Celebrating Leah's baptism... better late than never!

After Leah's baptism, we had a great big bash at our house to celebrate. Almost 60 people were there to join in on the fun... so thank God we had a nice day and we could enjoy the yard!

My biggest hope and prayer for my daughter is that she feels loved and gets to give love back all her life. I think she is off to a great start with all of these amazing people who love and guide her already. We are truly blessed!

Leah loves her Daddy, and the feeling is quite mutual...

We spent Paul's first Father's day at home, just like he wanted. We have been running around like maniacs with plans, and he just wanted to have a nice quiet day with his girls. I granted his wish, and we stayed home, snuggled, played, and made his favorite dinner. It was a wonderful day spent with my two favorite people.

For those of you who don't know, Paul is an avid gardener. I could not resist this darling garden set for Leah as part of his Father's Day gift! We, of course, had to have a photo shoot of the two of them "gardening". Ah, how I adore watching these two together!!! 

I hope all you Dad's our there had a great day, too!!!

4 Months!

Leah, at four months old, you...

- Officially survived being looked after by Papo when I went back to work. He misses you so much now!

- Have taken to sucking on two of your fingers, although sometimes you just shove that whole fist in your mouth. It is hilarious.

- Giggle when we snuggle into your next and sometimes when we blow on your belly. Sometimes you giggle for no reason at all! It is the sweetest sound ever.

-  Are rapidly becoming a Mommy's girl. From when I hear form people who watch you when I am away, your mood shifts sometimes when I leave. Although I love that you know I am your Mommy, I hate the guilt that comes with it, because, let's face it, I can't be with you every second.

-  Have had a sleepover at Nonnie and Papo's house already! You did great, and they loved having you stay over. You will be staying at Glamma and Grandpa's this weekend, too, while we go to a family wedding and stay over for our anniversary.

-  Take bottles like a champ, although you much prefer when i feed you from the real deal. I am having a hard time keeping up with you and making enough milk to help you grow, but it's going well and it is worth it all!

- Squeal in delight when you look at a happy face. You are so interactive now and you love people. I am happy to see you love to chat. The apple does not fall far from the tree. 

-  You are a teeny peanut! At a few days shy of four months, you weighed 12 pounds and were almost 24 inches. You are in the 25th percentile for both height and weight. The doctor thinks you might just be a little girl and take after your Daddy.  Works for me!

-  Although you are not a huge baby, you have chunky thighs and still have gorgeous, smoochable cheeks fit for a squirrel to hide nuts.

-  Still sleep like a champ! Now that I am home from work and not waking you at 5:30, you sleep til about 7:30 each morning. That adds up to about 12 hours straight. You are crazy!  You still wake up happy and squealing when Daddy and I go see you each morning. It is the highlight of our days.

- Love to observe people doing everyday things. You like to sit in your bouncy seat and listen while I talk to you and cook, and you love being walked around the yard to see all the plants your Dad works so hard on.

-  Are losing lots of that pretty red mane. You have lost a lot of hair in the back, which is probably from all your sleeping, and it is starting to go from the sides, too. I think you may be rocking a faux-hawk soon!

- No longer sleep swaddled. When we went to your crib a couple of weeks ago, we found you with three of your four limbs busted out of the swaddler, with a big gummy smile on your face. That was the end of swaddling, and, miraculously, you have still slept all night long.

-  Still have lots of nicknames- LiLi, Smushie, Little Bird, Schamatza, Schmoop.... the list goes on!

-  Enjoy bath time much more now that you can splash around a bit. I can't wait til we can play!

- Roll over really well now! You still get a little startled, but it is so cute!

-  Sop your shirt with drool in about 5 minutes now. It has actually been mistaken for sweat a few times... but, alas, it is just the drool!

- Make "choking" sounds sometimes from your acid reflux. You are still on Zantac to help with your spit-up issues, and it seems to be helping. Yet another way you take after your father.

- Got baptized a few weeks ago. I am so thrilled that you are officially a part of God's church, and I am looking forward to teaching you about your religion and nurturing your faith.

-  Have had tons of play dates, and have already been to three kid's birthday parties. Now that Daddy and I are off for the summer, we have quite a lot of fun booked for just about every day! You have the social calendar of a teenager. :)

-  You love a few toys and have really become talented at grasping for things. You adore being read to and flail your arms and legs with delight. You love music, being held so you can see out, taking walks, putting anything in your mouth, being talked to, your Lovey, your bouncy seat, and especially standing up. Those legs are getting stronger by the day!

- You are a very happy, content baby almost all of the time. You seem to be very laid back and easy to please. I think you are going to grow up to be a wonderful person, although I might be a little biased.

- Remain the light of our lives. Thank you for showing your Daddy and I the meaning of true love. You are, and forever will be, a blessing beyond words, and we can't wait to see who you become!

Blessed Baptism

Our sweet girl was baptized at our church on Sunday, June 5. She wore my baptismal gown, and her Uncle Jim and Aunt Cait accepted the challenge and honor of being her Godparents. It was a wonderful celebration of faith, family, friends, and of the blessing we have been given.

These are some of our favorites from the ceremony. More to come from the celebration after!

