Dearest Teagan

Dearest Teagan,
Well, kiddo, you turned 10 months 2 days before Thanksgiving. I've been waiting on "that month" where everything changes, where you grow more, learn more and do more. You've been pretty steady in your progression and development.  You've not really had any "BAM, all of a sudden" moments since you've been born.  Sure you've hit a growth spurt or two (not many more then two) but you've just been a steady above average developer.  Well, Little Bear, month 9 was a doozy! You hit the ground running and haven't really stopped!  About a week into your 9th month you decided that creeping, or "lazy crawling" as your daddy and I call it, wasn't enough and you realized you could go faster if you actually used your legs to crawl.  You decided that just standing up wasn't fun enough so you started to cruise on basically everything.  In the recent days you stood up from squat position to standing and stood frozen for a few seconds, you've also stood for lots of seconds by yourself after mommy lets you go while you're standing.  You have attempted the stairs a few times but your legs are still a little short and you can't quite get over the first one.  I have a feeling once you figure that out the baby gate will immediately have to go up.  There will be no stopping you at that point.  A few of your favorite things are cabinet doors, the oven drawer and the drawers to your dresser.  Your love of the oven drawer made it difficult on Thanksgiving when I was trying to cook the turkey and you wanted in your drawer.  Your daddy did a pretty good job keeping you out of the kitchen but sometimes you were so insistent and determined that you would slip by and then  yell at me and give me mean looks when I took you out of the kitchen.  Thanksgiving went pretty good.  You visited with everybody but refused to take a nap.  Well, refused until it was time to sit down and actually eat.  Silly Bear.  You went and had your first sleepover with Miles David the Friday after Thanksgiving.  You did great! You two were adorable playing together and your Aunt Jeana and I vowed to have more sleepovers and playdates for you two.  We all went together to get our Christmas trees and you two were troopers in the cold and when your parents needed pictures of you in your Santa hats... 
You have started to sprout your first two teeth. I've been anxious in waiting on these boogers.  Wondering when they would come, how much pain you would be in and what I would do when they started to come in.  They haven't quite broken through yet and you've taken it like a trooper.  You haven't been especially fussy or out of the ordinary.  A few runnier then usual diapers ( I know you'll think TMI, mom, when you read this) but no other real signs other then pearly whites showing through and drool. A lot of drool.
Little Bear, I anxiously wait for Christmas with a new excitement this year.  I've been pretty apathetic for the last few year in regards to any holiday.  I really could have cared less about my birthday to be honest.  This year I am excited for everything.  I even started decorating and listening to Christmas music in November.  Something I have NEVER done. My entire life.  You've brought the twinkle back to my eyes and the warmth back into my heart.  I am excited to see these holidays through your eyes.  I anticipate I will be more excited about your holidays then you will be for at least a year or two but I am okay with that.  I will willingly be the bringer of excitement with your daddy right beside me.  Even he has an extra sparkle this year Little Bear.  He even put icicle lights up on the house just for you this year! You've brought us more joy in 10 months then you will ever know.  You never cease to make us happier then we've ever been.  You were what we were thankful for at Thanksgiving and I can't wait to share Christmas with you. 

I love you with all my heart.  I love you to the moon and back.  I love you as deep as the sea and as high as the sky. 

Love Forever and Always,
Mommy

Apple, my Ipod and Itunes. Disappointed.

I didn't run today.  I needed to run but I didn't.  As you all know I am training for a half marathon in December.  I have faithfully trained and am working my butt off to complete this race.  Today, for the third or fourth time my Ipod or Itunes decided to throw a road block in my way.  My Ipod decided it wanted to not cooperate.  Itunes would not recognize it and it also wouldn't allow me to restore it to factory settings.  It was if my Ipod didn't exist in Itunes land.  I use my Ipod and the Nike-Run to figure out my mileage and my time when running.  This is a necessary part of my training.  Plus I run much better to music.  Yes, I could have ran today without my Ipod.  Yes, I could have "mapped my run" online but I have a short memory and would have forgotten all the little side road I have to take to get a high number of miles.  So, I wrote a letter to Apple.  After typing my letter and hitting submit I got the standard " nobody will personally answer your letter but we care" response and so I decided to type up my frustrations on here.  I don't have a large viewing but I have cherished and faithful blog followers that read.  I just wanted to share my frustrations with you all.  Here is my open  letter to Apple.  You have probably lost a customer. 



