More About Shoes

Since my last post I've been on a roller coaster.  Two days after getting those darn shoes on her feet in 30 seconds, I spent 20 minutes one morning trying to get her shoe on that left foot.  I cried all day, convinced that her feet are just a mess.  (It didn't help that things have been a little stressful at work...)

When I picked her up from Steve's aunt that day, she had managed to get the shoes on, but said the left one had been a little bit of a struggle.  I was just beside myself again.

At daycare the next day I told Evelyn's teacher what had happened at the shoe store, and asked her to watch her walk for me a little today to see if she noticed anything.  She didn't even have to think about it, she said that she had just noticed a little turn in the week before.  She was also very reassuring in that it's not uncommon, it generally corrects itself.  Ugh.  Another day spent on the verge of tears.

Steve and I spent days watching Evelyn's walking and came to the conclusion that her foot is definitely turned in.  He did what he always does with any kind of ailment, and WebMD-ed it.  I did what I always do...call my mom.  Steve's research reinforced what Evelyn's teacher said, that the turned in feet are very common in infants/toddlers, and it often corrects itself.  My mom was reassuring, too, but reminded me of my awesome insurance, and said if I was really upset about it, call the doctor and take her in if they want to see her.  I've calmed down a little, and haven't made the phone call yet.  I may wait for her 15 month appointment.

Since last week, some days I can get her shoes on no sweat, others are a little harder.  If I struggle, I put them aside for a while and try again later.  I've discovered a few things.  The socks make a difference.  They need to be very fitted.  Often the day after she's worn them for a while, it is harder to get them on (is it possible her feet swell??).

To finish off, Steve and I took Evelyn into DSW last weekend because we needed to look for some shoes ourselves.  Evelyn acted like she's been shopping for shoes for years.

She knew exactly what section to go for!

And loved checking herself out in the mirror!

New Shoes

Something happened yesterday that I am having a hard time getting over.  My little walker is in need of actual walking shoes.  So, after our play date at the mall playground with Evelyn's BFF, we rolled on over to Stride Rite.

I wasn't too keen on going to this Stride Rite because I had been there once before and ended up with a pair of shoes I couldn't even get Evelyn's foot into, even after watching the woman "try" them on her and pointing out to her that her foot didn't seem to be sitting totally flat in the shoe.  She assured me that it was just the way the boot appeared, that her foot was in them fine, etc, etc.  Needless to say, I had to take that pair back.

So, I wasn't too happy when I walked in and the only person there working was the same woman who sold me the shoes that didn't fit my kid.  (I guess I could have refused to buy the shoes when I didn't think they fit, but that's beside the point.  The point is that I had already predetermined that I didn't like this sales lady.)

We started looking at the walking shoes, she sized Evelyn, and I picked out a pair to try on.  As the woman was trying to get the shoes on Evelyn's feet, it seemed to me to take way longer than was necessary to put shoes on a one year old, especially a one year old who was actually sitting relatively still for a few minutes.  It was when she was trying to get the second shoe on that things really went downhill for me.  She got the shoe on and then turned to me and said, "Just so you know, her left foot is turned in quite a bit.  You should really mention it to the pediatrician.  I'm sure it's fine and will straighten itself out, but you should still let them know."  And I just didn't even know what to do, what to say, what to think.  There was a big part of me that just wanted to leave, but I didn't even know how to go about getting the shoes off Evelyn's feet and back in the box with some kind of plausible excuse for why I didn't need them anymore.

So I tried to come up with something.  "Is it normal for it to take that long to put the shoes on?  If they fit shouldn't they go on a little easier?"

"Well, she's not used to shoes, so she is tensing up her feet and curling her toes, plus it doesn't help that the one is turned in.  That can make it harder to get shoes on."

THERE IT WAS AGAIN!  Oh my gosh.  What is wrong with her feet?  So in my new state of heightened anxiety, I rushed to pay for the shoes (which took a ridiculously long time because the computer froze and I had to make small talk with this woman who I was really angry with).  I couldn't even really enjoy the hysterical way Evelyn was doing high knee steps around the store with her new shoes on.  She wanted to walk everywhere in her new shoes, it was pretty adorable.  She wore them to Kohl's today and had a ball stomping around the whole store waving to each new person she found.

Unfortunately for me, since yesterday I have been watching her feet like a crazed person.  I am now convinced that a woman with no medical degree whatsoever has diagnosed my child with some kind of foot deformity.  I'm really trying to let it go, especially after it took me about 2 seconds to get the shoes on her feet today.  Tense, turned in feet my...foot.

2014

I've been experiencing writer's block.  I have sat down to write a few times with ideas in my head but nothing ends up coming out.  I've also been contemplating switching my blog over to a different website, so I've kind of been holding off on posting so I have less to transfer if I make the move.  I was so focused on the computer last night Steve even asked me if I was posting.  (I was working on Evelyn's first year photobook.)

I think the reason I have been struggling to post is because for some reason I feel like I need to post about the new year and how it relates to being a parent and post all of my great resolutions for how to be a better parent, blah, blah, blah.  There is no real reason for me to think this way other than it popped in my head and now won't leave.

