Posts Tagged ‘paisley joon’

Dear Paisley: Month 13

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

I’d better hurry up and write this before my fleeting memory fully escapes me. We’ve already blown right through your 13th month and are well in to your 14th. This age, 1-year old, is the best! I’m eating it up and loving every minute.

You are such a happy, agreeable, playful baby! How did we get so lucky? Even when you are “at your worst” I rarely threaten to abandon you and/or give you away. Your worst really isn’t that bad. I haven’t ever seen a tantrum, although a few of your dramatic crying fits were teetering on the edge.

Your vocabulary is just exploding! You’ll repeat nearly anything we say, and if you can’t quite grasp it you’ll “hum” the syllable cadence. Your first color is yellow, which surprisingly comes out very clear, something like “yeh-yo.” You can identify several body parts, calling them by name, including eyes, elbows, knees, ears, and hair. Water, crackers and bottle are the only foods you call by name, although you’re working hard on bagel, the staple of your morning routine. But “Eat!” you’ve gone down pat. You usually belligerently scream it at us.

I am loving watching your imagination grow. It’s amazing to me that at such a young age you’re already pretending, without any guidance whatsoever on the concept. You say “nigh nigh day-dee” when you pretend to put your baby (a Curious George doll) to sleep, and pound its poor back, trying to gently pat it. You have a tea pot set and you’ll bring the cups to me to fill each one, and then take it to daddy and you’ll each slurp up the invisible beverage; you’ll also have me pour the spout right in your mouth and you always go “Mmmm!”.

You’ve found a few of your very own hidey holes. One is behind a chair next to the wall, and you’ll stand in the apex of the V between the two, poke your face as far through as possible and wait for our faces to appear on the other side. You also like to crawl under the end table where we store your toy basket in the living room and sit cross-legged playing with your piano, dolls, books, or whatever else is under there.

Time outs have become a more regular occurrence, but you’re honestly so well behaved and that they are rarely put in to action. You fully understand what they are, and when you tell me “no no” to a request more than twice I ask “do you want to go to time out?” and you generally correct yourself. When you don’t, it’s off to the corner we go. It’s hard as hell not to laugh! Correction, it’s hard as hell not to let you see me laughing. It’s equally the funniest and most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever witnessed. You will throw your head back and wail, screaming “maaamaaaaa,” with big alligator tears streaming down your face, and ever few seconds you’ll inch further and further away from the corner. I always ask you to come to me so we can discuss what happen, and finish it with a kiss.

You’re becoming more particular about food. You’re pretty much a vegetarian at this point, refusing any chicken, pork, or beef that I’ve offered you. Once in a while you’ll take me up on a bite of fish, but otherwise it’s fruits, veggies, grains, and vegetarian protein, like black beans, cheese, yogurt, and of course milk. Your love of watermelon knows no bounds, and really the only fruit you’ll turn up your nose at is a banana. If you don’t like something, you very clearly say “no” and shake your head. If you like something, God save the man who gets in your way as your tiny fists shovel food in your mouth as fast as you can. You’ve started showing more interest, and skill, in feeding yourself with a fork or spoon, so daddy and I have tried to be better about ignoring the mess and letting you at it.

We also met up with Paul last month to take your one-year pictures. You were quite the ham for us, being quite the trooper as we made our way around the OU football stadium to take a picture in front of the section 1 sign, and then over to Reaves Park in Norman. However, the cake frosting hit the fan, if you know what I mean, when we attempted to make you take a picture with a birthday cake. You would have thought it was hot lava with a monster face on it the way you reacted. Thirty minutes of non-stop, tear-soaked wailing delivered not a single happy picture but plenty of you having what we’ll chock up to you first full blown panic attack. Seriously kid? It’s cake. If someone forced me to sit next to a double layer cake and devour it without any consequences… I’d cry if you tried to stop me.

I love you bug!

Mama

I Tweeted My Daughter’s Birth

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

I’d told a few friends leading up to Paisley’s delivery day that I was going to tweet the entire birth. They didn’t believe me. Just like they didn’t believe I was going to start a web site, ask for money, and talk about my ovaries. I’m a believable girl!

