger-painted by Abby, an umbrella with painted raindrops (representing April showers), and even an Easter egg with our little munchkin's picture on it! Abby is a champ eater at daycare (all the ladies there say that they never have a problem getting Abby to finish her meals!), and she's doing better in the nap department. She still doesn't take long naps, but she takes a nap in the morning and another in the afternoon, plus she sleeps really well at night. Overall, I think that Abigail has adjusted very well to daycare, and I know that the ladies who work in the Shrimp Room take great care of my little shrimp! (Everyone at Tutor Time knows Abby's name, and she always has a smile for them when I drop her off or pick her up. My smiley little girl!)

I have to share a beautiful story that Aleeta, one of the Shrimp Room ladies, told me when I picked up Abby on Monday. Aleeta said that Abby was hanging out with some of the kids in the Crab Room. (This is the next room up from the Shrimp Room. Once Abby starts crawling, she'll be moved over to that room, so the ladies are taking the opportunity, while Abby is awake, to slowly introduce her to the new room (which is actually connected to the Shrimp Room but separated by a baby gate) and give her the chance to play with the older kids.) Well, Abby was starting to get a bit fussy. One of the little boys in the Crab Room, Sean, who is around 10 months old, saw that Abby was starting to fuss. He crawled over to her, patted her hand, and laid his head on her shoulder. After a moment of shocked surprise, Abby laid her head on top of Sean's head, and they both sat there, babbling to each other for almost twenty minutes. Then, Sean lifted his head and started getting the attention of the ladies in the Crab Room, almost like he was saying, "Hey! Come check on Abby to make sure she's okay!" Aleeta said that it was the cutest thing! They were actually calling the ladies from the other rooms at Tutor Time to come see it because it was so adorable!! I just think it's amazing that a child so young can feel empathy for another baby and find a way to soothe her. I've been a mother for almost 8 months now, and still, children never cease to amaze me. God creates such loving hearts in little babies, and the ways they show that love are touching.

Runny Noses and Swollen Gums...

It was a tough day at the Ng house yesterday. Yesterday was my day to drop Abby off at daycare. She got up at her normal time (just before 7:00 am) and drank her entire bottle. While I was getting her dressed and washing her face, I noticed that she sounded a bit stuffy. After she was dressed, she was playing in the living room until it was time to head over to daycare. She started coughing, and I noticed her nose was a bit runny. Since last week was Abby's first week at daycare, I was worried that she might have caught something. Our pediatrician has walk-in hours every morning, so I called into work to let them know that I wouldn't be in, called Tutor Time to let them know that I was keeping Abby home, and packed up Abby to take her over to the doctor's office.

When we arrived, we were taken into an exam room right away. The nurse checked Abby's temperature (99.1 degrees - just fine) and asked a few questions. When the doctor came in, he checked Abby's ears (a big worry of mine after our double middle ear infection experience in January), but Dr. Caravella said that her little ears looked fine and when he checked her chest, he said she was all clear. He opened her mouth to check her throat, and after a quick look at her gums, he said that those little teeth would probably be coming in very soon. So, while the incoming teeth may or may not be causing Abby's symptoms, they are probably making her more uncomfortable. Dr. Caravella said that she might have a mild head cold and told me to use saline drops and a nasal aspirator 4-6 times a day and make sure that Abby sleeps in a room with a humidifier (which she does).

So, my little munchkin and I spent the day together yesterday. I did notice that she seemed to have a hard time staying in any one place for very long and wanted to be held a lot yesterday. But, she never ran a fever and she was eating and napping like a champ. When she woke up this morning, her nose was still a bit stuffy, but her coughs were infrequent and not nearly as bad as yesterday. So, we're going to keep using the saline drops and the humidifier, and the chilled teething rings and Baby Orajel will be ready to use as needed.

Maybe soon I'll have some pictures of Abby's little pearly whites, but for now, enjoy some recent pictures of my little angel!

Mmm. I love pears and barley! :-)

Look at that cute little hippo! Oh wait, that's my cute little Abby! :-)

A great weekend!!

All smiles for Grandpa! :-)

I have to say, I walked into work with a smile on my face this morning because I had such a great weekend! The greatness of this past weekend is due to the fact that my dad came for a visit! Hooray! I was so glad to see him, and I'm so happy that he got to spend time with Abby. (Abigail loves her Grandpa Al!!)

