A Week in the Life: Tuesday

-- 6:00am:  Hear Anna stirring because Milo is outside the door whining for his breakfast ... pray that he doesn't totally wake Anna up and that I can get another hour of sleep ... for some reason I had trouble falling to sleep last night.

-- 7:25am:  Wake-up startled and shocked that it's almost 7:30 ... wake Anna up for the day while we sing songs and play for a few minutes.  Anna feeds while I watch The Today Show.

-- 8:15am - 9:00am:  Send Dad a "good morning" picture from his girls, tidy up the kitchen, breakfast for Mom, chop celery and strawberries that were forgotten on Monday (I usually chop everything when we get home from the grocery, but again, that Sunday funk has me off a little for the week).  Make a grocery list for a quick stop.  Sing songs and tummy time for a few minutes.

-- 9:00am - 10:00am:  Quick trip to the grocery where Anna is admired by the butcher, the Frito-Lay stocker, and the cashier ... it's hard being so cute!  On the way home we drop off a pair of pants to be hemmed.  I bought a few new pieces of clothing for work over the weekend and I totally feel like I'm getting ready for my first day of school ... got a haircut as well and planning on a mani/pedi next week.

-- 10:00am:  Diaper change and feeding.

-- 10:30am:  Anna goes down for her nap.

-- 10:30am - 1:15pm:  Blog, fight with camera trying to download pictures, make dinner for tonight (Mexican Lasagna, recipe to be posted), spend 30 minutes on the phone ordering a bridesmaid dress for my brother's wedding, fiddle with the curtains I hung last night, vacuum living room, dining room and stairs, general house tidying.  (I'm starting to realize there's a lot of tidying in my day, ha)

-- 1:15pm:  Sing songs while changing Anna's diaper and getting her dressed for the day.  Feed and play.

-- 2:00pm - 4:00pm:  Walk on the Loveland Bike Trail with Megan (Jen's friend) and Cameron "Cam" (Anna's friend) and browse the weekly Farmer's Market afterwards.  Head to the pediatrician's office to pick up the daycare paperwork, Anna takes a short nap in the car.


Flowers from the Farmer's Market ... a cheery addition to the kitchen.

-- 4:00pm - 6:15pm:  Play at home, greet Dad after being gone for a night, practice sitting up in the Boppy, Jump, read nursery rhymes, and pet the cats.

-- 6:15pm:  The fussies set in and we change for bed and feed.  Dinner goes in the oven.

-- 6:55pm:  She's out cold and Mom feels good knowing that all is right with the world after watching the evening news.  Transfer to the crib is sucessful!

-- 7:00pm:  Mike and I enjoy dinner, pausing to capture my plate on camera for blog posting at a later date.

-- 7:45pm:  Jen heads to BRU for daycare supplies (extra sleep sacks and crib sheets) and to stock up on diapers ($25 gift card with the purchase of diapers and wipes) ... it's amazing what a solitary drive and shopping trip will do for the soul.

-- 9:00pm:  Back home, fight with camera a bit more, blog and settle in to watch a little TV and pump before bed.  Tomorrow is Gymboree, so I need to remember to pack socks, a blanket and "Gymbo" for class.

Being generally cute while Mom changed clothes for our walk yesterday.

A Week in the Life: Monday

I've been wanting to "document" our daily routine for a week for a while now, but for one reason or another kept putting it off, waiting for the "perfect" week to come along.  Well, we're down to the last week of my maternity leave, so it's now or never.  I was looking back at the journal I kept the first few weeks of Anna's life to record her feedings and diaper changes ... goodness knows I was too tired and emotional to remember 10-12 feedings and 8-10 diaper changes a day ... and was shocked at how different our days are now that we've fast-forwarded 4 months.  So, here goes ...

-- 6:30am:  Up a little earlier than usual, I heard Anna stirring as Mike's alarm went off and knew I wouldn't go back to sleep, so we all rose before the sun.  Anna feeds while Mom watches Local News and The Today Show.  It's POURING down rain!