I just thought it would be fun to keep everyone posted on the goings on of the day. And because my Twitter automatically updates my Facebook status, many other friends and family, like my grandma, who couldn’t be at the hospital, we’re able to follow along, play-by-play.

What I realized the next morning is that I’d inadvertently given myself a priceless gift – a transcript of the day. The next morning, while Shelton and our hours-old baby slept, I went through my phone reliving the day one tweet at a time. There had already been moments I’d forgotten, and the chronology of the day was completely out of order in my head. I wish this were a complete thread; we only started tweeting a couple hours in to the morning when friends requested a dedicated hashtag (#PaisleyJoon was born). I also don’t have any of Shelton’s tweets, nor the many, many replies with cheers, encouragement, and blessings. But I do have most of my tweets, and it’s something I treasure.

In light of Paisley’s first birthday being tomorrow, I thought it was fitting to clean up the list and republish it to share here.

(Note: all times are PST, add two hours for local time.)

Wishing my @Skoskie the happiest 30th birthday!! We’ll have to rain check that sushi lunch my love.

Filling out epic amounts of paper medical history. Seriously get some #EHR. ( ie @pulseehr) 5:53 AM Apr 27th

Mmmm breakfast! Virgin snocone. http://twitpic.com/1iux2j 6:03 AM Apr 27th

Started the petocin. 6:36 AM Apr 27th

Broke my water. At a three. Fetal monitor in place. 7:23 AM Apr 27th

Damn these contractions are not cool. 8:18 AM Apr 27th

Ps I’m starrrrrrving!!! 8:19 AM Apr 27th

Wow. Getting her into the bathroom and back is quite the logistical undertaking. (via @skoskie) 8:52 AM Apr 27th

Resident checked me at a SEVEN but second opinion still says three. Getting pain meds. 9:02 AM Apr 27th

I don’t want to fill out your stupid birth plan. Get baby out alive, that my plan. I dt care if u make eye contact or if I hv piture water. 9:09 AM Apr 27th

Ahhhhh yeah. Thank you for the newbane(?). Pain meds are niiiice. 9:32 AM Apr 27th

That was a big contraction. http://twitpic.com/1iwdox 9:50 AM Apr 27th

Shelton is so proud of his signs. http://twitpic.com/1iwhla 10:07 AM Apr 27th

#paisleyjoon will be our hash for birth watch, or whatever we are calling this @jeremysanchez @bowlerjim 10:44 AM Apr 27th

Dilated 3.5 #paisleyjoon 10:45 AM Apr 27th

Babys heart rate has dropped to 70 couple times. She is ok seems to be when I chg positions. Precaution did epidural. #paisleyjoon 12:03 PM Apr 27th

Really hard decide to do epidural. Few tears. Procedure was brutal!!!! @skoskie was amazing. Now I’m trap bed and numb. #paisleyjoon 12:05 PM Apr 27th

Dilated 4. #paisleyjoon 12:06 PM Apr 27th

Took a mini nap after kicked out all the fam. ;) felt good. #paisleyjoon 1:02 PM Apr 27th

Heart drop again. So scary but no one concern bc isolated incidents. #paisleyjoon 1:04 PM Apr 27th

Kegal with epidural.. Odd, funny, impossible. Lol!! #paisleyjoon 1:08 PM Apr 27th

Dilated 5. Dreaming of chicken strips from pumphouse. #paisleyjoon 1:23 PM Apr 27th

The only reason I know contracts bc monitor. Feel nothing. They look big Makes sad bc they weren’t that terrible. #paisleyjoon 1:30 PM Apr 27th

4:15 I was six. 5:00 I’m nine. #paisleyjoon 2:56 PM Apr 27th

I’m a ten. Talk to you when I’m a mom. ( tears) #paisleyjoon 3:10 PM Apr 27th

Introducing Paisley Joon Koskie!!! Perfectly healthy. 7lb 7oz 18″ at 7:05pm. #paisleyjoon http://twitpic.com/1iza80 5:42 PM Apr 27th