Dear Apple,

I am very disappointed right now.  I have had my (2nd) Ipod nano for going on 2 years now.  I run with it and I utilize the Nike software for it when running.  I am usually happy with it.  The last two weeks my Ipod has gone crazy.  The last two weeks have been very important to me and my training.  Every time I go to run & plug it in just to make sure everything is up to date it decides to not recognize my Ipod.  Itunes basically says the Ipod is not found.  I am training for a half marathon and need to train.  I also find the distance calculator on my Nike Run a necessity.  It is very inconvenient when I cannot run with my Ipod.  I have restored it and it didn't want to restore. This is my second Ipod and the last one stopped charging fully after around 2 years.  Have you decided to put a 2 year life span on your products so people will constantly have to purchase new? Well, this is probably my last Ipod.  I refuse to have to buy a new product every two years.  The economy is rough and money is tight and therefore I can't afford to spend money on a product I assumed would be lasting me more then two years from a company I thought I could trust. 

A disappointed customer,

Rici Reid

My morning off.

Well, as I type this I am sitting in bed listening to the sounds of Iron & Wine and a basically quiet house.  This morning I got up with Josh at the usual time of 6:30am but this time the reason was different.  We weren't going to work and we weren't going anywhere together.  I got up for the sole purpose of getting Teagan ready to go visit with her Grandma while Josh and Grandpa worked on the farm.  It was an odd feeling.  I basically did everything I normally do in the mornings.  I went downstairs and fixed her food but this time I labeled and placed lids on it.  I fixed her a sippy cup/bottle (what she doesn't finish in the cup she gets in the bottle, almost bottle free!).  I put the correct amount of puffs for her snack in the container and then put all of the above in her "lunch box".  Josh got her from her crib (she was standing and bouncing and laughing) and brought her down for morning mommy kisses and played with her until it was time for me to get her dressed.  *sidenote-you might be asking why Josh wasn't getting her ready while I was fixing her food, etc. basically he knows I love to get her ready in the mornings so when we don't have to tag team I get to do what i love* I swooped her from her daddy's arms and we "raced" upstairs so I could get her dressed.  This morning she played with her shoes while I dressed her and explained to her what was going to happen.  I told her Grandma had pulled out some of her Aunt Livy and Aunt Kristina and Daddy's toys from when they were her age so she could play with them.  I told her how excited Grandma and Grandpa were to see her.  I told her Mommy wouldn't be coming but I would see her very soon just like at "school".  As soon as she was dressed and all packed it was time to go.  I gave her kisses and hugs and her daddy put her in the car seat.  I gave her a few more kisses and hugs and told her I loved her and would see her soon.  Then they were gone.  It was definitely an odd mixture of feeling excited and relieved and sad and empty all at the same time. 
The plan for me this morning is not to clean.  It's not to cook or iron.  I have been given the "morning off" and I am selfishly going to take it.  I am going to take a long shower.  I am going to take the time to actually fix my hair (even though you'll see why this is pointless in a minute).  I am going to dress in my running clothes and then I am going to see Harry Potter by myself.  I have never been to the movies by myself but I will be buying a popcorn and a large drink and maybe something chocolate and I will sit there and be completely focused on the movie.  After the movie I will get something to eat and maybe run to Target to pick up a few things.  Then I get to go home and run. Run until my legs decide to stop me.  I've downloaded some new tunes this morning and it's a beautiful day and I can't wait to run! This would be why taking a shower and actually fixing my hair is a silly thing because I will sweat and have to take another shower because we have somewhere to be this evening. 
Anyway, I hope you all have a great day because I'm excited to go start mine!  Happy Saturday!