-- 7:15am:  Breakfast for Mom, tidy up the kitchen and family room while Anna plays in her Bumbo, and we visit with Daddy before he heads out for two days.

-- 8:00am - 9:00am:  Playtime on the activity mat, jumping, books, and tummy time.

-- 9:00am:  Second feeding of the day.  Heavy rain knocked out the satellite for a few minutes, so I started watching the movie Whip It; HBO and Cinemax both had preview weekends and Mike and I recorded a TON of movies.  Who needs Netflix or RedBox when you have a savvy eye on the movie channels : )

-- 9:30am:  Down for her morning (ok, let's be serious, only) nap.

-- 9:30am - Noon:  Misc house chores ... tidying up, folding laundry, read a bit of Southern Living while eating lunch (turkey sandwich and an apple) and decide on the remaining meals for the week.  (Normally all grocery and meal planning is done on Sunday, but I was in a funk and broke down about going back to work, so I put it off until today), showering and actually styling my hair as I'd gotten it cut on Sunday and wanted to see if I could manage the shorter "do" on my own.

-- Noon:  Wake Miss Anna up from nap time (yes, she'd gone on 2 1/2 hours!), diaper change, sing songs, dress her for the day, and a feeding.

-- 1:00pm:  Play for a few minutes, then load up for afternoon errands.

-- 1:30pm - 3:00pm:  Drop off a medical release required by daycare at her pediatrician's office and run to Lowe's to exchange curtain rods.  While at Lowe's the return clerk informed me that she'd take the baby, but not the curtain rods ... sadly for her I only had a receipt for the rods : )

-- 3:00pm:  Anna naps a little on the drive home and I let her sleep for a few minutes in her car seat while I unload the car and notice a package on the front porch ... it's her Halloween costume!  I couldn't resist trying it on her for a second before feeding her ...



A perfect fit for our Anna Banana!!

 -- 4:00pm - 5:30pm:  Cuddle-time and playtime with Mom, call Grandma, call Dad, and general  afternoon fun.

-- 5:30pm:  Someone starts to get a little fussy and the weather has done a complete 180 from the morning rainstorm, so we pack-up and head on a walk in the Baby Bjorn.  As I was changing clothes, I laid Anna on our bed for a second and when I turned around she was being the cutest thing ever, so we had an impromptu photo shoot (proof to come, issues with downloading pictures right now).

-- 5:50pm:  Finally head out on our walk, notice a praying mantis on the window, take a picture to send to Paw Paw, knowing he'll love it.

-- 6:15pm:  Walk is over, fussies have set in and there's no use in fighting a feeding and bedtime.  Sing songs while diapering up and changing into a sleeper.

-- 6:15pm - 6:45pm:  Feeding and cuddles with Mom.

-- 6:45pm - 7:00pm:  Asleep in Mom's arms, I just couldn't take her to her crib yet ... and I was almost finished with Whip It that I'd started earlier in the day ... a cute movie : )

-- 7:00pm:  Anna goes down for the night.

-- 7:00pm - 11:00pm:  Tidy up the house, make dinner for myself (salad and leftover spaghetti with bolognese sauce from Sunday), talk to Mike, and spend several hours hanging rods and new curtains in the living and dining room (a surprise for when Mike comes home on Tuesday ... we'd started the project over the weekend, but ran into a bit of a snag). 

-- 11:00pm:  Pump and indulge in watching E! News for a few minutes before enjoying a sugar-free Dark Chocolate Jell-O pudding pack and heading off to bed. 

-- Overnight:  My dear friend, April, delivered her baby boy ... I was very reminiscent as I dozed off and couldn't wait to hear the good news when I woke up!

T-minus Two Weeks

D-day as I like to think of it is drawing near ... my return to work happens on October 6, two weeks from yesterday.  I'm dreading it, but am also hopeful and optimistic that the change will be good for everyone.  I'll desperately  miss spending my days with Anna, but if her reaction to the other babies at Gymboree class or during outings with our friends is any indication, she will thrive in a daycare environment.  I know that the structure will be good for me as well, but that's not to say the transition will be easy. 