Dear Paisley: Month 7

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Dear Paisley,

Just yesterday you turned seven-months old, and it occurs to me that you are now closer to turning one than you are to your birth date. It’s going so fast and I don’t know how to make it stop, or even pause. This week was Thanksgiving, your first. You had pumpkin, sweet potatoes and cranberries with apple. All homemade purees, of course! I’ve cried more in the past few days than I have in a long time because I’m so overwhelmed by how thankful I am for you. Back in the old days, when we still celebrated Thanksgiving with my family, we used to one by one go around the table each year and say what we were thankful for. If we’d done that this year, I would have named you. I’m so at a loss for words lately trying to summarize how I feel about you, what you mean to me and how deeply your presence has changed me. I marvel at your every movement and sound, and could get so lost in your deep blue eyes that I might not ever find my way back. This is what “they” were always talking about. This is what I longed for for so long.

This month, once again, I had to leave for a week for work. This time to New York and Grandma Lori stayed with you. I think the two of you got along just fine, and I know she enjoyed having you all to herself for an entire week! Each time I return home from a trip you have something to show off, and this time, you and daddy together had something to show off together. He spent his free time with you during my absence teaching you how to stand. Maybe not teaching, more like encouraging. You’ve been insistent on standing since you came home from the hospital, and here recently it’s all you want to do. You yell at us if you aren’t standing, and squeal with pure unadulterated delight when you’re doing it. You beam with a smile so large it’s hard to harness the pride you feel for yourself. Deservedly so, I say. Just before hitting your seventh month you stand. You can pull yourself up, you LOVE holding our hands and walking around, and you cruise along the furniture. You even transfer from one object to another, like from the coffee table to the sofa. It’s unbelievable. Your little legs just go! go! go! And you damn the man who tries to get in your way. When we visited Dr. H last week (following three days of fever that turned out to be nothing… and weighing a whopping 16 pounds!), we showed you standing, completely unassisted, and he was impressed, asking if you were nine months yet, and we replied that no, you weren’t quite seven months yet. Nice work, kiddo!

All of this to say that you show no interest in crawling. That action couldn’t be further from your plan of getting from A to Z. When we lie you on your belly, or you end up there from rolling around, it doesn’t take long for you to become completely annoyed with the situation and demand we flip you over. Sometimes it’s like watching a turtle flipped on its shell… and I giggle. Once I caught you lifted up on all fours and I about died! It was after a bath and I just kept screaming until you finally collapsed. And once again, you beamed with pride! You’ll roll around to get where you need to go sometimes, and you’ll spin in 360-degree circles grabbing different toys; but you always go back to standing.

You’re mobile and it’s exhausting. I feel like I can’t keep up with you… and you’re not actually walking on your own. I’m already daydreaming about the barricades I’m going to have to create to keep you contained. Although, I have a feeling, metaphorically speaking, that there won’t ever be a barricade strong enough to hold you in it.

Not only are your legs moving, but your mouth is moving. Lord help us! You are so full of ba-ba-ba, da-da-da, shrieks, screams, grunts, growls and other Paisley-isms that I have no doubt you’ll be a very verbal little girl. From these sounds it’s so easy to pick out your mood, opinion, demands or concerns. You’ve still yet to really figure out how to laugh. Once in a great while we’ll get a giggle or two out of you, but the rest of the time you express joy by growling. When you wake up, or are simply content, you have this teeny tiny sing-song voice that you just la-la-la yourself with. Your daddy and I agree that it’s hands down the best sound we’ve ever heard.

We hear these sounds when you call to us at 2am, or when you’re yelling at us 9pm. Why? Because suddenly you don’t want to sleep! What gives? We want to sleep. We love sleeping. You’ve always been on the same wavelength. And now? I can’t deal with this. I’ve always said bring on the poop-bomb diapers, the weird eating habits, the crying and the screaming but for the love of all things holy just let us all sleep! I keep telling myself it’s a brief phase, likely due to the recent time change, possible start of a new round of teething, or maybe a growth spurt. Whatever it is, I hope we’re able to move past it without anyone being harmed.

