Monkey Talks Smack to My Peanut

And please disregard my high pitched voice...WHY does it always sound like that on video???

Weeks 6 and 7 have been absolutely DELIGHTFUL. And I really mean it. Finally things have gotten less stressful. Not necessarily easier, but I'm really starting to enjoy my whole day with her, instead of just the awake time. Going down for naps is exactly how I imagined it (yes, I know as soon as I type those words we will revert to fuss of the century every time I try to put her in her crib). Right now the magic formula is wait until she gets a LITTLE fussy (usually about an hour after she wakes from her last nap), turn the noise maker on, put her in crib, turn seahorse on (it glows and plays lullabies for 5 min), say night night and close the door. She then finds her finger (yes, still not a champ at finding the thumb) and puts herself to sleep. AMAZING. And you want to hear even better news (yes, I'm bragging)??? She SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT Thursday night. That's right. 10pm to 5:45am. I moved out of her room this week (yes I was sad, but I missed my bed...and my husband). I had been just waking once around 2 or 3 to feed her and then going back to bed. But not anymore!!! A whole nights sleep in my own bed was absolute bliss. I'm hoping we can make this a habit.

P's family came up during the weekend and we had a blast. It was their first time meeting the little one, so I was really hoping she would be on her best behavior. And she was. She basically slept every time we went out since she was coming off of a growth spurt. She had her first trip to the park, which she spent snoozing. And P spent the day playing on equipment that was not made to handle adults.

SIL, BIL, and the cousins...and possibly me peeking in the background...

Isn't my husband the epitome of maturity?

Me and the sleeping babe hangin' with the BIL.

The cousins. Awww, so sweet!

Play time is getting more interactive (like, she talks to monkeys) and she has such a happy personality now! I'm hoping it's a sign of her permanent disposition. I get TONS of smiles for all sorts of reasons. Yay! You're changing my diaper! Yay! You're getting me up from a nap! Yay! I pooped! If only we all could find that much delight in the small things.

And an update about me (I know you are DYING to hear)...I'm back in the running game. Well, kinda. I started out with 2 miles at a SLOW pace. I am now proud to announce I am back to my regular 3 mile loop, however still at a slowish pace. Like, everyone flies by me. But I'm ok with that. The goal is to finish the 10k in April, not win it. I am currently at a stand still with weight loss, which is super frustrating and I'm panicking just a tad. I have to be back to pre-peanut weight before I go back to work. Or else I have to go to work naked. Because we currently have $0 income and I can't afford to buy a new super sized work wardrobe. Any suggestions would be appreciated (especially if someone knows of a magic pill I can take that will drop 20 pounds off my butt immediately...and make me tan...and take away stretch marks...and cellulite).

I'm a Lazy Mom

I'm behind on my weekly update, and yet I still can't find the energy to recap. So...I'll get in two weeks worth of fascinating Peanut facts soon. Today I just want to post pictures. Because I think my kid is pretty photogenic (Ok, I admit it...I have the Mom glasses on and to me, she could be the next big Baby GAP model...isn't she the cutest thing EVER?!?...etc. etc.). So here are some shots I took during play time. Stella decided to play too.

Wondering why Mommy is making funny faces:

Her sassy look:

BFFs:

Yes this one looks a lot like the others, but SHE'S SO CUTE!:

Laughing at Mommy...because I'm ridiculous:

Uh...Mom?

It's FEBRUARY. Why am I in a bathing suit?

Because baby sized bathing suits are the cutest things EVER and your Nana bought you one so I had to try it on you as soon as I could get your little diapered bottom in there. Unfortunately your chubby neck doesn't fit in the halter. Back to Baby GAP it goes.

This week in the life of Peanut:

Mom was with me another week, thank goodness. So the house is still clean and the laundry is done, which is phenomenal due to the number of outfits we go through due to spit up. And poo. I had a WONDERFUL post-baby shower on Saturday thanks to the amazing ladies at church. I brought the little one and she did fantastic. She slept in various ladies' arms the whole time and at the very end woke up and gave plenty of smiles. I think she knew I wanted her to make a good impression. After the shower we took her to Sonny's for the first time which is a HUGE deal to her Daddy (he loves his BBQ). She did great there too, just sleeping away in the Moby (I love that thing and will probably carry her in it until she's 13).

Sunday was her very first Valentine's day, and she had a rockin' hot pink dress (also from Nana). Please ignore my precious daughter giving the camera the middle finger.

It was also her first time at church! Don't worry, I made the dress church appropriate with a tasteful cardigan.

Peanut says boo to modesty. She'd rather be naked.

We gave the Bumbo a whirl, and she did pretty good. She sits up at first and then slowly sinks to one side. She'll get it eventually. P and I think she looks like a Who from the Grinch movie, so we call her our little Whovillian. I'm hoping the nickname doesn't stick for her sake.

