Summer is over, back to work

This summer was cut short but year I will have a full summer vacation. Anyhoo this summer we decided that Christiana would go to daycare part time in order for us to spend more time together (I'll try to write a little more, again I'm sooo behind on updating her virtual book). I loved it and I'm really going to miss my extra time hanging with my little Munchie.

This summer gave me the opportunity to give me a little taste of being a stay at home mommy (SAHM). I can see how mothers love it; having that time alone with your child is priceless. Sometimes I wonder if I was missing out on her growing and developing by working. You know since she's at daycare, I sometimes feel like I'll miss a developmental milestone or something. I know there are advantages to both (SAHM & daycare) and we are doing what we feel is best for Munchie but every now and then I feel that way.

Now if we were financially able for me to do it full time would I? Hmmm probably not, weeell maybe part time. Being a full time SAHM means I'd have to become a domestic diva and I don't think I have that bone in my body. I will say I enjoyed cooking for my family but outside of that, that's the bone I'm missing. Hats off to SAHM's! Raising a child(ren), taking care of the house (keeping it clean, cooking, etc), and finding time for hubby & yourself is work! People underestimate it, which is why I couldn't do it full time. So needless to say working me works for us, and I enjoy working. I like the idea of not being solely responsible for maintaining the our household. I would go crazy! I deal with over 100 kids on a daily basis, I am thankful for daddy Teems helping out (I still want a housekeeper ;0p ). Heck I even give hats off to working moms (married & single) that can do it all (you are my idols, lol) because I don't think I can (work in progress).
Another thing I will say, one of the advantages of being a teacher is it gives me the opportunity to be a part time SAHM during Christmas and summer breaks, so I have the best of two worlds.

Ok why do I have a scarf on in every picture? Hahaha! I need to take better pictures on our iPad! Oh well, these are our candid pictures. :0)

Words with Christiana: Little Miss Chatterbox

Christiana is becoming a Little Miss Chatterbox.  However most of what she's saying I can't understand, but I smile and respond like I do know what she's saying.  Now all her chattering is just baby babbles, there are a few new things that we can add to her budding vocabulary.

I love you - This started off as "love you" when I would say "Momma loves you", now she calls us and says "I love you" or "I love you too".  You know I am loving this!  Of course she probably wasn't saying "I love you" but how else would her vocabulary grow if we didn't "help" her say it.

Morning - Every morning I wake up and greet her with "good morning" and now she responds with "morning"

Juice, Pizza, teddy bear, fish, water, shoe, sock

Up/down - She says this without a problem, especially when she wants someone to pick her up or put her down.  At first she used the word up for down, but we would say down when we put her down.

I don't know - when i ask her where something is, she answers with "I don't know".  I love it!

Hot/it's hot! - when she says this, she blows through her mouth and say "woo it's hot".  I'm trying to get her to fan her hands while she's saying it.  When she eats something hot, she also says "hot, hot"

Duck - Christiana has a little stuffed duck that she carries with her Elmo.

belly button - As I am typing this post she is sitting next to me watching her belly moving in and out, then she points to her belly button and says "belly button" 

She also knows and can say her favorite cartoon characters: Dora, Little Bill, Elmo, Gabba, Guppies (from Bubble Guppies)

Hello & Hi - She says "hello" when she is pretending to talk on the phone, sometimes she has a little "conversation" with the person.

I can't forget about her body parts, she can say and point to them: eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hair, head, hand

Animal sounds: When she sees certain animals, she'll make the sounds that they do.  Sounds such as: ribbit, oink, roar, neigh, baa, ooo (for monkey), meow, ruff

Man oh man my baby is growing up.  Rwight now we are having baby conversations, but in no time at we'll be having conversations where we can all understand everything she's saying.  The world better watch out and get their ears ready.

Family Fun: Our little bubble baby

What kid doesn't love bubbles?  I sure know Munchie does! 

One weekend we decided to partake in the wonderful L.A. weather and of course I brought along some bubbles for our little one.  She rode the  swings with daddy Teems, tried to play in the sand, but it was waaay too hot, and got on the parks makeshift zip line.  Even though she had a good time on those things, nothing brought her more joy than playing with the bubbles. 

If it were up to Christiana, we would have blown bubbles for hours.  At first she was okay with daddy Teems blowing them for her, but like any kids she was bored with that and wanted to do it herself.  Daddy Teems tried showing her how to blow them, however less than 1 minute of him showing her she thought she knew how to blow

them.  Hahahaaha!  When she realized that she couldn't blow them like him, she would "ask" him to blow them again.  Luckily for her these bubbles were made for just holding the wand and letting the wind do all the work; she was satisfied with that and so was I (she had the wand a little too close to her mouth for my liking).  :O)  

I really enjoy our family days, it really helps us to apprectiate the little things in all of us.

Proverbs 20:11

Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right.

Sidebar: I found a website where I can import pictures and make a collage! It's called picmonkey, it's free (for now) and there are all sorts of editing features. I really like this site and it gives me a way to add more pictures to my posts in a cool way (and I don't have to upload them one at a time).

Cousin Love: Adventures In Babysitting

Chello I would like to introduce myself, I am auntie Shana to Christiana Faith and mommy of Chineye's other child Gio. Chineye suggested I give my perspective on the day in the life of babysitting Ms. Christiana Faith. So usually Shana is the first on the list to have playtime with ladybug and I always jumped at the chance.