You spend most of your days hanging out with cousin Ellie. I can’t tell you how much I adore watching the two of you play together. The two of you love each other in a way I didn’t know was possible. You both ooze with excitement when you see each other and play so very well together. When Ellie walks in the house, you growl and start flapping your arms, while Ellie runs straight to you to hug you and kiss you. She has started calling you “joo-joon”. (Over Thanksgiving we spent time in OKC and cousin Emilee has started calling you “Fifi”.)

For as close as the two of you are though, Ellie did try to kill you. You were watching Jungle Book together one afternoon while I was working. Ellie had a plate of little apples to snack on and, being the generous sharer that she is, gave you one. Well, I thought it was only one. I watched her try to place it in your mouth and snatched it up, telling her we can’t feed you. Then I looked at you to see your mouth wide open and heard the struggling sound of your breathing, and my heart froze cold. You were choking. I could feel the apple sitting in your throat and tried to fish it out with my finger, but I couldn’t get to it. Panic-stricken I dialed 911 and began screaming “SHE’S CHOKING!” over and over. I can’t tell you how sick I felt inside, my skin cold and clammy and my muscles like Jell-O. Definitevely the worst moment of my life. I managed to gag you and make you throw up, no apple, but you were crying. At that point I just started yelling “IF SHE’S SCREAMING SHE’S BREATHING, RIGHT?!” And you were. By the time the three-person fire team arrived, followed by the three-person paramedic team, you were sitting on my lap smiling. I was shaking like a tree, crying and trying to collect myself. They checked you out and you were, of course, fine.

You continue to grow and amaze us in so many ways. You like to blow raspberries while I’m feeding you and shower us with pureed food. You like most things we’ve fed you, and for those you don’t, we simply add some mashed bananas and you’re good to go. You grow to be more beautiful by the day and I marvel at the fact that we made you. In a dish. In a lab. And then you grew inside of me. It’s quite bizarre when you think about it. Maybe this is why you’re so strong.

Jury is still out on whether or not your hair will be curly or red. I’m leaning toward auburn and straight. Only time will tell, and if it keeps growing at this rate, we should know soon!

I’m looking forward to finishing 2010 with you more than you know. And celebrating your next big milestone, no matter what it might be.

I love you, my buggy!

Mama

Dear Paisley: Month 6

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

“You are the best thing, that’s ever been mine.”

A new Taylor Swift song came out last week, “Mine”, and as soon as I heard that line I thought of you. It’s so very true. Burn this house to the ground and everything in it, as long as I’ve got you (and that daddy man) I can’t think of a whole lot else I want or need.

Six months has never felt so brief, and yet so fulfilling, as it has with you. In the same amount of time that you’ve been here, we’ll be celebrating your first birthday. (Pardon me while I bawl my eyes out.) You’ve changed me and my life in such profound ways that if I tried I feel like I couldn’t find my way back to where I was even a year ago. Most of the time I wouldn’t want to. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have days where I’d willingly run back.

You’ve absolutely come out of your little baby shell this month. You’re funny! The faces and sounds you make crack me up! And while your BIG ADVENTURES are usually as simple as finding your ears (which you did), finding your tongue (which you did) or tasting a new food (which you did a lot of), they are some of the most thrilling moments. I love getting to experience all of it with you.

You now have two little teeth right in front. They are sharp as razors, and I know this because you were chewing my chin yesterday (I didn’t ask either) and you bit me. These teeth are used for gnawing absolutely anything you can get your little Barbie hands wrapped around (we call them that because you never open your fingers!). The teeth aren’t that essential to eating right now since it’s all liquified this or pureed that.

You have been the best little eater and I’ve so enjoyed making your food! You’ve tried: green beans, squash, zucchini, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, bananas and avocados. Pumpkin you didn’t love, so we mixed it with bananas, calling it “jack-o-nanners,” and you were into it then. Same with the avocados. Everything else you lap up like chocolate cake! When you get really excited about what you’re eating you blow raspberries and spray whatever is in your mouth all over yourself, us and anything else in your splatter path. You also eat cereal with pear juice every morning. The bottle is still your buddy. You come unglued when you see it, stick out your tongue, start “talking” and flapping your arms. When it’s close enough, you grab the bottle and pull it in to your mouth, and, if I happen to be tied up with work, you’ll curl up in your boppy and feed yourself. It’s the most bittersweet thing – I love curling up with you to feed you, and yet I love the freedom this is affording us.