I don't want to put everything into today's post (because then what would I have to write about the rest of the week?!). But, I definitely do want to thank my dad for everything he did for us this weekend. This homeowner business can be a bit overwhelming at times, and my dad is such a pro with everything around the house and is so willing to help us when he visits. I don't know where we'd be without him. :-)

The two big projects that my dad worked on this weekend were putting a ceiling fan in Abigail's room and installing an interior door to our laundry room. (Note: I say these are big projects. My dad thought they were pretty easy!) Dad arrived around noon on Thursday, and by the time I got home at 5:30, the fan was installed in Abby's room. I took the day off on Friday, and after dropping Abby off at daycare**, Dad and I went shopping for all the materials needed to install the interior door downstairs. I should probably explain that our house was set up as a mother/daughter, with the upstairs and downstairs as two separate apartments. Carey and I wanted the space, so we're doing some small renovations to make the downstairs feel less like an apartment and more like an extension of our house. Because the former residents in the top and bottom apartments both needed to use the laundry room, there is a door at the back of the house to access the washer and dryer. Well, I didn't like the idea of having to go outside at my own house to do laundry, plus the external door to the laundry room was letting all sorts of heat escape and wasn't very sturdy, presenting a security hazard.

Habitat for Humanity has a ReStore in Ronkonkoma, about 25 minutes from our house. All the items in the ReStore are donated, and all proceeds benefit Habitat. So, while there's no guarantee that the ReStore will have what you need, if they do have what you're looking for, you'll get a great deal! Luckily for us, they had a pre-hung interior door for less than half of what we'd pay anywhere else. So, we bought it, stopped by Home Depot for the rest of our supplies, and dad had the door installed before Carey got home from work on Friday! The door still needs to be painted, but I'm going to wait to do that until I paint the rest of the downstairs. Last night, Carey and I did our first loads of laundry at our house that didn't require us to go outside!

My dad putting a gigantic hole in our wall! (Luckily, he filled it in!
Pictures of the finished door to come soon!)

My dad was also generous enough to help us with some other small projects around the house. For example, he installed a new switch in the ceiling fan in the kitchen and he fixed the closet doors in the front guest room downstairs. (I watched him closely, so we'll have to see if I can fix the closet doors in the back guest bedroom downstairs!) All of the help that our dad is giving us is really helping to make our house seem like our home, and we are very grateful!

Of course, all work and no play makes for a very boring visit for dad. So, we spent time watching March Madness (yes, the love of basketball is hereditary!), and on Saturday night, Bart, Melissa, and the girls, as well as Carey's dad, came over for dinner. My dad made some of his famous chili (too spicy for me, but rave reviews from everyone else!), and Carey made his bacon-wrapped pork loin. And, of course, Abby got all sorts of cuddles from Grandpa. Who wouldn't love that?!?!


** You might be wondering why I put Abby into daycare on Friday if I had the day off. She was doing so well last week, and Natalie and Norma said that is was important to keep her on a schedule so that she is used to spending time with them and the other kiddies at Tutor Time. So, while I did go pick her up earlier than I normally would, she still spent the day at daycare. According to Norma, Abby had a great day on Friday. She ate like a champ and took two long naps while she was there. When I dropped her off on Friday morning, Natalie showed me some pictures that she'd take on Thursday of Abby. Abby was sitting in a Bumbo and then a Boppy, playing with a few of the other kiddies. (Given, at this stage, "playing with other kids" consists of sitting there and staring at each other, with the occasional smile and/or squeal.) But, I could see it on her face that she was having a good time. (I could also see that she was flashing her dimples at a little boy named Derrick, but I'll worry about that later...) So, while it's still hard to leave her at daycare (and probably always will be to a certain extent), I can see that she is being well-cared for and stimulated while Carey and I are at work.

Water Play Mat

For Christmas, Abby received a water play mat from Uncle Jon, Aunt Anne, and cousins Luke and Lauren. Basically, you fill it up with water, and then when your baby is on her belly and pokes at the mat, little fishies move around in the water. Even cuter, it's shaped like a duck!

Now that Abby is such a pro at tummy time and pushing herself up on her arms, we decided to give the water play mat a try this past weekend. At first, Abby didn't quite know what to think, but once she noticed the little fishies moving around, she really seemed to enjoy it!