Sponsor highlight: Tiny Prints

I was contacted a few weeks ago by Tiny Prints.  They asked if I would be interested in having them as a sponsor for Teagan Tales.  They also put an offer of Christmas cards on the table so how could I say no?  It took me a few weeks of going through their incredible selection of Christmas cards a few times before I was able to narrow it down and finally pick our Christmas card.  I had to make sure to pick the perfect one for us.  Afterall, this was going to be Teagan's first Christmas card! It had to rock!!  The amount of choices might seem overwhelming at first but they have a cool tool on the side where you can narrow the search parameters by color, size, number of pictures, etc so it isn't as overwhelming as it might seem to be at first glance.
I finally picked the Hidden flowers card for us and decided to put Teagan all over it because Josh and I are not fans of having our pictures taken.
Shipping was quick even with standard shipping.  I checked the door everyday until it came and then when I saw the little box on our porch that said Tiny Prints I let out a little squeal and told Teagan excitedly that our Christmas cards were here!  She was very excited to play with the proof and the box while I looked over the cards excitedly.
I cannot wait to address them and write a little note on the back.  I also can't wait until Christmas so I can "send" the Christmas card to all of you! It is beyond adorable! 


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Dreams

Can I just tell you the craziness of my dreams since Teagan has been born?  My dreams have been vivid and more real then I could ever tell you.  I've even sleep walked once and kind of weirded out my husband.  Last night was no different.  The only bad part (well, maybe this isn't really bad) is that I can only ever remember bits and pieces of them.  Like last night.  I had a dream where I freaked out because I thought Teagan was suffocating in my pillow case so in my sleep I took my top pillow, took off the pillow case, searched it to make sure she wasn't there and then placed the pillow on the floor.  When Teagan was younger my dreams were awful.  I would dream about rolling over on her or losing her in the covers and she didn't even sleep with us.  The overwhelming sense of panic during and after the dreams was one that kept me up more during the night then she did. 

I've always had a vivid sense of imagination.  It has definitely gotten worse with age.  I hear one creek on the stairs and I immediately think somebody has broken into our house and is creeping up our stairs.  I've had many nights where I lay there, phone clutched (and sometimes already dialed), just waiting to see the shadow so I can hit send and run at them "gunner" (yes, I know what this football position is...do you?) style and keep them away from Teagan.  Josh thinks I'm silly and asks why I don't feel safe in our neighborhood.  It's not like I don't feel safe I have just become extra cautious and sensitive since another human is counting on me for safety.

Whew, that post was a little all over the place.  Basically, I have been having weird vivid dreams I don't really remember since Teagan has been born.  The end.


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Just two clicks will help us out big time!

Dearest Teagan

Dearest Teagan,
Well, my dear girl, you will be 10 months next week.  I can honestly barely wrap my head around it.  I feel like I've almost run out of words to write to you because I've expressed my love for you over and over again.  I kiss your sweet face and hands and feet and head more times then I can count on a daily basis.  I tell you how much I love you with every kiss and cuddle.  You make me so proud with every new thing you learn and do.  You make me smile with a smile.  My heart flutters everytime you reach for me.  My soul smiles when you give me "lovin" and hug my neck.  My heart breaks to hear you cry and all I want to do is scoop you up and hold you and make the cries stop.  I want to protect you from the world but I want you to experience it all.  I want to show you the world and all it can offer.  I want you to know there are so many opportunities out there that your daddy and I will try our best to let you take advantage of.  You have such a sweet soul that seems to shine through already.  You honestly bring a smile to every person's face that you come into contact with.  People say you're beautiful and baby girl you are incredibly beautiful but I feel like you are beautiful inside and out, already.  You have such a sweet disposition and you have already begun to share with others.
You've really taken off the last few weeks.  You were kind of lazy and content all at the same time when it came to moving around and exploring.  All of a sudden, BAM, you are everywhere! You are into everything.  You even tried to stick your finger in a light socket. Talk about giving Mommy a heart attack.  You and your two best friends at "school" have started really playing with each other and realizing there is somebody there to play with.  You three crawl all over the place and get into all sorts of mischief.  You will be moving up soon to the "big baby" room.  Luckily you will all three move together.  I have a feeling the three of you will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.   Also, you and your bf/bff Miles David have really started to "find" each other.  You love to touch each others faces and clothes.  You love taking his hat and he really enjoys trying to take your binky.  Your Aunt Jeana and I try to get you guys together as often as we can.  One of these days we are going to schedule a real live play date.  Or maybe a sleep over.  We're still working on it.
Today was the first time I didn't visit you at lunch to feed you.  We have started the weaning process as of today.  Honestly, Little Bear, I thought I wouldn't have a really hard time with it.  I thought I would be fine and not emotional and I would keep in mind that you need "real" food more then you need me now and it's what is best for you.  I also thought the idea of  "freedom" for both of us would feel kind of good.  I was so wrong.  I know all of those things are true.  I know you are growing up and becoming a big girl and that "mommy milk" is now really just a supplement to your nutrition but let me tell you Little Bear, it is HARD. Not seeing you in the middle of my day threw things off kilter completely.  I cried around 10:50ish when I normally go to feed you.  I felt like I didn't know what to do with myself on my drive to lunch.  I wondered if you were okay and how you were handling the change in routine.  I'm sure you handled it like a champ.  I knew this was going to be harder on me then you.  I just knew it.
Right now I am counting the minutes until I get to see you. There are exactly 27.  I didn't take an entire lunch break ( I couldn't stand it) and so now that the office is dead and papers have been organized and clients have been seen I am writing to you.
I want to you know that I love you very much.  I want you to know that I am going to mess up but we are both going to learn from my mistakes.  I want you to know that anything I ever do, right or wrong in your eyes, will always be out of love and what I think is best for you.
I am cherishing every minute I have with you.  I cannot begin to imagine what the months leading up to your first birthday will hold.  Just know Little Bear that you are loved and cherished. Unconditionally.