Your other new trick is sitting up. All by yourself. No support. And you’ll do this for like half an hour. You play with your toys, pull on your feet and occassionally topple over. It makes me laugh every time. Once I’ve assessed your safety. Sometimes. You just look SO BIG sitting there!

Bath time has changed as a result of the sitting because now you don’t have to just lay there like a baby, you get to sit like a big girl! You love it! You splash so hard and squeal so loudly! You like having a toy or two to play with and if we’re in the tub with you we let you swim like a little froggy. You revel in bath time and if you could ask for them I think you would.

When we prop you up against the couch or a chair you’ll use your hands for support and stand on your own for several minutes. You look, and think you are, so big doing this! It’s your fave and I have no doubt you’ll take off walking any day now.

Your biggest adventure this month was camping. Camping is one of our favorite things to do and we were so excited to take you on this trip. I was nervous but you proved to be a truly happy camper and didn’t give us an ounce of trouble. You were too cute for words with your little stocking cap on your head and when you were all bundled up like a glow-worm in the tent. We forgot to pack our blankets (and it dipped into the 30s at night) so you were so much warmer than we were and I longingly looked at your fuzzy blankets and footy pajamas wishing someone had packed for me, too! Upon our arrival home you had a 102.5 fever. We’re still newbs, so we took you to the ER. The catheter they gave you was probably one of the most heart-wrenching, painful moments of my life and the nurses were so kind and so gentle but that was nothing in the face of that shrill, piercing scream. I wanted to hold you and never let you go. (PS there was nothing wrong with you)

Finally, we were on the eve of your first Halloween this month. I skipped the costume route and just dressed you up. Amen for Aunt Jenna, she made your big obnoxious tutu and aaaadorable spider bow! You were the belle of pumpkin patch we visited and were an absolute delight as we propped you, posed you and played with you.

You, my dear, are perfection. You are more fun each and ever day making it impossible to imagine it’s going to get better.

Love you Bug!

Mama

Dear Paisley: Month 5

Monday, October 11th, 2010

Oh my dearest Paisley Joon. You have just plain sucked my spare time away. It no longer exists. Which is why we’re a week in to October and just like last month I’m only just now writing your letter. What I really, really hate about this is that I’m struggling to remember the things I want to say.Which is why right now I’m going to start making myself notes throughout the month so I can just fill in the blanks on the 27th. Hopefully that sticks.

The fact that I don’t have any spare time anymore doesn’t totally bother me. I spend that time with you now, and there’s no better time in the world. You light up when you see us, and we beam even brighter when we see you. The greatest 10 minutes of my ENTIRE day… 10 minutes out of a 24-hour cycle… is from the time I hear you first start chattering to yourself in your crib until your daddy and I are changing your diaper. That time in between is a bliss that makes a mojito on the beach feel like hell on earth. I positively love walking up to your crib and you make that horrifying suffocation sound that for now is how you express pure, unadulterated joy. You wiggle around in your “fuzzy” and then your daddy and I wrestle for who gets to scoop you up and suck in your warmth and smell that can only come from 11 hours of uninterrupted sleep. (Yeah, you heard me, 11 hours! Boom!) We snuggle and coo at each other… and then we change your diaper and the fairy tale is over. Not because of some villainous find in your diaper, but you start fussing and crying tell us to bug off and leave your undies alone.


This month you took your first road trip. Well, you’ve made several trips to OKC and back already, but we did an 8-hour road trip to Denver to see the Sanchezes. You were a dream. Better than I could have hoped for. You slept about five of the eight-hour drive and the few hours you were awake you were happy and pleasant. Part of keeping you content meant I drove and daddy sat in the backseat with you and the two of you watched DiggNation on the iPad. (We really are going to turn you in to a geek, aren’t we?) You were your typical happy cheery self for most of the trip, and per usual, when you were tired, hungry or dirty, you made sure everyone knew it.


