Wordless Wednesday

Close to me

Now that Anna can hold her head up consistently we've been taking shorter walks in the Baby Bjorn on a regular basis ... she LOVES to look around and take in the world around her.  Perfect for a quick trip around the neighborhood, or to help Mom with housework (vacuuming and dusting) when someone is refusing an afternoon nap, but is clearly fussy ... 



Hats off!

I love this little hat ... we got it when Anna was about a week old and has been perfect for our daily walks and shielding the sun from her eyes during errand runs.  I noticed last week that it was starting to get a little snug and wanted to make sure we got a few snapshots in prior to tossing it in the (ever growing) "too small" bin under her crib. 

Remember these pictures? 
The first couple of weeks ... going on a walk with Mom.

Almost too small!!

Apparently this stuck a chord with Anna, too : )

Right after I removed the hat, I love this expression ...
I think we have a diva on our hands!

Babbling, and Smiling, and Scooting, OH MY!

As promised, here is what our afternoons are like here at the Kelly house.  After her long morning nap and before her non-existent afternoon nap we usually run an errand, have Gymboree class, or meet up with a friend for a walk or smoothie date, and then it's back home for a feeding and some playtime.  It's nothing less than pure joy to sit and "talk" to Miss Anna and because it's selfish not to share, here's your glimpse into one of the best parts of my day ...

Anna "Talks" from Jen Kelly on Vimeo.

Disclaimers:  Please consider turning your sound down or off during viewing ... there's some serious baby talk on my part going on here ... And, to the extent that watching her is more therapeutic than seeing a licensed medical professional, please feel free to direct a portion of your savings to Anna's 529 College Fund, address or coupon payment vouchers available upon request : )

Talk to the hand

Roly Poly Returns

I wanted to be sure to capture some of our activity time with Anna before she starts really mobilizing (is that a word? ha) ... here she decided to show off her rolling skillzzzzz again.  She still loves her tummy time, but doesn't roll as often ... generally it's now a mix of rolling combined with some serious scooting and leg kicking, peppered with baby babbling; those videos are currently uploading, be sure to check back later this week. 

** Disclaimer:  Please consider turning your sound down or off during viewing ... there's some serious baby talk on my part going on here : ) **

Anna Rolls ... Yet Again! from Jen Kelly on Vimeo.

Prior to shooting this, Milo tried to get his turn in the spotlight; you can see him in the background as the video starts, he proceeded to walk around her activity mat and "buddy bump" me while shooting ... such a camera hog! 

Anna Playing 1 - Milo Interrupts from Jen Kelly on Vimeo.

Elvis Lip

I love this look ... it's a combo of determination during tummy time and a subtle hint to Mom to "stop snapping pictures and play with me already."

Mommy & Me (well, almost ...)

We get great afternoon sun in our home and a couple of weeks ago Anna and I had activity time in the living and dining room in an attempt to enjoy the sun, but avoid the heat.  Playtime turned into an impromptu photo shoot and toward the end I thought it would be neat if I was able to get into a few shots of the two of us ... yeah ... here's how that went ...

 

And here's what Anna ultimately thought of my skillzzzz ...



Wordless Wednesday

Growin' Like a Weed: Month Three

Clearly someone hasn't held up her end of the bargain on the whole "not growing up too fast" deal we made when she was born!  No pediatrician visit this month, so we don't have any "official" stats to report, but the amount of clothing I've shuffled into the "too small" bin tells me that we'll have some big numbers to report next month.  In the meantime, take a look how those legs are starting to fill out and that loooong torso! 

I couldn't use this one as the "official" shot because of her legs,
but check out that ear to ear smile ... those are the BEST part of my day!

Letter to Anna: Month Three

Dear Anna,

I don't know how many more ways I can find to start your letter off with a version of the phrase "time is flying"; it feels like someone hit the fast forward button when you were born and I honestly can't believe you are three months old! I've started referring to you in months when people ask your age, mostly because the weeks were going by too fast to keep up, but also because you seem too much like a "big girl" now and not as much like a baby anymore.  