Love Always and Forever,
Mommy  

Bittersweet

The Bitter.
Today was the last day I will feed Teagan at lunch.  Today I was told Teagan will move up at daycare to the older baby class.  Today I cried a little as Teagan nursed.  Today I snuggled her extra tight as she gave me sleepy "lovin'" after she nursed. Today I walked slower to take her back to her room.  Today I took extra care and tucked her in more carefully when I put her in her crib at daycare.  Today I cried when I got into the car.  Today I missed my baby girl so bad it hurt. 

The Sweet.
Today we started the process of weaning Teagan because she is becoming a big girl.  Today I was told Teagan will move up to the older baby class with her two best school friends, Matilda and Cooper.  Today I smiled as Teagan nursed because I am amazed at how she is growing and how incredible she is.  Today I snuggled Teagan extra tight because I love her more then she'll ever know and she shows me how much she loves me by giving me "lovin" back and snuggling up tight.  Today I put a finally sleepy Teagan in her crib because she would really rather play then nap.  Today I smiled as I walked down the hall and got into my car.  Today I realized I don't have a baby girl anymore.  Today I am thankful that Teagan is healthy and happy and growing up to be a sweet Little Bear. 

Holiday Advertising Opportunities

We have 2 spots left for the holiday season.  If you would like to advertise on Teagan Tales please contact me at TeaganTales@gmail.com. 

Wordless Wednesday

Note to self.

During next run:
Bring something you can spray or hit mean dogs who want to chase/try to bite you with.
Try to avoid wet grass at all cost.
Bring something to hold your cell phone other then your hand. 
Remember to wear your IT band brace.
When you hit your first "wall" at 3.25 miles remember it is okay to stop and walk a minute or two because that will only allow you to run farther.  Because remember, you have 13.1 miles to run on race day and you are sure to walk a little.

Need a laugh? Read on...

If you have been following the drama of the insoles this last week then you will find this especially humorous.

I will give you a little background on the insole drama just in case you have no idea what I am about to talk about.  I went to the doctor last week because my left foot was killing me after running.  The doctor told me to get insoles for my shoes and I would be good to go.  After the appointment I rushed to the drug store to get the insoles and assumed (shame, shame) I would be alright after that (mistake number 1).  I attempted to run at home that very night and broke down in tears and almost had to have Josh come get me because my foot hurt so bad.  I just assumed it was the wrong insole, not that my foot was still hurting from earlier (mistake number 2).  After an incredible serving of ice cream I decided I would just order the correct insoles, have them overnighted and take back the wrong ones.  The insoles were delivered yesterday.  They were the same ones I had already.  Things brings us to today and the most embarrassing thing that has happened to me in a while....

