Memory Book

I have spend the first 10 weeks of your life occasionally worrying that you wont have a memory book like I did growing up. I never found the perfect "Baby's 1sts" book that I was looking for so I finally bought a baby-themed smashbook to use. It sat on the bookshelf for a few weeks gathering dust because I was spending all of my time with you! No time to cut & paste and collect and recall stuff. Granted, I made time for this blog, but its less intensive I think, than gathering all of the craft supplies and figuring out placements for pictures.
Well, I finally found the time yesterday while Daddy held you. I don't have too many pictures printed out since I almost never get out to the store to do it, but I put all that I had in the book. I also found the crib card and our hospital bracelets as well as the original BFP test! It was so much fun to do that I've motivated myself to go back out and get some more pictures printed for it. So look forward to a massive post where I share my creative works of art!
And in the meantime, here are some more happy things about you:

• You are an evening person. Currently it is 1:45pm and you're still asleep. You had a brief awakening to cry for Daddy this morning while I was at an appointment, but you quickly gulped a bottle and passed back out. 
• You absolutely LOVE the song Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. I think its because you get to move so much. Your favorite part is "knees to toes" because you fly forward. You get a great big smile on your face and so of course we do it like 5 more times.
• A lot of people have asked if I cut your hair. Why? you may ask. Well, your bangs grow straight across like I took a pair of scissors and just trimmed them up. It's such a perfect line, most people don't believe me when I say I haven't touched them.
• This week you are starting to look less like a squishy baby and more like a little person. It is bittersweet for me because I don't want you to grow up so fast, but I can't wait for what you have in store for me next. 

All my love, 

Mommy

Another Perfect Day

This morning we woke up to a thick fog outside. The dogs wouldn't even leave the porch. Gavin had an early eye appointment and it was overcast once the fog cleared. Evie was still pretty sleepy, her vaccinations from yesterday had made her grumpy and she was still trying to sleep it off.
After the eye appointment we stopped to walk my brother's dog and grab some lunch. When we got out from lunch the sky was clear and the sun was shining. We decided to spend the day outdoors.
First stop was the cemetery. It has a nice paved path, beautiful trees and my grandfathers are there. We brought the camera and got some photos.

Evie began to get fussy, so we packed her up and drove around looking through new neighborhoods, half wishing we had a nice house and friendly neighbors and half thankful we have the privacy of living where you can't throw a rock and hit a neighbor's house. We stopped at a closed up gas station and abandoned motor-inn. Supposedly Babe Ruth had stopped in there at some point. 

It was getting close to the 5 o'clock rush hour so we headed home before we got caught in traffic. There was still sun left so we spread a blanket on the porch and took advantage of the last of it. Evie had a lot of fun spending her tummy time outdoors and was not a happy camper when we had to go inside.

Here's a bonus picture of her deciding it wasn't the best thing to be outside after all:

She's such a cutie. All in all a perfect day. :)

A Sunny Day

Today was the first sunny day in what feels like forever. Gavin and I decided to take Evie to the park for a walk and to get some fresh air. The snow had us feeling quite blue so it would help perk us all up. Here are some pictures. 

It turned out to be quite windy, so we didnt stay out as long as we planned, but it worked out well because we went to the thrift stores in the area and got a bunch of baby books for Evie and Gavin found a ton of records. One store charged just 10 cents per record! Awesome!

Evie was pretty grouchy by the end of the day and wanted nothing to do with being worn or her carseat, so we headed home. She quickly snuggled up with Daddy for an afternoon nap.

Chatterbox

Evie is a chatterbox these days. We lay her down to bed and she stares up at the mobile above and just babbles on and on at it, cooing with such glee. It makes my heart melt.

Documentation

On this snow day, Evie and I lay together on the couch. She is on my chest, asleep and content and I am on my laptop, somehow comfortable and able to type. The last few days I have been noticing all these little things about Evie that make me want to write them down. But for some reason I cannot. Maybe I just dont have the right notebook or I can't seem to find the time. So even though this isn't my keepsake baby book, I have access to it at a time when I can still think of some of these moments.
So without further ado, for Evie:

1. Watching you sleep is the best thing in the world. You let your little mouth hang open just a bit and your sweet breath comes out in little puffs. Sometimes the corners of your mouth pull back, giving you the happiest of grins. Even better, you have a mirthful laugh that starts as a tiny giggle. My heart explodes when you do this. I wish you could always be this small and content.

2. The other day I had you in my arms and you were gazing up at me with all the wonder you could muster. I looked back at you and popped my lips. You smiled. I did it a few more times as you looked on. Then you started opening and closing your mouth. You were trying to do it too! Talk about an incredible feeling. I clicked my tongue and watched as you moved your tongue around in your mouth trying to imitate. I cried, you know. Watching you figure out life in the tiniest ways does that to me.