Nonnie's Description is right on

 My wonderful mother has bestowed a lovely description on her grand daughter- "she is such an oral baby". Duh, Mom! All babies are oral, but seriously, this kid is ALL ABOUT her mouth. She either has her Gene Simmons-esque tongue out, or her fat little fist or fingers in there at all times. In fact, at least half of all the hundreds of photos of Leah as of late involve her noshing on anything she can get in there. Here are a few of our faves.

This is how we found the little stinker in her crib the other morning. That was the LAST time she got swaddled at night.

"Thanks for the puppy, Auntie Morg! I love snacking on it!"

She likes to test the water in the tub.  :)

Down for the count. Who needs a pacifier when a girl's got her hands?

Between this and her new penchant for rolling over, we are having to keep a close watch on this little one thesedays. Good thing we love to watch her anyway!

Who needs Father's day...

...To celebrate the most wonderful man I know. I have wondered what Paul would be like as a father since way back in 2000, when we were in college, dating, and wondering what our future might hold. I am thrilled to say that he has far surpassed my expectations as a daddy, and is so loving, attentive, affectionate, supportive, passionate, and patient with both of "his girls". I sure picked a keeper to raise a family with, and not a day goes by without realizing it. I will forever be greatful to have this amazing person to share my home, dreams, and family with.

Leah is one lucky little chica!

Three Months Old!

Little Birdie Girl, at three months, you:

- Still sleep like a maniac, letting me get a full night of shut-eye every time. We put you down at 8, wake you at 5:30 to eat, and you go back down til 8. Who are you?

- On the other hand, you MUST be swaddled to go to sleep, unless you are in your carseat or swing. You get swaddled for every nap, and at night. I think we are in for some trouble once you out grow the swaddlers!

- Still wake up with massive smiles and stretches (and massive toots to go along with them) when we take you out of your swaddler. Your Daddy and I fight over who gets to bust you out. It is the cutest thing ever.

- Nurse about 6 times a day. When I think back to those first few challenging weeks of learning, I am amazed at how far we have come. Both you and I love the bonding time, and I will keep it up as long as I can.

- Coo and squeal with delight for much of the day, especially while playing peek-a-boo, or when we talk to you on your changing table.

- Fight tummy time, although it is getting better. You are so good at holding that little red head up, I wonder why you whine about it from time to time...

- "Stand" on your own with next to no support. You have been doing this for weeks. The books say you should bear some weight by 4 months. You kicked that milestone in the you know what!

- Have a smile that lights up your whole face (make that a whole room) when those darling dimples come out.

- Are starting to lose just a little bit of the gorgeous red hair on the back of your head. I think your 10 hour snoozing sessions might be to blame, cause we sure don't put you down much during the day!

- Suddenly love being read to! For the past week, you have been looking at the pages and squealing with delight as we make funny faces and do the voices. Reading to you was something we started doing when I was pregnant, and I was really looking forward to reading to you when you got here. I have not been let down.

- Have been laughing for a week and a half. Your first laugh will remain in the memories of your Daddy and me until the day we are six feet under. It was so special to both of us, and the fact that we were together, just the three of us, when it happened was magical.

- Finally LIKE being "worn" in the sling. So many moms told me how fabulous all these wraps are, so I was a sucker and bought a few. Turns out, you were not much for it, cause you always like to be perched on a shoulder (that IS how you got your Birdie nickname, after all). You are taking to it, though, now that you can face outward and see the action.

- Stick your tongue out more than any baby I have ever seen!

- Have already taken your first vacation, your first boat ride, attended your first wedding, went to the zoo for the first time, and have had so many other fabulous experiences!

- Love taking walks, sitting in your Bumbo seat, being held like a football or perched on a shoulder, playing "airplane" and being held up in the air, sitting in your bouncy seat while we make dinner, your singing doggie from Auntie Morg, one particular book about farm animals, being outside, chewing on your fat little fist, and you have a frightening obsession with the Raffi song "Baby Beluga"- it makes you giggle and smile just about every single time we play it and sing to you.

- Are, and forever will be, the answer to many prayers. You are such a blessing, little girl.

Happy 3 Month birthday!!!

(Grand)Daddy Day care

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's back to work I go...

Leah will be 13 weeks old Sunday, and I go back to work on Monday (for a brief 3 weeks- suck it up, Erin). I am dreading leaving her for so long every day, but I know with all of my heart that she is going to be in amazing hands- those of her Papo! As much as I love to tease my Dad about how terrified I am to leave her with him, I can't imagine leaving her in more trusted hands. Leah has turned my gear-head, plumber, music loving "kinda tough guy" Dad into a ball of mush, and he adores her.


Here he is, loving up on 1 -week old Leah. This is the day he came up with "Booger", the first of many lovely nicknames her has for her (note my sarcasm). Since then, he has taken to calling her Schmatza. You have to knwo my Dad to get him...


One month old!

Papo and LiLi on the day she was born.

This is my fave so far of the two of them. This was on Leah's first boat ride. :)

I have the best parents I could ask for, and watching them as grandparents has been one of life's greatest joys. Thanks, Dad.

Overachiever?

Leah has been "standing" for weeks now, and we finally remembered to take a few pictures theother day. She is pretty crazy. I hope she get's her daddy's love of using those good strong legs at the gym!