I decided I was just going to the place the doctor told me to get the insoles originally.  So, after I dropped Teagan off and checked in a the office I took my lunch break early and headed out to downtown Hickory.  This is about a 25 minute drive each way but almost all interstate so it's not too bad.  I get to the drug store and I feel the excitement and anxiety creeping in.  Are they going to have them? They HAVE to have them.  If they don't have them what am I going to do?  I bravely walk in and hand the lady at the counter the paper the doctor gave me with the specific name brand, type of insole and the item number written at the top.  I asked if they had this particular item number in stock.  She looked at the paper, up at me and then down at the paper again.  My cheeks started flushing because I just knew they didn't have any in stock. 

Are you ready for this??

She looked back up at me and kindly said, "Ma'am, this is our phone number.  It's not an item number."  Yeah, just let that sink in for a minute. 

As you can imagine, my face turns bright red but I try my best to hide it.  I just looked dumbfounded at her and managed an "Oh".  She said she could show me where they were in the store so she led me to the roundabout they were on. She shows me the SAME INSOLES I've bought twice.  I look at the back and tell her I need the insoles specifically for flat feet.  This is for mild to high arches.  She looked at me and told me this was what I needed because this provided that amount of support for people who had flat feet.  Needless to say my face turned bright red again.  I told her thank you and left.  With my head down in shame. 

The end result was me taking one pair back, keeping the ones I had overnighted and planning on a run tonight.  Hope you laughed as hard as I did. 

Here's to my run tonight and raising more money for SMA Research.  If you'd like to donate there are 25 days left to donate.  We've reached $280 which means we have $720 left to go before we meet our goal.  Help me raise money to find a cure for this disease.

Running progress

I was down for the count a few days ago.  After completing cross training last Tuesday my left foot hurt so bad I could barely walk from the Wal Mart parking lot to my car.  I had a doctors appointment for the following week to check on it but I called and said I needed to be seen ASAP because I needed to know what I was up against and how far back it would set my training schedule.  They said they could see me the next morning so I jumped on the appointment.
The doctor told me my pain was due to my flat feet and running had basically strained the muscle but all I needed were insole inserts and I would be good to go.  He did tell me to lay off it for a few days but I wasn't going to listen.  If all I needed were insoles then we were golden.  Unfortunately the running universe had different plans and trying to find these insoles became nearly impossible.  I purchased a pair that were similar but didn't even get up the road before I was in so much pain I really thought I was going to have to call Josh to come down the street to come get me.  Needless to say those were apparently NOT the right insoles. I threw a bit of a fit, quietly because Teagan was in bed, when I got back to the house.  A lot of crying and throwing the insoles and a few kitchen towels and then I sat on the couch and ate a LOT of ice cream because at that point I wasn't in training mode.
After my hissy fit I found the insoles online and had them overnighted but they wouldn't be here until Monday (today).  On Sunday I had had enough of not running and so I decided to run anyway.  Without the insoles.  I figured my foot had enough time to rest and recoop so I should be able to run.   Luckily, I was right.  I ran 4 miles in 40 minutes.  HELLO 10 minute MILES!!! Now if I could just keep that pace for all 13 miles we'll be golden! haha! Also, if I did that without the insoles I hope to do better with the insoles in. I also went to the gym today and ran hills/sprints (it's supposed to be a hilly course, ) for 2 miles and my foot only hurt slightly.
As planned the insoles were waiting for me when I got home...not planned was the company SENDING ME THE WRONG KIND!!!!!
 I will probably still run tonight but it won't be as long as planned. I will not be defeated and I will not back down.  

Half marathon, I'm still coming to get you.


If you are interested in donating to this cause please go to my Crowdrise site and donate.  All donations are tax deductible.  The goal is only $1000.  If everybody can give $5 then we will be well on our way to the goal.  A big thanks to those who have already given!!


*If you are interested in the course you can go here to see it*
*Also, keep Baby Getty in your thoughts and prayers.  She has surgery tomorrow.  Keep up with Baby Getty on her blog*

Hello, Saturday.

