What a Wednesday...

Comments from the Couch...

I am not sure whether to talk about how perfectionism and motherhood are sworn enemies or how much I am glad I am not a single mom (or a mother of multiples).
As I sit here having just got Dotty to bed and then picked up the entire house, folded clothes, packed her diaper bag, and then made a list (a mile long) of what I need to do tomorrow I am discovering that my need for order and for perfectness (is that a word) and my need to be a sane mom are not going to happen at the same time.
I have finally given up trying to clean as the day goes on. I now just let the house look like a tornado hit it and then when Dotty goes to sleep clean it up and then sit and admire my work. I have also learned that I need to get myself ready before Dotty wakes up and then never look in a mirror again b/c it will just depress me.
I have also learned that going to work (without my child) is a good thing. It is not a day off but close.

As far as the single parent goes I thank God every night that I am not one for whatever reason. Of course as I write this Tony is hanging out with a friend and has spent a total of about 30 minutes with Dotty. But he does do things that I am thankful for...most importantly loving Dotty with all his heart and loving me when we are both not too tired.
I can't imagine doing all this by myself. I don't know how other women do it. Or how women do it with twins, triplets, or more. Or how women do it who have children with special needs. It is crazy to me. Just when I start to feel sorry for myself I read Ang's Blog and with her great attitude she reminds me how lucky I am...thanks Ang!

Your Daily Dose of Dotty...

I don't think I have mentioned that Dotty can make duck noises...quack, quack! She has a rubber ducky that covers the faucet in the tub and she loves quacking at it. We are working on other animals now but so far the duck is ruling the farm. She still can't (or won't) say Mama...much to my dismay. She also still has no teeth and I have been home with her all week b/c my mom has had my niece Presley and Dotty has been in a bear of a mood. I am not sure if it is teeth or just her personality but man I wish some of those pearly whites would break through and soon!!!

This, That, and the Other...

If anyone has any good (and easy...emphasis on the easy) slow cooker recipes I would love to have them. With sports picking up and pecan season about to start I am looking for ways to provide meals that don't come from a box and require a microwave every night!!!

I love subtitles...

So after doing this posting thing a few times I now think I may have a better way to let people know what to expect.

If you see the subtitle "Comments from the Couch" then you are in for some personal therapy time...feel free to skip that part if you like.

The subtitle "Your Daily Dose of Dotty" means...you guessed it...all Dotty and nothing but Dotty. I am sure this will be a popular part of my blog.

Finally the subtitle "This, That, and the Other" means all other news. Basically stuff about Tony, work, friends, whatever else.

Hope this is helpful!!!

Warning...rambling...

As I write this at 10:30 at night (after Dotty has gone to bed very early because she only had a 30 minute nap today and she bumped her head so hard she cried herself to sleep and Tony is asleep b/c his first day of school was today and that always wipes him out) I am reminded of how little personal time mothers or perhaps just women in general get.

I started this blog b/c I thought it would be a nice way to let people know about Dotty and the happenings in my family without having to blast out an email everytime and send it to those who may or may not want to read it. After a few posts though I have a feeling this may be a combo of Dotty updates and therapy for me.

Being a new mom is hard. Harder than I ever imagined. I am always tired, always wondering what I should be doing for Dotty that I am not doing, always wondering if Tony and I will ever talk about the stuff we used to (those things that did not involve poopy diapers, who had to get up the most the night before and what we would like to do but can't b/c we have already asked out parents to watch Dotty too much this week).

I worry I am not being a good mother, wife, daughter, friend, employee, person....

I worry I will forget all the cute and funny things Dotty has done b/c I did not catch it all on film (still or otherwise)...

I worry I will never get Dotty's baby book finished...

I worry I will never start Dotty's baby book...

I worry....

But then as I write this I realize that I am sure many women/moms are worried about the same thing (or have at one point in their lives). I know my mom never did a baby book for me and I still think she is a great mom. I know several of my friends who have told horror stories about their ealy days as moms and their kids have not gone to jail or on Oprah yet. I look at all the moms I know and think everyone of them is doing a pretty good job...or at least the best they know how to do. I have learned lessons from them and I have learned a few good jokes too. I hope some day I can pass on valuable (or at least humorous) information to a new mom too.

Motherhood is the best job I have ever had...and the hardest. I don't get paid for it (unless you count goofy grins, slobbery kisses, reaches for hugs, and snuggles in sleep...all of which are priceless). I have not gotten a lot of publicity for it (except for when Tony thanks me for Dotty or my family and friends say I am doing a good job or when Ruth Ann says she is happy to have me as a daughter-in-law...all of this means more to me than any award or write up in the paper). Motherhood has really not improved my looks. I have bags under my eyes from sleepless nights (I also have the joy of knowing that when Dotty cries sometimes she just wants her mommy to hold her). My hair is usually up in a sloppy pony tail b/c I did not have time to wash it (mainly b/c I had to give Dotty a bath and it was too fun to watch her splash around so I hated to make her get out so I could have a turn). My clothes are still two sizes bigger than what I would like them to be (b/c I love to eat...sorry no cute Dotty story here).