She has also mastered sucking her thumb. Ok, mastered is a bit optimistic. She has found it a FEW times. But when she does, she puts herself back to sleep during naps and I, in turn, do a ridiculous happy dance. With fist pumping. Silent fist pumping.

Last night Daddy fed her for the first time, so I had to document the occasion. Isn't he handsome??

I think that's about it for week 5. We are fast approaching the 6 week growth spurt, so I'll leave you in suspense with that one. And I have realized something truly profound at the end of this post. I take WAY too many pictures.

WAAAAAA

I don't wanna nap!! Woe is me!!

How about a dance party instead?? I love JT...

The dance party aftermath...we brought sexy back. Sweet success.

Dear Little Peanut,

You are ONE MONTH old today! I truly can't believe you have been in our lives for a whole month. Time has flown faster than I ever imagined. You have stolen our hearts and we fall more in love with you every day. God has blessed our family so richly that sometimes I think we've used up all of our lifetime's worth of blessings already! Daddy and I couldn't have dreamed up a more perfect daughter if we tried...you fit like a missing puzzle piece in our crazy world. Family snuggle time is pure bliss and each time you smile or giggle our hearts melt. We are so proud of you already and I know you will continue to amaze us each day.

Facts About YOU:

- You smile when we make silly faces and can giggle a little. No real laugh yet, but I'm hoping when it comes I'll be the one to cause it!

- You are in size 1 diapers, although they're really really big on you. The newborn size is too small for those wonderful chubby thighs.

- You have grown out of most clothes in newborn size. You can still wear the pants, but are too long for onesies. Right now 0-3 is a good fit, although a tad loose.

- You have slept through the night once, but can consistently make a 5 hour stretch in the middle of the night.

- You follow things with your eyes now and love to watch TV on Daddy's lap. You also love to stare at your bumpers in your crib.

- You are an accomplished grunter. No need for a monitor...we can hear you across the apartment!

- You almost have the hang of thumb sucking, although most of the time you get half a hand in there.

- Guaranteed ways to get you to fall asleep: While eating (which frustrates Mommy to no end), in the car ONLY while moving...a stopped car makes you MAD, in the stroller, and in the Moby. You like to move!

- Your hair is still brown, but is getting lighter. Your eyes have gotten bluer too.

"I was thrust into your arms at my birth. You have been my God from the moment I was born." Psalm 22:10

Hi! I'm 4 Weeks Old Today!

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this little peanut? She is already so charming and sassy I can't believe it's just the beginning of her personality. The bellybutton finally fell off at the beginning of the week, although I don't know exactly when it happened. This is how it went -

Me: What is that on the floor??

P: I don't know...

Me: Aaah! It's her bellybutton!!

P: Really? I thought it was a cockroach in the middle of the night and thought I kicked it under the crib.

Me: ::blankstare:: Seriously?

So now I'll be forever scared to sleep/sit on any piece of furniture in the house for fear of dead bugs rotting beneath me. I have since informed P of his husbandly duty to DISPOSE of any insect inside the house.

Since we are sans yucky bellybutton we have had several real baths this week and she thinks they are fabulous. I'm pretty sure it's because she thinks being naked is awesome (like father like daughter).

The rash is slowly getting better, thank goodness. She took her first bottle from the Nana this week while Mommy went out for a nice dinner with the girls. Apparently she is an equal opportunity eater and does not favor the boob. Which makes me a bit insecure...is that weird? We're still trying to get the hang of the eat, play, sleep routine. Naps are the hardest, especially in the afternoon. But every day I figure out something else that works for us and it takes less time to get her down. We've given up the swaddle completely this week. It wakes her up and makes her mad b/c she likes to sleep with her arms above her head.

I bought a scale this week. Time to get serious about the weight loss. I haven't talked much about it since it's a HUGE deal to me, but I have a LOT to lose. Weight is my "thing". You know the one "thing" that you wrongfully derive your sense of self-worth from? Mine is the numbers on the scale. So you can imagine what post pregnancy has been like for me, especially since I've gained TWICE the recommended amount. But, I'm putting my big girl panties on and I'm just going to work hard at getting healthy and even harder at NOT being obsessed with my weight. Step one - I'm reading So Long Insecurity (love love love Beth Moore - check out the LPM blog in my blog list). Step two - start training for the 10K I want to run in April. On Monday. I'll let you know how that goes next week b/c the thought of running right now makes my body want to cry.

And just a demonstration...

her heart really does belong to Daddy. But Mommy has the food, so I win!

Ok, on to snuggle the peanut who is ready for her nap -

Peanut Says

I ROCK at tummy time