Well, we officially have a mobile and adventurous 9 month old.  She has always been on target developmentally but she was just content doing the easy stuff.  She wasn't up for much of a challenge.  Within the past week or two she has just hit go mode and she has taken off.  I am amazed on a daily basis at how smart Teagan is.  Just watching her inspect and study and learn so much makes me want to take it all in with an innocence and curiosity and need to learn like her.  She sees everything as new and exciting and scary because for her it is all of those things.  Right now, I'm not sure how much is scary to her because it is as if she has no fear.  I honestly think she would crawl off the (our) bed if we would let her.  And we have a VERY high bed.
Here are just a few of the new things she has started doing in the past week:
*crawling at the speed of light
*pulling up on everything she can reach and even stuff she can't
*attempting to stick her finger in a light socket
*smashing her fingers in her bottom dresser drawer
*eating finger foods and attempting to eat things that aren't food
*cruising and trying to reach from one thing to another
*trying to climb up stairs.  She is still a little too short to climb the stairs but boy was she trying!
*she HATES getting her diaper changed...she literally squirmed away from me today with poop ALL OVER her bottom.  That was NOT fun...

There are new things, good and some not so exciting, happening everyday.  I can only imagine what is in store next.  Teagan just amazes me everyday with the things she is learning and how her personality is starting to develop.  I think she is going to have an engineering mind like her daddy.  Everything she plays with or sees she has to inspect first.  She inspects every angle of it to see how it works and how it's put together and how it might fit with something else.  I find myself just wanting to watch her play because it amazes me to see the learning process in such a raw and remarkable state.  I can only hope she continues to love to learn.  I never want her to reach a point in her life where learning gets boring to her.  I want her to gain knowledge in everything she loves and accept that she needs to know some of the stuff she doesn't love as well.  I hope Josh and I can instill a "yearning for learning" (yeah, cheesy, I know) in her.


And if you don't mind could you do us a favor and vote for us on Top Baby Blogs? We are trying to get into the top 50.  Just two clicks is all it takes! Thanks!!

Promises, Promises.

Last night was rough (teeth or no teeth coming, that is the question).
Today was full.
I promise to blog like a good blogger tomorrow.
Goodnight everybody.

Photo Shoot with Jonathan O'Brien

Let me just tell you how incredible Jonathan O'Brien is....we did a family shoot with him on October 30th and he did a great job.   The time with him flew by much too quickly (we will probably schedule him all day next time) and he was great with Teagan which was quite important if we were going to get good shots.  Since my new sponsor, Tiny Prints, has offered Christmas cards to us we decided to use some of the shots from the shoot with Jonathan.  He was kind enough to send a few shots our way so I could use them on the Christmas cards.  Here are a few of the photos he sent my way....

*Caution...the blue eyes you are about to see will make you smile uncontrollably and feel a sense of sweet calmness* 

*the dress Teagan is wearing in the above pictures is from Miskabelly the online vintage store. AMAZING. Go there. You won't regret it.*

Miskabelle/Miskabelly

I was so excited when Melissa on Dear Baby announced the winner of a gift certificate for Miskabelle/Miskabelly and it was me!!!  I've loved their site for a while now and literally did a happy dance when I found out I had one....seriously, the e-mail I sent Melissa to claim my prize was pretty hilarious. 
I basically stalked their site for days figuring out all I wanted to order because there were (still are) SO MANY THINGS!!. I ordered Teagan an adorable jacket (that she can't wear quite yet), a dress that she wore for pictures with a Mr. Jonathan O'Brien and then this adorable top that she wore to see her Aunt Livy!!

Running progress.