Here's what I have to say about New Year's Resolutions...I think they are dumb.  Total personal opinion.  I 100% support anyone who makes a resolution, if there is a way I can help you, I will.  I just feel like the whole resolution thing just makes me realize all of the things I am supposed to be doing anyway to be a better person.  I get overwhelmed trying to decide what to focus on and I undoubtedly get mad at myself when I fail to keep my resolution 2 weeks into the new year.  Perhaps I just don't have the will power needed to succeed when it comes to a resolution.

I have come to a decision, though, in light of the beginning of 2014.  2013 was really the year of Evelyn.  I was (am still) learning how to be a parent, then I was (am still) learning how to be a parent who works.  It was a great year being her mom.  But something dawned on me the other day as I was whining to my mom and sister about how I didn't want to buy anything at the fabric store because I don't have time for sewing.  I have entered the stage of parenting where I need to put my needs on the same level as her needs.  I think every new parents go through this, but I am starting to realize that the only thing really getting in my way these days is me.  There is time in every day that I can spend on myself, I just have to manage that time better and know what I want to do with it.  I took out a sewing project yesterday and felt very accomplished.  I read every day over Christmas break, and it felt great.  I am going to get back into a workout schedule (having nothing to do with the new year...I just want to start working out again because I feel better when I do!).  I can still do that, and get done all of things I need to do, too, if I just remove the things I am doing that are unnecessary.  Like checking Facebook every 5 minutes.  It hasn't changed...and if it has, it will still be there later.

So I guess I just made a New Year's Resolution (ugh!).  I'm going to make 2014 the year of me, and to do that I need to become a better time manager.  And it's going to make me a better mom down the road.  And I guess I just accomplished what I thought I needed to do in my first post of 2014.  I wrote about New Year's resolutions, and how making one will make me a better parent in the long run.

Merry Christmas!

The other night Steve was down in the basement staining our new mailbox post.  I decided to go down and start putting together the little house-thing that we were giving Evelyn for Christmas.  I'm sure you've heard this story before from other parents.  It's the age-old story of putting together the Christmas presents.  I figured we could work together once he was done the mailbox.

I opened the box and was met with about 50 pieces, all wrapped in plastic.  I started pulling stuff out of the box, piece by piece, as Steve watched.  It was when I pulled out a sheet of stickers that Steve told me I was on my own.

Fifteen minutes later, I had the window box, ball-catching device assembled.  The directions didn't say so, but apparently the placement of that little, purple plate at the bottom is crucial to the correct building of the rest of the window.  It was at that moment that I decided it was time to start photographing this endeavour for use in a blog.

After building the window, these were the pieces I had left to deal with:

Twenty more minutes later, and I had the door built and was ready to attack the slide.  Oh, and the mailbox post was finished being stained.

As I started to gather the pieces and scan the directions for building the slide I read that I would be using the six remaining piece X.  I flipped the directions back over to the handy-dandy diagram of all of the different components to this project to learn that piece X were the larger screw.  I began to dig through the bag of screws, sorting out the large ones.  After sorting, I discovered something that annoyed me even more than the nagging thought at the back of my head that Evelyn was going to like the very large box more than the toy I was building her.  What I found after pulling out all of the large screws was that there was a grand total of 5 piece X.  

So the question became do I deal with only having 5 screws and build the slide, knowing full well that every time she plays on that slide I would have a little panic attack that the whole thing was going to fall apart and she would fall the 2 inches the slide is off the ground (it definitely looked bigger in the pictures online!)?  Or, do I go to Lowe's or something and try to get a screw the same size?  Ultimately I made a compromise, the next day I went to my Dad and asked him for a screw that was comparable.  He found me two possible matches, one of which allowed me to complete the slide.  

From that point on, it was pretty smooth sailing.  All on my own I managed to build the whole play-set, and I only ripped one sticker when it came time to put them on.  The finished product looked great under the tree.  And the look on Evelyn's face when she walked in on Christmas morning and the fun she has had climbing through the window (not go through the door or down the slide) of her play-set is so fun to watch!

  

The obligatory Christmas morning, top of the stairs photo!

It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To...

Last week our sweet girl turned one.

I can't believe that she has turned from this...

to this...

Between the stress of having close to 50 people at our house for her birthday party, worrying about the snowstorm that was supposed to happen right in the middle of the day, and the emotion of her turning one, I spent the whole weekend on the verge of tears.  This was the moment when I almost completely lost it:

I am amazed at how fast, and slow, the past year has gone.  On one hand I can absolutely not believe that she has been around for a whole year.  When I look at how much she has accomplished in 365 days I am in absolute shock.  From just being able to cry, eat, sleep, and poop to now being able to walk, climb, point, say uh-oh, and more, it is just unbelievable.  It just seems impossible that she could learn to do all of those things in just one short year.  On the other hand, when I think about how exhausting the past year has been I wonder how it hasn't been five!

I don't really have any elaborate post planned, I just feel like I can't have a blog about being a parent without in some way acknowledging the birth of my child!  Someday, if she reads this, what I want her to know is that Mommy and Daddy love our little monkey, and she has made the last year the best year of our lives and we can't wait for each year to come!