You continue to be one of the happiest babies I've ever known and are now smiling most of the time and on purpose. Within the last couple of weeks you've even started to squeal or "holler" at us. Usually when it seems we might be ignoring you, i.e. you'll let out a little squeal when you are ready to get up in the morning or from a nap, or if you've been in your swing longer than you'd like; as if to say "ummmm, excuse me, hello there, I'd like someone to take notice of me and my cuteness, please." Just like anything you do, there's a level of adorableness that makes you utterly impossible to resist.

You've become quite the seasoned traveller as we've made several trips to Lexington and one to Louisville this past month. You are wonderful in the car and I've come to really enjoy our Mother-Daughter road trips. This past month you met your (Great) Aunt Judy, your Great Great Grandmother and another Great Aunt, and we had a wonderful time showing you off. I especially loved the moments when your Aunt Judy and your Gigi were "sharing" you during their time at our house; you just smiled and smiled away, quite literally melting their hearts. The extreme amount of joy you bring to this family never ceases to amaze me. Remember this when you're older and wondering why everyone wants to hug and kiss all over you, it's because you are simply irresistible.

You are a wonderful, wonderful sleeper and I thank God every night for that gift he's given both of us. By baby standards you've been sleeping through the night (6+ hours) since about 6 weeks of age, but over the past couple of weeks you've been consistently going down at between 6:30 and 7pm and staying down until 6:30am or later. And you still take a great 2 hour morning nap … we're continuing to work on a dedicated afternoon nap ... I honestly think you resist because that's when you know Dad's about to come home and you don't want to miss a minute with him. 

Part of the reason you've become such a great sleeper is the discovery of your hands … you love to suck on them, often times trying to get an entire fist in your mouth and most recently singling out your thumb. I die of cute-overload when I go to get you up from a nap and you're sucking on a thumb. Some people have asked if we'll try to avert this habit, and to that I tell them that it's genetic with both of your parents being thumb-suckers and you were doomed.  Same with your long toes, I'm really sorry about that too. Since you're such a good baby, especially in the eating and sleeping areas, I think we'll let you slip by with one vice. 

When I wake you up from a nap or for the morning I always sing "You are my Sunshine" to you, except I change the last verse to say "Please don't take my Anna away." I want you to know that you truly are my sunshine, the brightest light in my life, and as your Mother I wish that your days are continually filled with the smiles and laughter you are just learning to express now. You shine so brightly on so many people and it is a true gift!

Love,
Mom

Hope

There's only so much HGTV and Food Network that I can take during Anna's feedings and I've actually enjoyed the chance to watch the national evenings news during my maternity leave.  What an extra-special treat to catch this story on last night's broadcast of the NBC Nightly News!  For those new readers, this is HUGE for all cancer patients, but especially me as I'm in remission with CLL, a currently incurable form of cancer.  I'm in a holding pattern / waiting game until the cancer returns and this could mean a CURE when that time comes.  I've watched this clip no fewer than five times and can't tell you what pure and utter HOPE it gives me! 

Although I'm in remission, "the big C" (as I like to call it) is always in the back of my mind and is brought to the forefront during my quarterly oncologist visits.  Especially now, with Anna, I am more fearful than ever about a relapse and being able to be a Mom as well as fight off this nasty disease again.  As strong a front as I usually put up in this regard, part of me feels as though I was lucky enough to win the battle once, what if I don't have the fight again or if the stars don't all align? News like this give me intangible hope!

This is exactly why I do what I do with the Leukemia and Lymphoma society and why I choose to donate to cancer research via the LLS and ACS ... research leads to breakthroughs like this and those lead to cures! 

Wordless Wednesday

Storytime

We read to Anna daily and thanks to my Aunt Judy's visit two weeks ago, her book collection nearly doubled in size.  She loves books with bright colors and, luckily for us, isn't really concerned with story lines at this point.  That said, I can't help but notice how creepy some of the nursery rhymes are ... the old woman who lives in a shoe basically beats her kids, rock-a-bye baby sends an infant to it's death, and goosey goosey gander throws a man down the stairs for not saying his prayers ... good thing she won't be able to reason for several years.

New Discoveries ... A Tongue

Miss Anna has found her tongue ... 

My future's so bright ...

We're getting ready for the beach next month, so Miss Anna has a few swim suits, a couple of cover-ups and sunglasses!  And, for the record these are for 0 - 2 years, they just look giant on Miss 5th percentile for head circumference.