9 and 10 Months!

It's been a struggle to write the last two months. I thought that once I was done with fieldwork and graduation, I would have plenty of time to write and update the blog with pictures. Not so much. Having a 9/10 month old is a lot of work! There are only two nap times a day now and a million things to do during those precious minutes. We also took a ten day trip to MI which I did not have time to post. And then of course there is starting a new job and studying for the NBCOT exam. This mommy is all out of free time, that's for sure. As it is, I'm writing at 11:30pm and will greatly regret this decision at 6:00am when  Isla wakes up. Maybe if I'm lucky she will sleep until 6:45. That happens sometimes.

One thing that has been on my mind lately is daycare and the new job. We've had the same daycare providers since Isla was 3 months old and I started fieldwork. They're great. There are always things I could complain about (like the fact that she always smells like spit up and they don't change her bib enough or that I worry that she is in a bouncer or pack and play all day even though they say she isn't), but really, Isla never cries when I drop her off, she smiles at the two ladies, and I just know in my gut that she is well cared for.
With that being said...I can't help but fight this feeling that it is "unnatural" to have someone else care for my child during the day. I read a great article recently about a mother's "choice" to work or stay home. The article was about how currently, it really isn't a "choice" but a matter of economics. I really identified with that article. Before having kids I never knew what it would be like to have to drop them off at daycare everyday. I would have thought that I could have the best of both worlds by working and being a mom. Now, after holding that baby and now almost toddler, in my arms, I have experienced something that is impossible to understand prior to having kids. After my hard work and pursuit of a fulfilling career in occupational therapy, I wouldn't want to give it up. But work part time, yes please. But then there are those darn economics again. We live very modestly and have no credit card debt. Yet even before my student loans it took two paychecks to live in our town house and have one car loan. And now with my student loans, forget it. It is no longer a "choice" but a must. Most apartments cost more than our mortgage so downgrading isn't really an option. Plus our townhouse is 1300 square feet, it's not like we're swimming in room. As our nephew called it when he came out to visit, "you live in a cottage?" lol. The fact is we live in an expensive area, but we have jobs. We could have a house in MI that is 2x the size for 3/4 the cost but there are no jobs at this time. It's the way the world goes I suppose. Anyways, back to daycare. It feels unnatural to not be taking care of Isla during the day, but we do what we have to do as moms and we do it the best way we know how. There are alot of judgements and opinions out there about moms that work and moms that stay home. I wish that everyone would try to live a day in another person's shoes before forming an opinion about their "choices".

On a different note, here are some pictures of Isla. She is now standing up constantly and holding on with one hand or letting go briefly before falling on her butt. She's saying mama and dada more frequently, and has a  great little pincer grasp! She likes to feed herself, and pull anything and everything out of any container she can get her hands on. She is the light of our lives <3

Sleeping Beauty

Meeting Uncle Andrew for the first time

Kisses for Nana

She loved playing with her cousins!

It just tastes so good!

Maybe they will grow up to be best friends like their mommies!

We are loving the Tigers outfits Angela!

No clue how she fell asleep like this. Don't worry after taking the picture I moved her ;)

I should mention, there is no toy like a remote control

More cousins!

Love this picure

First ponytail

There is lots of fun to be had in the tunnel!

Just trying to stay warm...in August

Isla meeting her Great Grandpa!

Wake up daddy, it's time to play!

Isla and Grandpa

Loving the beach

That's all folks!

8 Months!

This is a little late, but better late than never :)

 

Daddy/Daughter time!

Mom, really, another picture?

Love those kissy faces!

Her new thing is crawling under the bouncer and discovering it from the bottom up ;)

Bad day?

Would be perfect if that spit wasn't coming out ;)

 The next set of pictures is Isla chasing the cat. One of the funniest things I've watched her do.

 

  

A "selfie" that actually turned out ok

Happy First Father's Day Alex!

Isla has really grown this past month. A little bit in size but mostly in personality. She's army crawling all over the place and moving her knees a little bit too before flopping on her tummy. She loves crawling towards cords and she especially loves putting her sound machine tag in her mouth when she gets the chance. She also loves the curtains now. We play peek a boo behind them :)

One of the best things is in the morning hearing Isla talk as she wakes up in her crib. She just babbles to herself and makes happy little screams. Then, as soon as Alex or I walk into the room she starts fussing and I can't feed her fast enough. Then she's happy again and tries desperately to get out of my lap and onto the floor to play. 

One of the best things is Isla's smile. Every baby's smile is amazing but of course my heart just melts when she smiles at me. I feel like she smiles with everything she has, its true and genuine and I think its a peek into her future personality. When I get home I start talking as I'm going up the stairs and as I get into the kitchen she bounces her legs like crazy and coos and smiles and I just melt.

My mom told me I use to sleep like this...now we know she has at least one of my qualities ;)