"Everyone who has run knows that its most important value is in removing tension and allowing a release from whatever other cares the day may bring." -Jimmy Carter


Today, I needed this quote before my run.  Sure, I ran according to my training guide but the run kind of sucked.  I wasn't focused.  I wasn't able to feed Teagan at lunch because she was asleep and feeding/cuddling with her in the middle of the day just does something good to my soul.  I wasn't able to block out the spiderweb of thoughts in my head.  Okay, enough of my rainy day blues mood. 
Training is going pretty well.  I've condensed an 8 week program into a 6 week program because I didn't have to start out on the initial building up from scratch thing.  I've been in "official" training mode since Tuesday (oddly enough by the program Monday was a day of rest).  I'm feeling pretty good.  My IT (iliotibial) band is acting up again but should be fine if I remember to wear my brace when I run.  That 13.1 number is kind of daunting but I'm determined to cross the finish line running on December 12th. 
I am however, kind of disappointed in the fundraising.  I plan on starting letters this evening to send out to people.  I realize the holiday's are racing (no pun intended) upon us but all I'm asking for is, well anything.  $1-$1,000 will be gladly accepted.  Also, for any runners (or non-runners) who would like to join my "team" on Crowdrise I would really appreciate it.  Or if you would just like to help raise money or awareness! Just let me know!

Being kind.

A few weeks ago I saw a Barley & Birch facebook question posted. One of their mommy friends was having some breastfeeding issues and they were asking for advice.  Having been there myself I decided to put my two cents in and tell them as much as I could about the stuff that helped me during my problems.  I'm not shy when it comes to topics like this or basically anything involving my pregnancy or baby type stuff.  I think everybody needs a little help once in a while and if a question is asked then I will be more then willing to answer it. 
Anyway, I had contacted them earlier about buying a onesie for Teagan.  We were to go camping that weekend and I wanted this onesie to commemorate Teagan's first camping experience.  It was a little more then I would typically pay but it was cute and it is 100% organic.  I feed Teagan organic food.  Why should her skin feel any less? So, in their return message to me they said they would like to send me that particular onesie. Free. They just wanted me to know they appreciated my kindness and they would like to send me (Teagan) this token of that appreciation.  All they asked was that I tell my friends & the bloggy world about it.  I was definitely okay with that! So, here goes!

I literally checked the mail everday for a week or two waiting on this onesie.  I was so excited to get it.  The day I checked the mail and it was in our mailbox I let out a squeal and ran back to the car to show Teagan.  "Your shirt is here, Little Bear!!" I immediately handed her the envelope and she proudly carried it into the house.

Of course after I got her out I opened the package and pulled out the onesie.  I let Teagan hold it and play with it for a little while and then we raced upstairs (she beat me) to put the shirt in the washing machine so she could wear it the next day. 
When I put it on her that morning she didn't cry. She didn't wimper.  She kind of did a little happy dance!  The shirt washed beautifully.  There was no fading, no running of colors and no roughness anywhere on the shirt.  The shirt is incredibly soft and wears very well.  Teagan played, napped and ate in her new shirt and the shirt came home like it left (except maybe with a food stain or two, haha). 

Our First Sponsor, hooray!

I must admit, when I put the Advertising Opportunities tab on the website I felt a little silly.  Who in the world would want to advertise on my page? I just blog about what a pretty average family does...mostly I write about Teagan and her adventures.  Well, I almost hyperventilated when I got the first e-mail from Tiny Prints .  I looked at their site and instantly loved it!  We are trying to cut back on frivilous spending and if you are too then Tiny Prints is the way to go.  They have cards in all price ranges.  You can get cards starting at .49 cents per card.
I'm all about online ordering when it comes to cards or photobooks because I really don't have the time to sit down and make Teagan's scrapbook or handwrite a million Christmas cards.  Even though I don't have enough time in the day to do that I do like the idea of having a little bit of personalization and thought put into the cards.  This year it will be pictures of Teagan.  This year we will be using Tiny Prints. 
I have been looking through the website and trying to decide which ones we will go with.  There are SO MANY to choose from! Here are some of the ones we're trying to decide between:

Rainbow Tree
Lace
Log Cabin
Snowflakes   (one of my top choices)
Hidden flowers
If only this one said Merry Christmas.

There are actually a few more (well, like 10 more) that we can't decide on.  We being me but Josh still gets say in it! Which one do you like the best?

Replacement.