We drove to the top of Mount Evans, a 14,000-foot mountain, visited mountain goats along the way, and then took in an epic view at the top. I was scared your ears would pop, but you never gave any indication that you were uncomfortable. And being the outdoor-loving girl that you are, you seemed to completely enjoy the time outside.

We also took you to your first OU football game, opening day for the 2010 season. The Denver OU club was hosting a watch party at a downtown bar. We’re classy parents, so it wasn’t your first trip to a bar. No big deal, right? Well, it was your first bar with 200+ screaming OU fans and you weren’t having any of it. Your daddy was adorably protective of you. I, on the otherhand, just wanted to watch the football game. When the first BOOMER! SOONER! volley occurred, you lost your mind and screamed hysterically. Sarah and Jeremy made a move to get checks while your dad and I hustled you out to the car. You were too adorable in your vintage OU onesie, jeans, and a custom-made red and white football bow from Aunt Jenna. I could have eaten you. PS – we won the game!


We survived another mommy trip away. Oma stayed with you and daddy for a week while I went to Utah to visit the Biggest Loser Resort. It was an amazing trip that was SO good for me in so many ways. I was away a painful eight entire days and I missed you so much that I cried myself to sleep a few nights. Thanks to Steve Jobs, we were able to “Facetime” each night. With the video chat on our phones you and I played peek-a-boo, talked, sang and made goggly eyes at each other. Short of being there to drink up your scent, it was as good as it gets. The ache in my heart only fueled my desire to kick all of those workouts and hikes in the butt so I could return to you a stronger, happier, healthier mommy. You are very much the driving force behind me running this half-marathon soon, I want you to be proud of me and I want to be a healthy role model for you. I’ve never been a runner, but because of you, I feel like I could scale mountains. And I’m working on it!

Right before I left for that trip we introduced veggies. I’m making your food and I couldn’t be more excited about this. I love cooking and this means I get to share that passion with you long before I have to cut up your fish tacos in teensy little bites. I steamed and pureed a big batch of squash, zucchini and carrots. All organic for a total of $7.54. For six weeks worth of food. Unreal. You’ve liked everything I’ve given you. In fact, you don’t just lacksadaisically lounge in your high chair waiting for a bite, you lunge for the spoon and screech between bites if I don’t shovel it in fast enough. You and I make a great feeding team, little mess, empty bowls. You and daddy on the other hand get frustrated with one another, make a big mess and even had an incident where he syphoned the squash into a straw and in to your mouth. Bizarre? Yes. Happen again? No.

Aunt Jenna and cousin Ellie moved to town at the end of August, so you’ve had a lot of time to get to know them. You and Ellie adore one another and it’s heartwarming to see the interaction the two of you share. You see each other each and every day of the work week, and on the days Ellie can’t come, I swear I can sense your longing for her. Why are you together so much? Because you share a sitter. Yes, mommy sprung for a nanny. We’ll call her “N” and we love her. She’s been an amazing addition to our home. For six hours a day you cuddle and play with her while I work. We share her with Ellie and the three of you have become fast pals. The first few times I handed you off you weren’t impressed, but now you light up when “N” arrives in the morning. Ideally I could spend all day with you, but mama’s gots bills to pay (namely, still paying for you!!) and I can’t work and bounce you on one knee. As much as I’d like to think I can. It’s not like I have to leave you somewhere though. “N” comes here, and I work downstairs in my office, so we’re only a few feet away. I can hear you giggling and playing during the day and it just makes my whole day better. When I need a squeeze or you need a cuddle, I can get to you in a matter of seconds.

The next one of these I write will be summarizing your sixth month and I want to cry saying that outloud. We measured you at roughly 14 pounds and 25″ long. You’re becoming a real person with a real personality. As much as I love it, I’d like you to just slow down.

Love you Chicky-Boom!

Mama

Hooked on Phonics with Daddy

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Paisley absolutely eats up every vowel sound Shelton makes. They play this little game a lot.

Are her coos and smiles not the most amazing?!?!