PS-It's kind of fitting that this afternoon our neighbor stopped over to meet us for the "first" time.  Turns out she's the doctor who delivered Evelyn!

Christmas Card

I had two snow days this week.  And first thing Monday morning my fan club (ha!) gave me an assignment to post something.  I started brainstorming and crafting a post in my head.  Never got around to it because my almost one year old (OH MY GOSH!) has developed quite an independent streak in the past week.  A post on the snow days was just not happening.  Sorry fans.  But I did kind of like the idea that started floating around my head, and I hope I get at least partial credit for completing my assignment.

So, it's Christmas time.  I've always been that person who DOESN'T send out Christmas cards.  I think about it every year.  I look at cards every year after Christmas, when they are like 75% off.  I have bought great Christmas cards at these sales because "next year I will do Christmas cards."  I honestly can't tell you for how many years I have had these boxes of cards sitting in my bins of Christmas decorations.

This year I feel like we have no excuse to not send Christmas cards.  We have an adorable kid, and who doesn't love a photo card at Christmas?  PLUS I have endured basically 30 years worth of Christmas Card photo shoots, and it's time to continue the tradition with my own kid.

What's the best Christmas picture I've ever had to participate in, you ask?  I'm so glad you were wondering.  It would be this one, circa 1988.  The only problem with this picture is that my youngest brother, Charlie, wasn't around yet to be in it.  Please note the sweatshirts, turtlenecks, and ROARING fire directly behind me.  

Last weekend seemed the perfect time to take pictures.  Evelyn was in a great mood, my mom was requesting a picture of her in her Christmas onesie, and it was snowing so we couldn't really go anywhere.  This was going to be easy.  I practically take a picture of her everyday because she's so darn photogenic.  Let the photo shoot begin.

First I went for the religious tone and decided to set her up with the nativity set, which she loves.

That wasn't really going anywhere, so I decided to just go with the lovely snowy scene going on out the window.  

And while we're at it, Steve thought we should stick her hands outside in the snow so she can feel it for the first time!  Great idea!

I wasn't really digging any of those pictures, so I decided to give the popular baby-with-Christmas-lights a go.  

  

Well that wasn't working.  The lighting was off at first, so we decided to hold off until later in the afternoon.  At that point we couldn't use the flash, which caused blurry pictures.  What a mess.  Steve thought, hey, let's light a fire to add to the Christmas mood.    

  

When all was said and done, I had about 3 pictures that were in any way usable for a Christmas card.  So I logged onto my Shutterfly and started to play around with formats, phrasing, and the like.  Once I finally had something put together that I kind of liked, I started going through all of our lists of people we would want to send cards to and as the number started to increase, I started to realize how expensive it is to order these photo cards.  Then you throw in stamps and this turns into quite the expense.  For a card that I only kind of liked.  I said forget it and ditched the photo card.  Instead, I would like you all to consider this post The Lane Family Christmas card.  

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Steve, Betsy, and Evelyn

Single Parenting

I would like to start this blog by giving a shout out to all of the single parents out there.  I am amazed by you all.  Steve has been gone since Wednesday night and I am just about ready to throw in the towel.

Let's recount the past 24 hours...

Yesterday evening started out totally normal.  Evelyn had a good dinner, she made Kaylee, Charlie, and I laugh and laugh with all the funny stuff she's doing these days.  When it was time for tubby, we went up and played and played.  Then she started doing this adorable thing where she flopped down on her belly in the water and stuck her cute little tush up in the air.  And that's when things took a turn.

Suddenly out of that cute, little tush came some cute, little bubbles.  I laughed, she laughed, and kept on playing.  I reached for the towel and when I turned back, there was a brand new toy floating in the water.  And that's literally what I thought.  What on earth is that toy, and where did it come from??

I panicked.  I managed to realize that I had to get her out of there quickly.  I grabbed her and yelled for Charlie.  Thank goodness he was here because he took Evelyn to play while I dealt with cleaning the tub.

We managed to recover, get dressed, bottled, and tried to get to bed.  I think Evelyn realizes Steve is gone at bed time because she's been very difficult to put down for the past few nights.  The bottle and putting to bed is usually Steve's job, and she normally goes down with no fuss.  The past few nights have been rough.  And between that and the 4 teeth that are ready to pop through her gums, she's been waking up at various points during the night and fussing for minute or two and then falling back asleep.

It was no different last night, or so I thought.  When I went in finally this morning to give her a bottle and get ready for the day the first thing I noticed was the scent.  I swear it smelled like licorice.  I picked her up, started feeding her, and at some point began patting her belly, which I realized was damp.  When I unzipped the jammies and felt her belly, it was soaked.  Her diaper was absolutely saturated, inside and out.  Suddenly an early morning tubby was a necessity.  I did a quick tub, got her dressed, stripped her crib, threw in the laundry, and managed to get out of the house.

It wasn't until I was on my way to work, about the same time that I realized I forgot my lunch, that it dawned on me that I didn't even think to change my outfit, which was most likely covered with pee.  Awesome.