Daycare Update - Day 3:
Abby had another good day at daycare yesterday. She ate well, slept pretty well (3 naps between 45 minutes to 1.5 hours each), and she played and smiled all day. Natalie said that the only times Abby really seems cranky are when she wants to eat or when she's due for a nap. Otherwise, she's a very smiley little girl. I'm hoping for another good day today. I'll be picking her up this afternoon, and I can't wait to see my little munchkin, so I can see that beautiful smile and hear that cute little laugh! :-)

Grammy Update:
My mom called last night and said that my grammy did great yesterday. The surgery lasted about 4 hours and then she was in post-op for about an hour and a half. But, my grammy is a strong lady, and the doctor said she is "amazing." (To which I responded, tell me something I don't know already!) Grammy will be in the hospital for observation, but the doctor said if all goes well, she could be going on Friday. Praise God for taking such good care of my grammy!

A Better Day 2

I picked up Abby from daycare yesterday, and Liz told me that Abby had a great day. How huge was the smile on my face?!?! Abby had eaten like a champ, played with the toys, and just hung out with and smiled at the other babies. (When I dropped Abby off this morning, Natalie said that munchkin loves sitting around and looking at the other babies. My social little girl!) The only times she was cranky were around nap times. Considering that she's probably still getting used to the crib and new sleeping environment at Tutor Time, I wasn't surprised. But, she was at least taking naps, so I'm happy.

Last night, however, was a complete surprise. When I arrived to pick up Abby at 5:30, she was working on a bottle. Liz said that Abby had eaten all her oatmeal and pears, but didn't seem too interested in her bottle. The bottle was still "good" (we have 60 minutes from when the bottle is warmed up for Abby to finish it), so Liz asked me if I wanted to try to give Abby the bottle. I sat down with my little munchkin and she drank the entire bottle. (I guess she just needed her mommy!) We were home by 6:00 pm, and we played in her exersaucer and on her play mats until about 7:30, when she started showing signs of being hungry again. After a quick diaper change, Abby tucked into a bottle at 7:45. She didn't finish it, but she drank about 80% of it. At this point, she was still a little cranky, so I thought she might need to go down for a nap. (She'll usually take a 20-minute cat nap sometime between 8:00 and 9:00.) So, I put her in her crib and she was out like a light by 8:10. I start cleaning up the house, grabbed a quick bite for dinner, and was ironing some more name labels on Abby's clothes for daycare. Before I realized it, it was 9:30 and Carey was home. Abby was still asleep, so Carey finished up with the cleaning and I went downstairs to paint the front bedroom. (I'm still trying to finish up the edging...) Carey came down at 11:30 to tell me that he was going to bed and that Abby was still asleep. I thought for sure she'd wake up in the middle of the night, hungry and off-schedule. Well, color me surprised when she didn't wake up until 6:30 am this morning! That child slept for 10.5 hours last night! Not only that, she went to bed so early!! Normally, Abigail wouldn't go to sleep until 11:30 pm, sometimes later. (She takes after her daddy!) But, I guess she was just pooped out from all the fun she's having at daycare. :-)

So, I'm hoping for another good day today. I have to work until 6:00 pm, so I have the "late shift" today. Carey went into work early, I dropped off Abby at Tutor Time at 8:00 am, and Carey will be there to pick her up at 5:30 pm. It's a long day for Abby, but right now, it can't be helped. If Carey and I both have to continue working in the future, one of us will hopefully be able to find a job on Long Island, so we both won't have to commute into NYC. Unfortunately, now is not a great time to be looking for a job. So, we're doing the best we can and are thankful to have wonderful family who have volunteered to help out whenever we need the help.

Also, I would like to ask for your prayers. My Grammy Kowalczyk is in the hospital for surgery today. She has had surgery twice before to correct this problem, and it has, unfortunately, returned. The doctor will be using a different procedure today, which will hopefully be more successful. However, the procedure is also more invasive, so there is additional risk of infection. Please keep my Grammy in your thoughts and prayers today.

My Grammy with all her granddaughters at my baby shower last July
(isn't she so cute and little?!)
l to r: me (and Abby!), Mary, Stephanie, Grammy, Emily, Laura, and Kate

Update on Day 1 at Tutor Time

It was a rough day yesterday. For Abby and mommy. (Daddy seemed to be okay, but sometimes he's tough and doesn't let on that he's upset...) Abby did pretty well at daycare yesterday. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, Natalie called me mid-morning to let me know how Abby was doing and to reconfirm her feeding schedule. When I stopped by at lunchtime, my poor little munchkin was crying. Apparently, her morning nap was very short. At home, this is usually her longest nap of the day (1.5 - 2 hours), so the fact that she only slept 20 minutes in the morning put her off schedule. (Funny enough, Natalie said that when she woke up from her morning catnap, she was fine. It wasn't until closer to 11 am that she started to get really upset.)