This will be the most recent of playtime's being this Sunday evening, so Gio and I usually get to the house around 6:45ish as mommy and daddy get ready for their night out. Chineye stops a few times to give me the run down of what foods are available

(which she usually asks in advance what types of snack we'd like) and updates me on Ladybug's new food she is into, then off to finish beautifying herself (which she always looks gorgeous) while I begin my time with Ladybug and Gio, we typically continue watching whatever children's show she was in to at the moment, she keeps me laughing with her dancing and sing a long happiness.
This time Ladybug was of course in naked baby status being in just a diaper which is the cutest thing when the little ones just wear diapers, and she was just so happy when I walked in the door, well this particular time instead of continuing in her dancing she went to her cousin Gio and from that moment on Christiana became Gio's shadow. Gio being the big cousin that he is had no problem with having her tag along his every movement which literally was his every movement. It started with him sitting on the floor and she goes to sit right next time him as he watched TV, then for a sort moment she was showing me the confetti shakers from mommy's cupcake decorations, being the teacher that I am each one she brought to me I ask her, "What color is this one?" and in the best way she could would reply and I would repeat the color she said then I proceed to ask "Which one is the...?' which Ladybug would correctly point out the color shaker I was asking.

Now her attention is on mommy and daddy who looking beautiful and ready to step out for the night, but not before they have moment captured with a photo op. As we step outside to take the photo we hear Christiana cry as she knows they are leaving and Auntie is now not in sight. I quick click away and return inside to console my baby, she abruptly stops and we go to big cousin Gio who has decided to play on the drums of uncle Rickey's Rock Band game.

We spent a good 15 minutes making up our own songs and taking turns being the lead singer, when cousin was finally done playing Christiana became his shadow once again. It was like Mary had a Little Lamb Christiana being the lamb, I must say I love my son for being so patient and understanding of his cousin and even his baby sister. I would laugh as he would go sit down on the couch and followed by his shadow who had a little bit of a tough time climbing up there to sit right next to him then to get up. I watched them interact this way for about an hour, then it was time to eat so as I was getting their food together we sat and watch Vh1 Soul to bring down the mood to get them in the mind frame of bedtime.
Food is ready they chow down on some corn dogs on the floor and Christiana made it appoint to sit in front of her cousin and face him so they could eat together they pray and dig in. They finish eating begin to play some more follow cousin Gio, diaper change which and time to lay down. I set up their blankets and pillows on the floor and grab Ladybug and lay her on my chest to aid in her sleep soon she is out and I place her on the floor next time cousin though he is still awake and conclude our interaction session for the night. I update mommy via text about the night and when they return as usual give the run down of our time together, to which Ladybug always wakes up as soon as they walk in (missing mommy and daddy). after the run down Christiana is then scooped up my either mom or dad and hauled off to cuddle. Then I lay next to my lil guy and chill feeling great we had another successful auntie, niece and cousin time.

"But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 19:14

Who loves Elmo? Munchie does!!

 I am sooo behind on my posts about my baby girl.  There are sooo many new milestones and stories that I want to share about her, I have sooo been slacking on documenting it.  Maybe I'll try to do one every night this upcoming week to try to catch up; hmm I'll have to see about that.  I have tons of pictures that need to be shared, heck daddy Teems finally uploaded the pictures and videos from his phone (as far back from when she was just born! I mean he has LOTS of videos!) that I would love to write about.  I saw on a couple other mommy blogs that they just uploaded pictures as a blog post; I think that's a wonderful idea!  I mean this is Christiana's virtual baby book, so having a post just with pictures would totally fit.   Anyhoo on to my new post about Munchie.

What is it about Elmo that every child loves?  Is it the bright color, the cute voice, or how easy it is to say his name?  Whatever it is my Munchie has fallen under Elmo's spell.  She even has a happy dance and little chant that she does when she sees him.  I have download many Elmo videos, songs, and apps for the Ipad.  When we are out and about sometimes she asks for him so I pull up Elmo videos on my phone when we don't bring the Ipad.  Talk about Elmo love! 

One weekend we had to make a Toys R Us run and daddy Teems wanted to get Christiana her first Elmo stuffed animal, coincidentally it was called "My first Elmo".  Daddy Teems is all about giving kids choices so he picked up a Dora the Explorer (her other favorite character) stuffed toy and Elmo, she chose the later of course.  Boy oh boy when she got her Elmo toy she was sooo excited that she did her happy dance and song, it was sooo cute (the video below). 

Lately Elmo has also been her comfort toy.  She brings him almost everywhere! She has him with her when she goes to bed, with me in the bathroom, kitchen, her little table...everywhere!  One morning she wanted Elmo to see her daycare; he came back sooo dirty!  But that didn't change her love for him! :O)   

Of course you know she gets mad if another kid tries to play with him.  Daddy Teems said today at church (oh she wanted him to hear the good word) that she set him down to play with another toy and another little girl picked him up.  Uh oh little girl!  Well he said she got mad and tried to snatch Elmo.  The little girl tried to give Munch another toy but she wasn't having that!  She wanted her Elmo not another stuffed animal, he said she tried to throw the toy at her!  Temper, temper.  Daddy Teems told her to share and once the little girl was through she got him back. 

She even wants her Elmo while she is sleeping. One night I was changing her diaper while she was sleeping and she woke up briefly (almost like she was talking in her sleep) and asked for Elmo (Ellllmo).  When I gave it to her and she gave a sweet little smile and went back to sleep.  Sometimes I hear and see her singing to him and/or making him dance.  Gosh I love this child!  The other day she even tried to feed and give him something to drink.  How cute is that?

"In a world where everyone seems to be larger and louder than yourself, it is very comforting to have a small, quiet companion."
-Peter Gray