I chose to return to work on a Thursday based on recommendations and also knowing that easing into the change would be beneficial all-around.  Anna will go partial days on Monday and Tuesday of that week while I head to doctor appointments, run errands, and cry in my car.  Wednesday will be a day dedicated to Anna and Mommy with lots of hugs, kisses, and cuddles.  I've been extremely lucky to have spent 20 full weeks at home and Anna will be 4 1/2 months old on her first day of "school."  I work for a wonderful firm with a fantastic leave policy and because we'd saved up appropriately, I was also able to take a little over three weeks of unpaid time. 

I've tried to take on a "never say never" approach to parenting, and that, combined with an extremely laid-back and happy baby, have served me well thus far. In that regard, I'm being optimistic about this next phase in our lives; although the tears I've shed each day this week would indicate otherwise.  I know Anna will be fine, I know that I'll survive the pangs of guilt and will acclimate to the new schedule and demands of working full time.  Most importantly, I know that I love my daughter and my family more than I could ever express and this is what's right for our family right now. 

Growin' Like a Weed: Month Four

Another round of shots are under our belts and while the tears were kept to minimum this time, the compliments on cuteness, excellent sleep patterns, and proportionate growth were being thrown around by the nurses and doctor alike. I felt the need to ask about Anna's lack of an afternoon nap and was immediately shushed by the doctor after he heard she's sleeping 7pm to 7am straight with a 2-3 hour morning nap. He also asked me to keep my trap shut when discussing sleep patterns with other local parents as he didn't want to start receiving complaint calls when they realized their children are nowhere close to sleeping as well : ) We talked about starting solid foods, and although she's cleared from an age perspective, we're going to wait until she's closer to 6 months for a couple of reasons; they aren't nutritionally required until then, especially since she's still breastfed, and we're transitioning to daycare in two weeks time, for both baby and Mama's sake I'd like to settle into that routine before throwing another bend in the road.

Everyone told me that time flies once you have a baby, but I had NO IDEA just how quickly until Anna arrived ... looking at the pictures below has me nostalgic about the past and excited for the future at the same time, I simply can't believe how much she's changed in 18 weeks!

Four month "stats" include: (*)

• 11lb 10oz (10th percentile), 2lb gain over 2 months
• 24 1/2 inches (25th percentile), 2 1/4 inch growth over 2 months
• 15 1/4 inch head circumference, a gain of 3/4 inch over 2 months  

* Mike and I each wrote down our guesstimates last night and I am proud to report that I nailed her weight to the ounce!!  We were right in the middle with length at 24 inches (Jen) and 25 inches (Mike) ... I guess parents do always know best : )

Seriously ... does it get any cuter than this smiley girl?!?!

Letter to Anna: Month Four

Dear Anna,

What a whirlwind month for all of us! You travelled to your fourth and fifth states (MD and DE), enjoyed a week at the beach, dipped your feet in the Atlantic Ocean, swam in a pool for the first time, and spent four uninterrupted days with your Grandma and Grand-pap in Pittsburgh. Whew, I'm tired after just typing that sentence! As usual you excelled at travel and your easy-going, laid-back attitude made for a wonderful vacation.

You found your voice this month and we absolutely love hearing you talk! You were babbling here and there before we left for vacation and belly laughed for the first time during a dinner out in Bethany Beach; I almost cried sitting at the table while you chuckled. The next week, during your time in Pittsburgh, you had a lot to say and finally found a way to tell us, and in the sweetest possible way; your Grandma and Grand-pap were tickled pink to bear witness to this. You come from a long line of talkative women, so this is no surprise and I look forward to hearing your take on the world around you. On the flip side, I asked your Grandma to remind me how thrilled I was that you'd found your voice in a couple of years and again in about 13 years.

Your cheery disposition and great sleep habits have kept up and you are always a happy surprise to waiters and the other diners when we are out for a family meal. You continue to dabble in both taking a pacifier and sucking on your hand / fingers / thumb. I appreciate that you're keeping an open mind and don't blame you for not wanting to commit as it generally means that one way or another we're able to calm you down during the rare instances when you develop a case of the "fussies."

