Tallahassee

On Friday, me, my daughter and boyfriends family left for our trip to Tallahassee. I was a bit skeptical about taking my daughter on her first road trip. When I found out that we would be leaving in the evening it eased my worries. My daughter is seven-months-old now and she sleeps through the night, her average bedtime is 8 p.m. Therefore, I knew I would not have to worry about her getting antsy on her first road trip. We got on the road around 9 p.m. and surprisingly Aniyah was still awake. I started to get worried and began thinking that the drive may be to much for her to handle. A short time after my daughter was fast asleep. We made a stop just before Gainesville and all the movement and lights from the doors opening woke her up. As soon as we got back on the road she went back to sleep and so did I. Before you know it we were on Interstate-10, ten miles out of Tallahassee.

Roadtrip

My boyfriend is very busy with school and football so he does not have the time to visit me and Aniyah as much as he would like to. He came up with this idea for me to take her to Tallahassee to see him on Friday. Any other time I would have jumped in my car and took turnpike north until I arrived in Tallahassee, but with a baby things are not as easy. I would have to worry about the time I would leave so that she would not wake up and be to fussy and make sure I pack everything she needs. He later told me that his mother would be driving up on Friday as well and told me to ride with her. Although the drive is still going to be long with a baby I preferred that idea. I guess I will have to start packing early because I am getting ready to take my daughter on her first road trip.

Girls Day

On April 8, I turned twenty-three years old and my daughter turned 7 months old. Seeing as though she is still a baby, we could not do anything to adventurous. Instead, we enjoyed a mother-daughter day by shopping at Aventura Mall followed by Pembroke Lakes Mall. When we returned to my house my best friend came over with balloons and a birthday cake. She sang happy birthday to me and Aniyah and we enjoyed a slice of cake. My baby was exhausted from our long shopping date that she fell asleep soon after. Since she sleeps through the night now I don't mind asking my mom to babysit while I enjoy a night out with my friends. My best friend and I began to get dressed for our dinner date with some of my other close friends at P.F. Chang's. This was not just an ordinary night for me, this was my first night going to the club since last year march before I had my baby. I was extremely excited to be enjoying the club scene once again. But I was not surprised to find out that not much had changed.

Baby Weight

After my daughter was born I had put on 20 extra pounds to compared to my weight before the pregnancy. I found it to be challenging to loose the weight because I was a new mom with new responsibilities. Although you could call me a stay at home mom because I do not work and was not in school for the first four months of my daughters life, I had little time for working out. I tried the outdoor workouts such as walking and jogging with the baby, but I was eating more calories then I was burning off. If it was cold or raining I would not take the baby in the stroller that day. It would throw my entire workout off for the week. When Aniyah turned six-months-old I joined 24 hour fitness, and I think it was the best decision that I could have made. I take Aniyah to the Kids Club while I work out. I like to take the spinning classes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and workout on my own during the other two or three days. My goal is to get rid of this extra baby fat really soon and with hard work and dedication I think I can get back to my prior weight, if not smaller.

They grow so fast

My daughter is six-months-old now and I can not believe how time fly's. It seems like every month she is learning something new. This month was a pretty rough month for both her and I because she caught a bad cold and I caught it soon after. We have been back and forth to the doctor and pharmacy in an effort to help rid her cold. Although she has been sick, she still keeps a smile on her face and continues to be one of the happiest babies I've ever seen.

Aniyah has always been extremely active and playful, during this month I have noticed changes in her activity. I woke up around 3 a.m. one morning to her making noise and rolling around in her crib. She had learned to roll a few months back but not consistently. This night she would not stop rolling, I would place her on her stomach and she would end up on her back. Keep in mind she is a baby that has been sleeping through the night since she was two-months-old. For an entire week she would wake up in the middle of the night rolling back and forth.

Being Finacially Prepared

Every parent wants the best for there child and many people prepare for the arrival of there child years in advance by finding stable jobs and stable relationships. In my case I had been working for most of my pregnancy and managed to save up money. Although I had a job it was not a high paying job, it was just enough for a college student to get by with the support of there parents. I had planned on breastfeeding since I would be a stay at home mom, and because it is healthier, I am under my dads insurance so I figured that would pay for any medical expenses. When I was 7-months pregnant I was told by my doctor that I would have to pay $375 for doctors fees. I was unsure as to why i had to pay but come to find out we have a 10 percent deductible. After my baby was born I was unable to breastfeed because I was not producing enough milk, milk has become somewhat like a monthly bill. These are just a few bumps in the road when it comes to raising a baby. Although I have been able to financially support my daughter since birth by myself if need be, I feel it is important for expectant parents to be financially prepared for there newborn.

Holidays

Ever since Ive had my daughter I find myself becoming excited for the holidays. When she was a little over a month Halloween was quickly approaching. I must have went to every nearby Party City in search of a cute costume. I really wanted to dress her up as a pumpkin, I think every baby or toddler should dress up as a pumpkin for at least one Halloween. After searching ins and outs my aunt called and said "I have a gift for princess Niyah". At this point I had given up on the pumpkin idea since Party City only had sizes for 12 months and up. Soon after my aunt showed up to my house with a cute little bag and a card, It was two Halloween outfits, they were extremely cute. One was a one piece with a little orange tutu around the waist and a pumpkin n the middle of the chest. The other was more like a pajama. When October 31st arrived I dressed my daughter in her first Halloween costume.