I may never be on Regis and Kelly as one of the world's greatest moms, I may never get rich off of some wonderful idea I had on how to survive motherhood (but I spend a lot of money on other people's ideas), and I may never win a beauty contest as the best looking mom on the block. On the other hand as long as Dotty thinks I am great then I will be rich in ways money could not buy and I will be happy in ways no contest could make me.

It is funny how when I started this blog I was very down and now...not so much. I may even go to sleep with a smile on my face...of course Dotty will cry an hour later but I have a feeling it will be okay then too.

New Pics of Dotty...

For those of you who have hinted (some of you numerous times) that I need new pics of Dotty here you go! The one of her with the tissue box was one night when I was washing dishes and she was being extra quiet. I should have known something was up. The other is of Dotty trying to drive. She hates her car seat but she loves to sit in Tony's lap. Granted we don't go far so don't turn us in. We usually just go around the block. She likes to peek over the steering wheel and say "vrooom". I guess we may have a race car driver on our hands...or at least someone who will be impatient to turn 16 and get her license. I love the one of her with the toilet paper. She loves to pull it off the roll...and then eat it!

I promise more soon.

Still Learning...

Blogging is such a new thing for me I am still learning as I go. For those of you who tried to comment on my page and could not I talked to my friend Andrea (her baby Heidi is 10 days younger than Dotty and sooooo cute) and she told me how to fix it...hopefully.

So now feel free to Comment to your heart's content!!! Remember the old saying though...If you cannot say (type) anything nice then don't say (type) anything at all!

Plus, Andrea told me how to moderate the comments so when you first send a comment it will go to my email first and then I decide whether or not to publish it...so if you are being tacky then you are being deleted!!!

Lady Longhorn...

I have bad news for the Aggies in my family...it seems Dotty is a Longhorn already. Tony has a stuffed toy BEVO that plays the UT fight song and Dotty has me play it over and over again. She drags it from room to room and just loves it.



I have even been trying to get her to hold up one finger when I ask her how old she is and now she holds up one finger when the fight song comes on. Sorry to those who graduated from A&M I don't know what to say. I even got out the A&M sandals Mother gave her (that are still a little too big) and tried the on her but all she wanted was the BEVO.

If anyone can find me a Revelle (not sure on spelling) I promise to give both schools equal play (pun intended).

Rain keeps falling on my head...

...and it can keep coming as far as I am concerned! It has been so nice these last few days it is hard to believe it is August in Texas. My yard and my flowers were just about to become dust so it has been so nice to see everything turning green again...of course Tony hates the fact that he will have to start mowing again!

Mom and Dad are both on their way home from their seperate vacations. Mom went to near Cancun Mexico and Dad was at Falcon lake near the Mexican border. Both seemed to have had blasts. I guess after so many years of marriage it is best to travel seperately.

Dotty is now taking a lot of steps together. In fact she is walking about 7 or 8 steps at a time. I think she would take more but she loves to be carried too much...and I love to carry her. She can point to your nose and sometimes your mouth and your eyes...but only if you clap for her...and then she claps too! She loves her books and her Dora DVDs. She hates her car seat and when she gets told "no". She is cute as a button and it is a good thing because she still does not sleep through the night so if she was not a cutie she would be in serious trouble!

Enjoy the rain!!!

The Dotty Days of Summer

For all of you who care here is an update on Little Miss Dotty Marie Nichols...

Dotty will be 1 year old on September 8th. Can you believe it??? It has gone by so fast. She is taking 6 or 7 steps (not really walking but wobbling). She says "Dada" and "Nana" really well. She can point and grunt (or scream) at whatever she wants and she lets you know what she wants let me tell you.

Dotty, Tony, and I just got back from the Nichols Family Vacation in Ruidoso, NM and she did remarkable well for the trip. We broke up the trip going out and we stayed at a lovely cabin. Everyone was lots of help with Dotty (even Payton was great at entertaining her...she loves his wrestling men) but Ruth Ann was the most help of all. She was so awesome and really allowed Tony and me to enjoy our time.

We made the 9 hour (thanks to a one hour detour) trip home on Wednesday and Dotty survived and so did our ears. She did really well with only a few minor melt downs. We were all happy to get out of the car!

She has been staying with Tony since we got back since Howard and Ruth Ann are still gone and Tim and Molly are both vacationing...thus I think Tony is ready to go back to school. It is amazing at how tired an 11 month old can make a person.

I hope to post pics soon of Dot. I am still learning so give me time. More to come!

First Blog...

I feel so much pressure with this first blog. I think I need to say something grand, emotional, or awe inspiring. I think it must provoke people to do great things or become better people. I think it must provide insight, knowledge, or at least a good recommendation for some type of beauty product.

I think none of this will happen with this blog or perhaps any future blogs. I am sure the only people to find anything interesting in what I have to say will be family members and close friends and I am sure most will only care about what I have to say about Dotty (which will no doubt be a lot).

I am scared to discover that my life has no real exciting news or even that I am not an interesting person. Perhaps I will discover something else...perhaps not. I guess we will all just have to wait, read, and see.

Hmmm...guess that is it! As for something thought provoking here you go...

"Pain is weakness leaving the body." I agree with that statement a lot except when pain means a little 6lb. 9oz. girl...then that means the greatest joy of your life is leaving your body to be placed in your arms!