I stood at the window of the classroom, just crying. It was so hard to see my baby crying and not run inside to pick her up. But, I saw Jennifer hugging and soothing Abby, and then Norma took her and walked around with her. Before I knew it, Abby had fallen asleep in Norma's arms. I stood there and watched as Norma settled Abby into her crib, and then Abby took a nice long nap (over an hour). When I went to pick her up at 4:45, Jennifer said that after Abby woke up from that lunchtime nap, she was great. She played and laughed with the other babies, ate like a champ, and even took another hour-long nap in the afternoon. So, after a bit of a bumpy morning, Abby had a great afternoon.

Natalie told me that it will take Abby a few days to get used to daycare. The crib is new, the lights and sounds are new, the toys and other babies are new, and the daycare providers are new. It is also an adjustment for Natalie, Norma, and Jennifer; they will get used to Abby's cues and then it will allow them to give her better care. (Luckily, at Tutor Time, babies who are in the Shrimp Room are not put on a schedule. The caregivers watch for Abby's cues and allow her to eat, sleep, and play on demand, instead of trying to force her onto their schedule. Once Abby is older, her time will be a bit more structured, but for now, I'm glad that she's getting what she needs when she needs it.)

I can't thank everyone enough for the prayers, emails, and telephone calls that I've received over the past few days. My heart has been hurting for days as we prepared to leave Abby at daycare for the first time, and it was all I could do to walk out of Tutor Time yesterday and get into my car. (That's why I didn't go into the room to pick up Abby when she was crying at lunchtime. Natalie said that I could go in and hold her if it would make me feel better, but I knew if I picked her up that I'd walk right out the door with her!) But, when I picked her up in the afternoon, she was sitting on the floor with Jennifer, and she was smiling and happy. So, while I know that it will take some adjustment on everyone's part, I feel good about our decision to enroll Abby at Tutor Time. (Or, at least as good as I can feel about putting my munchkin in daycare. If Carey and I win the lottery, Abby will be back in the best care: her mommy and daddy's!) It was also comforting that, when I was standing outside looking into the Shrimp Room, everyone who walked by me stopped to see if I was okay and offer words of encouragement and kindness. Other parents who were dropping off their children were hugging me and offering advice and comfort. (I must have looked a mess since everyone who saw me offered me tissues!)

Carey just texted me a picture of Abby at daycare this morning. She's sitting in a Bumbo and playing with an activity center. She's happy and cute; so while my heart is still sore, it doesn't hurt quite so bad, knowing that Abby is well-cared for and having fun during the day.

I'm having a nervous breakdown...

The day that I thought would never arrive is finally here: Abby's first day of daycare. I remember, before she was born, Carey and I planning out our paid leave from work, and the idea that Abby wouldn't have to go to daycare until she was six months old just seemed like it was so far away! Now that it's arrived, I have to admit that I'm just walking around a bit numb today.

Carey and I dropped Abby off at Tutor Time this morning around 7:45 am. Carey had to catch his train, but I stuck around to speak with Miss Natalie and Miss Norma, who will be caring for Abby in the Shrimp Room. They are both wonderful women, and I can tell, just from the 45 minutes I spent with them this morning watching them interact with all the little ones as they arrived, that they are kind, caring women who love children.** (Natalie was also prepared with tissues when I started crying, so she's good with new moms, too!) Abby was sitting in a Bumbo playing with a Sesame Street activity center when I left. Natalie called around 10 am to let me know that Abby had a good morning playing with the other kids and went down for a nap around 9:30 am. I'll be heading over to check on Abby in a few minutes, but it was so wonderful that Natalie called me, especially knowing how upset I was when I left Abby there this morning.

I'm just trying to remember the words of wisdom that Bart and Melissa have told me time and again: it is harder for a parent to drop of their child than it is for the child to be dropped off. While I cried the whole way home, Abby was having a great time playing with the other children. She's going to meet other babies her age and she'll have the opportunity to explore new things.

Please, keep little Abby (and her mommy and daddy) in your prayers as we all adjust to this new experience called "daycare"!

** Note: I was there for 45 minutes this morning, but Carey and I were exhaustive (if not neurotic) in our research into Abby's daycare. Once we chose Tutor Time, we spent a good deal of time there, meeting the people who will be caring for Abby, checking out their facilities, and giving Abby time to get comfortable with her new hang-out. I probably would have spent the entire day there, if I could, but I knew I needed to leave to give Abby a chance to explore things on her own.