Weekend in Vail

SO we went to Dave and Jenna's wedding this weekend.  It was up in Vail, Colorado, and it was a beautiful weekend.  Miss Mya did great and we were able to enjoy two nights of going out while a babysitter watched Mya sleep.  It was great to go out and enjoy the time spent with friends, however, the down side is that Mya still gets up between 6:00 and 6:30, no matter what time mommy and daddy go to bed... This made for a tired mommy and daddy.  Thankfully, Paul let me sleep in an extra hour both mornings, however, even that did not help me feel less tired.  For those of you who don't know me, I need my sleep and a LOT of it. 
So the ceremony was at the top of the mountain and about an hour before it began the clouds started to roll in.  I was busy getting ready, while also trying to feed and dress Mya solo, so I did not notice the change in weather. (Paul was in the wedding so he was with the groom)  When we arrived at the gondola we were greeted by the news that there were lighting strikes  in the area and so the start of the ceremony was delayed while they waited to see if it would clear.  About 40 minutes later the frazzeled wedding planner began shouting at us to hurry up and get on the gondola, we had to get up there quickly, as we had a very short window of what they considered "good" weather.  So as we got off the gondola we were greeted by strong winds and a temperature of about 40 degrees.  Most of the guests were ill prepared for the top of a Mountain in Colorado, and although Mya had her tights, warm dress and sweater on, I, on the other hand had on my short, thin dress and a thin shawl. Since I live in Colorado I have no good excuse for why I wasn't prepared for the top of the mountain wedding except isn't having a baby a good excuse for anything??!   A good friend of ours gave Mya his dress jacket to help ensure that she stayed warm, however, she was a trooper and was happy to sit in the whipping wind and occasional rain drop or two.  I think this might mean she is going to be an outdoor lover like her parents and even more so a cold weather lover like her daddy.  :) Once the ceremony was over we ran back to the gondola as the rain began to pour down.  I will say, getting ready while getting a 9 month old ready, worrying about her being warm enough, and not making any noises during the ceremony really wore me out.  It was then back to the room to feed her and get her ready for bed so that when the babysitter showed up I could join the party.  What I really could have done was gone to bed. 
On Saturday we then went to stay with some friends in Dillion.  Mya slept in the bathroom, yes, I said bathroom.  It was the only dark place for her to nap and it turned out to be a good place for her to sleep through the night as well.  Let's just say I missed the rocking chair when I had to feed her at 5 in the morning.

Overall, it was a fun and tiring weekend, but Mya was a champ and took it all in stride.  I am looking forward to a weekend at home, only 3 more work days to go...

The Beginning

Mya's middle name came from my father, Walter Harold Easley.  You see Mya's adventure started even before she was born.  I found out my father had cancer and then three days later I found out I was pregnant.  From that point on our lives were filled with the ups and downs of going through two very opposite events. We did not find out what we were having so she was Baby T throughout my pregnancy.  We  spent many days flying across the country to spend time with her granddad.  He was so excited about her upcoming birth and thankfully, he was able to feel her kick and roll many times.  He loved her so much and could not wait to meet her.  His one goal was to make it to hold his grandchild. He put up a brave, fierce fight right up until the end.   Unfortunately, he passed away one month and three days before she was born.  We were right there beside him when he died. One of his last lucid moments, which will stay in my memory forever, was him smiling from ear to ear rubbing my belly.   Mya now has the best guardian angel ever looking over her.  It has been very sad, wanting to share this wonderful expereince with him.  My father and I were very close and he would have loved to be a part of her life.  He always said that he hoped I had a girl because he wouldn't have known what to do with a boy since I am his only child. Well, he got his wish, I only wish he were here to meet her himself.  Mya does have some significant Easley traits.  Her eyes are lighter, a blue, grey, hazel mix, like her great grandmother, Ruth Easley.  Her hair is curly, just like my father's and when we looked at some of his baby pictures the hair is identical.  
There is a close up picture of my father all dressed in his Navy Uniform near the rocking chair that I sit in with her frequently.  There are many times that she laughs, smiles, and "talks" to him.  I know that he is always with us and we will ensure that she knows all about him.  We love and miss you very much dad.

She is lucky to have both her Grandmas, Paula Charles and Diana Tagley, and her Poppy, Peter Tagley, to dote on her, which they do all the time.
This picture was taken just a few weeks before Mya was born.  Boy was my belly big.  :)
I will be adding posts that will include pictures of her in my belly up until now, as I am also using this as her "Baby book." 

CRAWLING!

So Mya started to crawl about two and a half weeks ago and like most new parents Paul and I had no idea what was in store for us. Are new parents ever ready for a crawling child? We suspect not. Here are just a few examples of how ill prepared we were for a crawling child in our house...

2nd day of crawling. Mom to Dad, "What's in Mya's mouth?" Mom, "Oh gross it's a huge chunk of cat hair!" Looking at Mya smiling away as mom pulls the hair out of her mouth.

Day 4 or 5 of crawling. Mom to Dad, "What's that in Mya's mouth?" As mom puts her finger into her mouth and pulls out a chunk of wet, grey lint.

Day 6 In the Kitchen. Dad is getting dinner ready, turns around and Mya has found the dry cat food and is eating it. Dad tries to get the cat food out of her mouth, however, she closes it shut and the prying is useless. I wonder if the cat food tastes good?

Day 8 - Never leave your crawling child in the care of a person enthralled in the US Open. You may hear a scream and then thumping sounds as your child falls down the stairs. (Well, she really more like slid down them and thankfully they are carpeted) She was more scared than anything else and only cried for about 40 seconds, way to go Mya. Mommy and Daddy were shaken for a few days. And to prove my point that all new parents have no idea what is in store for them are all the stories I got after sharing Mya's falling down the stairs story. It seems everyone with a child has a story about how their child fell down the stairs, off the bed, changing table or any other high place and they usually did it more than once.
The baby gate that had been sitting downstairs for weeks went up approx 5 minutes after the fall. So did the plug covers. I think the drawers and cabinets are next.
And how do you baby proof cords? They have to go from the appliance to the wall and Mya just loves to pull on them. I haven't seen any cord hiders, make the cord invisible inventions, or any other good way for this dilemma. I'll keep thinking about it and maybe come up with an idea to make us rich, a daily thought of mine.

Today: mom is in the kitchen getting dinner ready. She turns around to see Mya eating the cat food AGAIN. Apparently Mommy didn't learn from Daddy's experience, however, I was able to get the food out of her mouth this time.

Crawling child = OCD Daddy, who now vacuums at least every day and sometimes twice, however, even after he just finishes, Mya still finds things to pick up, and yes, your guessed it, put into her mouth!

So that has been our latest adventure in parenting. Today she crawled over to her toy box, stood up and waved at us with one hand... We even have the picture to prove it:

A little behind on Mya's blog, but better late than Never.

Well, we have finally gotten this blog started. It's only taken us 8 and 1/2 months! Sorry Mya. I will definitely post some of our experiences during these past 8 months, along with some photos, it's been quite an amazing adventure. I am looking forward to sharing the joys and all the other stuff that goes into being a parent.