Has your heart ever hurt when your child reaches out for somebody else when they're in your arms? Have you ever felt replaced by a babysitter, daycare worker, teacher, grandparent or spouse?  Does it hurt? It kind of kills me inside.
Teagan has started wanting her independence.  From me.  She has started reaching for her teachers at school (who are incredible by the way).  She has started reaching for her daddy (which usually puts a smile on my face).  She has started reaching while she is in my arms.  She has started reaching away.  As I write this my eyes are filled to the brim with tears but I'm willing them to hold the flood gates closed.  I know she is only 9 months old and she is exploring and gaining her independence.  I know I should feel comforted by the idea that she trusts these other people enough to leave the safety of my arms and go into theirs.  I am usually comforted by this idea but today I'm not.  Today it hurts.  Maybe it's the rain.  Maybe it's the fact that I can already feel her pulling away and growing up.  Either way. I hurt today. 

Have you met Getty?

If you have noticed my blog lately you can see that I've streamlined the layout a little bit.  I've left up the necessary things and the items I feel are important.  If you look to the right of this blog post and see a button that says "Getty Owl, helping Baby Getty" I'd like for you to click on it after you're finished reading this post.  I want to you to not only read the blog but look up at the top and click on What is SMA and read it.  I did and I've decided to do something about it...or at least help.  I don't remember how I came to know about Getty's blog  (maybe I was drawn to the owl) but I do know that I keep up with it regularly and the strength of Getty and her parents never ceases to amaze me.  They recently got to go on a small vacation and sweet Getty, 7 mths, almost kicked her parents out of the hotel bed (read their latest post).  Getty's mom, Kate, introducded me to Sophia's parents.  Sophia's parents are raising money for the research of SMA1 (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) because Sophia, 20 mths, also has SMA1. 
Anyway, most of you know I have been saying for MONTHS that i was going to carve out some Mommy time, that I was going to get back into shape and that I was going to get back into running.  Well, as usual, life gets in the way...it tends to do that when you have a baby (NOT COMPLAINING).  I decided that if I were going to reach my goals then I needed to have a reason to reach them.  Something I felt was bigger and more important then my selfish reasons.  After reading that you could say, isn't staying healthy for Teagan a good enough reason? Yes, it is.  I am healthy. I can run around after her, I can carry her for hours and I take care of any need she has.  Teagan is also, Thank God, healthy. Getty is not. Sophia is not.  Babies with SMA1 are not.  And there is no cure.  Yet.
So, this is my challenge.  This is the thing I needed to light a fire under my rear end.  I am going to run for Getty and Sophia.  I want to help raise awareness for SMA1.  Josh and I have discussed wanting Teagan to know from an early age how important it is to help people.  How is she to learn that if we don't provide an example for her to follow?
My goal is to raise $1,000 by December 10th, obviously more would be great.  I will be racing a half marathon on December 12th.  Training is going to be difficult because
a) Teagan is still nursing and so I have to be back from my runs no later then 7:45pm in the evening.  Also, on the weekends I will have to schedule my runs around her eating schedule (I don't make enough extra for her to bottle feed during the weekends).
b) Running a half marathon is HARD. There is no question that the training is going to be grueling.

Even if I get to the race and I'm not completely ready I have already decide I will go through with it.  If I have to walk/run for 13.1 miles then so be it.  I will cross the finish line with my head held high. 

So, if you would like to donate to this cause I have set up an account on Crowdrise .  If you don't feel comfortable giving money online then you can contact me at RiciReid@gmail.com and we can figure out something. 


Here are some facts about SMA Kate sent me:

SMA is the #1 genetic killer of young children.
SMA is estimated to occur in nearly 1 out of every 6,000 births.
1 in every 40 people, or nearly 10 million Americans, UNKNOWINGLY carries the gene responsible for SMA. Few have any known family history.
SMA is a pan-ethnic disease and does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, or gender.
There is currently no treatment and no cure, but the National Institutes of Health (NIH) selected SMA as the disease closest to treatment of more than 600 neurological disorders.
Researchers estimate that a viable treatment and/or cure is attainable in as little as 5 years – IF provided adequate resources.
The American College of Medical Genetics recommends that SMA carrier testing be made available to ALL couples planning a family, regardless of ethnicity or family history.
 
If you would like to know more about SMA1 here are some websites Kate suggested to me:
Families of SMA
Fight SMA