You're still our petite little girl, wearing mostly 0-3 month clothing, but growing out of more outfits each day, especially lengthwise, and with fall right around the corner I've been washing up lots of new outfits. You're very strong for your age (compared to other babies your size) and it's the cutest thing ever to see you in more grown up positions, such as sitting on my lap during church or while we eat out, and in your Jumperoo at home (where you are sandwiched between two hand towels). I went on a mini-shopping spree for you a couple of weeks ago; you needed new socks, but I went prepared with a return, a coupon, and a gift card. The Carter's store didn't know what hit them and I quickly realized just how addicted I am to baby girl clothing.

I'll have much less time for our casual errands and shopping soon … I'm returning to work in three weeks and am preparing myself for the worst, but hoping for the best. I can't imagine anyone giving you better care than me, but know you will thrive in day-care / school and, at some level, I'll enjoy the change of pace that work provides. In the meantime I'll been savoring every last minute, smile, coo, and snuggle that I have with you during these precious days.

I have truly enjoyed each and every day we've had together and it's simply amazing how quickly you are growing and changing. Your antics, expressions, laughs, and (now) words are what your father and I talk about even after you are fast asleep; to say we are obsessed with you is an understatement. Eventually you'll use your words to express how displeased you are with me (and no, you cannot wear that low-cut shirt in 12 years!), but I'll still love you more than you can imagine, will care for you unconditionally, and I hope I will always be the one person in your life you can talk to about anything.

Love,
Mom

BFF

We didn't break out Anna's swing until about 6 weeks ago as she just seemed too small for it when we brought her home and we preferred to use her soft and snuggly bouncy chair when she was still a wee little one.  I wouldn't say the swing works wonders on her or lulls her to sleep like it seems to do for some babies, but it's a nice change of pace for her in the afternoons and gives her some time to herself without much stimulation (the seat also detaches and can be used as a boucy chair, which is perfect now that she's a little bigger).  The added plus is that she seems totally enamored with the turtles that hang from the bar above her head.  This is generally what she does in her swing, just makes eyes at the turtles and babbles about her day.  I'm glad she's found "friends" because she (hopefully) won't have any siblings for a bit longer.

Jumpin' Fool

We broke out Anna's "Jumperoo" a few weeks ago seeing as how she prefers to be in-motion and looking around at the world.  Granted we have to wedge her petite little body in with towels and she's still getting the hang of it, but if the pictures below are any indication, I think it's destined to be a fave!

Getting my jump on!

Weeeeee!!

So much fun!

I just can't get enough of these little piggies!
Isn't it adorable how she curls her tiny toes up?



Wordless Wednesday

Couldn't have said it better myself

My friend Amber is a talented writer and photographer and never fails to amaze me at what she's able to articulate with her words and photos.  Click here to see her latest blog post featuring Miss Anna and a few of her future BFFs.  The photos were taken at a cookout hosted in Lexington a few weeks ago where several old friends gathered with our little princesses, spanning 1 1/2 years old to 3 weeks ... I have a feeling this bunch is going to give us a major run for our money!

And while you're admiring Amber's work, feel free to check out this post, one of my all-time faves! 

Sunny Days

Here's to keeping the clouds away!  (Do you have that Sesame Street jingle in your head now?  You can thank me later, ha.)  It's finally time for our first family vacation and I'm not planning to blog much, if any, while we're away.  All hope is not lost; I've pre-posted a bit to keep from losing my eight diligent readers.  After a week at the beach we'll be staying in Pittsburgh with Mike's parents for a few days while Mike attends a sales conference for work; his company is headquartered there and the timing was perfect.  An added plus is that Anna will be able to take in her first Steelers regular season game with a crowd full of fans.  Those black and gold die-hards like to start 'em early!

I'll likely be a few days late with Anna's four-month-letter, but it's been started and will definitely be published ... and shortly thereafter we'll have official stats as she sees her pediatrician for a check-up and "jabs" on the 19th.  Feel free to leave your guesstimate of her weight and height as a comment in the meantime.  Click here to see her two month stats and here to review her three month photo.

Catch ya on the flip side!