3. You are probably the only baby I know that actually appreciates her mobile. In fact, you love that thing so much, I'm pretty sure you consider it a third parent. Each night as we lay you down, you turn your eyes up to it and smile. When we twist the knob and the music starts, your eyes widen with wonder and amazement. When it gets going, you start talking to it. Maybe you are singing along? Telling it a story? Expressing your love? Who knows. One thing is for certain: its a necessary part of bedtime.

4. Right now you've accepted that baths are a part of life. You don't mind having your face wiped, as long as you're warm, the tub is not the enemy. This is great. Now if only we could get you on board with the booger aspirator.

5. Company is a must for you. I don't know how I will ever get back to work since every time I am not in your line of sight (and Daddy is not around), you turn on the water works. It breaks my heart.

6. Speaking of water works....last night Daddy went outside with the dogs. When he came back in, his hands were pretty cold and he joked about putting them on your tummy. Well, being the terrible mommy I apparently am, I thought, "cold sensation, this can be a learning experience!" and I put Daddy's hands down on your tummy. Your eyes got wiiiiiide and you took a moment, but then the saddest pout ever began and was followed by a heartbreaking cry. Well of course I felt awful. I held you and patted your back, offered you comfort nursing and the whole shebang. You got over it pretty quickly. I am still dealing with my emotions for having made you cry. I am still so sorry.


So that is all I can think of right now, but for the sake of organization, You are 8 weeks and one day old today. Maybe I will have a list per week?

8 weeks old 

Clockwise from top left: 1 hour old, 2 weeks old, four weeks old, 7 weeks old and 8 weeks old in the center.

Quick Update: Allison!

My good friend Allison who discovered she was on the same journey as me a couple months after I found out I was pregnant is in labor! I'm so excited and can't wait for the arrival of her little girl.
I don't believe I've mentioned Allison yet, but we probably met for the first time as 8 year old cheerleaders way back when. We reunited at the movie theater we both worked for in 2010 and then every time we would switch jobs, we'd make room for each other. Flip flop stand, dry cleaners, etc.
We also happened to go to the same college but missed each other by a year. Crazy coincidences all around and when we found out we were both expecting I was ecstatic!
I'll update again when I can! :)

Free Dog

Yesterday I mourned the loss of a set of pumping parts. Specifically the breastshield, connector and a nice, big, expensive Medela bottle.
I had left the house around noon to take Gavin to work and to bring a diaper cake of newborn-sized diapers to a woman who needed them since Evie never wore that size even from birth. I was doing a good thing! Karma, where were you!?

I ran a few other errands and visited my mom and grandma and had lunch with them and my brother. I finally made it back home with Evie in tow a little after 4pm. I opened the door and was greeted by both of my dogs, all happy and cheerful and even though Syd was carrying his stuffed animal pelt (I'll explain that in a minute), he didn't mind running right up and stuffing his nose in Evie's face and giving us both the sniff-down. 

I checked the kitchen and living room to see if he had pulled a diaper out of the trash, but both were clear. I sat on the couch with Evie and let her nurse away the anxiety that comes with riding in the car and not being an inch away from me.

When she was done I went to go get the pump since I'm also donating milk to a lady in town who can't produce enough. I go to the bedroom where the pump was left the night before and discover that Syd has stolen a bottle with the attached shield and connector and chewed them all to pieces on the bed. Here is the aftermath, gathered:

RIP 

Naturally, I lost my shit. 

Well, I would have, if Evie hadn't been in the house. Instead I chased Syd outside and locked him out in the (fenced-in) yard until Gavin came home. I tried to salvage what I could. The yellow piece that the membrane connects to somehow survived but the breastshield was chewed just enough to not work and be extremely painful when tried. 

When Gavin got home I told him Syd would have to be crated if he was allowed back in. And not just while we're gone, but for the rest of the night. I couldn't look at him, I wanted to kill him. But I love animals and could never, yadda yadda yadda. Still. 

This morning I let him out of the crate after getting an earful of whimpers all night. He looked really apologetic so I forgave him. 

I was lucky enough to meet another mom on facebook who had a similar problem, but instead of 27mm shields being chewed, she had her 24mm ones destroyed by her pup. I have an extra set of 24mm I've never used, so we are going to trade. Yay for the internet! And another mom donated a big Medela bottle to me from her set, which she no longer uses since they are beyond the breastfeeding age.

So it all worked out in the end, but I did keep finding little pieces of plastic in the bed last night. And in case you're wondering, no none of it was actually eaten by my idiot dog. We were able to piece together the remains and concluded this morning that he was just being a jerk.

Also I should add that I have to take some responsibility because I left the bottle and pump parts within reach in the bassinet beside our bed. (You know, the one that was supposed to be for Evie but she refuses to sleep in so it's been a catch-all for midnight diapers and all the random stuff that accumulates with babies that co-sleep). 

And before I forget...Syd's stuffed animal pelt/any stuffed animal he hasn't yet gutted: he likes to carry these around when he knows he's done something wrong. Sort of a last-ditch "you-can't-hurt-me-in-front-of-my-baby!" effort. He occasionally uses them as a security blanket, but mostly for sympathy. He's a weirdo.