Baby Sofi

So my parents are at their home in Colorado when they learn that a litter of baby Viszlas is living down in the valley. They go look at the babes and immediately fall in love with the runt who is half the size of the other pups. A few days ago they decided to "officially" get her...although I knew there was no going back once my dad started talking about naming her. On August 20th say some prayers for my family. Lainey, Mom, Dad, Lucy (their current Viszla), Sofi, and I will be driving back from Colorado. The normally 12 to 14 hour trip (depending on who's driving) will probably take us a lot longer!

Sofi

So no one feels left out...Reagan and Lucy

3 Months Old!!

I cannot BELIEVE this baby is 3 months old. We love her more and more each day - she keeps us laughing and giggling and, well, busy. :) I just love being around her and am so thankful that I am able to spend each day with this cutie baby.

A day in the life of Lainey...
1. Wake up around 6/6:30 and eating
2. Nap about an hour after she awakens. This is the only nap I can really count on, and it's usually a long one. :) Love it! I can get some things accomplished.
3. Eat again around 9:30/10. Nap sometime after that.
4. This continues...eating every 3-4 hours, and sleeping at some point between feedings. If we're home, she'll nap in her crib. Usually her naps are about 30-45 minutes long. Sometimes she'll take two short ones; rarely will she take a long nap in the daytime.
5. Bath and bedtime - around 8/8:30. And she's finally sleeping consistently well without her Miracle Blanket. :)

Lainey loves...
1. fans and light fixtures (still).
2. my desk and the surrounding items. I have no idea what attracts her to that area, but she always smiles and coos at whatever is there. I think it might be the chair.
3. people who smile and talk to her.
4. attention.
5. binkies.
6. being held facing outward so she can see everything.
7. the mobile on her swing. She coos and talks to the moving animals.
8. evening walks outside in the Baby Bjorn. She always falls asleep at some point.
9. being outside, even in this horribly hot weather. UGH. It is so stinking hot.
10. TV! I can't believe how this baby zones in on it. I don't put her in front of the TV but sometimes she catches glimpses!! She really likes it. I hope she likes the Olympics as much as I do because we're certainly going to watch them. YAY!! So excited!
11. baths and being wrapped up in a towel after the bath.
12. eating. I thinks she weighs around 15 pounds.
13. anything attached to/touching her that can go in her mouth: entire hand, pacifier clip, finger(s), dress, strap covers on her car seat.
14. her family! :)

New toys....
1. the jump-a-roo (so funny- she looks TINY in it but she is so entertained by the lights and sounds and objects)
2. the swing
3. her Bebe Pod (the Bumbo replacement when the Bumbo disappeared for a while)
4. the bouncy seat bar attachment with lots of moving objects and lights and sounds
5. books and the pictures in them...although she generally only lets me get through one (sometimes two) before getting antsy

Things that are less than exciting...
1. her bouncy seat by itself
2. her activity mat (So sad...I love that thing.) She still likes it, but it just doesn't hold her attention for very long anymore.
3. the booger-sucker (gross, I know)
4. being held in a cuddly position (giant sad face by me)
5. Reagan's loud barks - they're quite startling.
6. pedicures and manicures

We love you, Lainey Cathryn!! :)

in the jump-a-roo

Lainey's cute little feet (and the ever-present binkie) just dangling. There is no jumping yet in the jump-a-roo. It's simply a place to hang out right now.

This celebutant is getting a little weary of the paparazzo.

Happy birthday, Ella!

Cousin Ella turns two on the 21st. Here are a few pictures from her swim party. The child has NO fear of the water at age 2. She will jump in, go under, everything...all with water wings on, of course. She is amazing!! Her cousins and siblings are pretty good swimmers too.

Yes, that is Ella painting herself with icing. She was so careful and methodical throughout the whole process. It was truly like she was painting a masterpiece!

And then she discovered the chocolate.

Even the bottoms of her feet had icing. And the bows in her hair. Everything!!! Thank goodness for water hoses...

After a bath...

I tried to post one of her squealing during bathtime, but of course it's too large to download. So this one is the next best thing! She's quite talkative and squirmy during bathtime and after bathtime. It cracks me up!

Hanging out in the swing...which she finally likes. :)

Look who finally fell asleep...

This child fought and fought her evening nap. She usually rests for about 30 mintues in the evening, but this evening, she was NOT having it. So I laid her down in the living room while I went to put on my shoes for our evening walk and when I returned, I found her asleep. So cute. So I was able to get a couple of things done...quietly...

To give you some perspective...this is the view from the second story looking down into the living room!

Swimming with Ella and David

With Lainey in tow, I got together with two of my teaching friends Sara and Tonya today for a swim. We went to Sara's mom's house with all the kids - Ella (Sara's) who is 5 months, David (Tonya's) who is 4 years old, and then Lainey. Sara and I were pregnant at the same time at school and I am grateful for her friendship! She was a great support system for me. Here are a couple of pictures. I failed to get a single picture of David. He was the SWEETEST boy to both little girls. He helpled the babies with pacifiers and toys and was just adorable. :) Lainey was not a huge fan of the water...I wish she was! Maybe in time...

Well, there's David in the background! Tonya is holding him.

Ella supervising Lainey's playtime

Seeing Cousins

We saw Cally, Collin, and Ella last night for a few minutes. I was trying to get a picture of Ella, Lainey, and Cally together but Ella kept trying to crawl up into Cally's lap...on top of Lainey. But we did manage to get a cute picture of Lainey and Cally (who is six). We are so lucky that this baby has so many fun and sweet cousins to play with and look up to. :)

Dear Miracle Blanket...

Dear Miracle Blanket,

I miss you. You made me feel so secure at night. You gently (when my mom didn't wrap me too tightly to keep me from wiggling out) held my arms down by my sides to keep them from conducting silent orchestras all night long. You knew that if I had my hands free that they would inevitably hurl themselves at my face and subsequently wake me up and probably knock my binkie out of my mouth. I miss your comfort and your assistance in sleeping. My parents are having a slightly challenging time as I am awakening them somewhere around 3 or 4 in the morning. I know, I am as bewildered as they are that I am awake. Reagan is awfully confused too. She thinks she needs breakfast and a trip outside at 3 or 4 in the morning. Anyway, Miracle Blanket, I long for the days when you made me feel safe and secure at night. I know I will get used to being without you (hopefully sooner rather than later) but until then, any tips you could give me about nightly arm and hand control would be very much appreciated.

Love,

Lainey

P.S. - To show you how distraught I've been, I gave my mom the messiest diaper ever this morning. I didn't intend to do that. My lack of sleep is stressing me out and taking its toll on my body. She said that I get the prize for the dirtiest diaper ever. It went out every side of my diaper - up, down, front, back, all over my nightgown and bouncy seat, and my mom had to somehow hold my hands down after I had accidently put my hands in my own poo and was trying to put them in my mouth. Yes, she wiped them with a baby wipe but does that really get them clean enough to shove into my mouth? I think not. Needless to say, I got a very thorough bath which only further confused me because we only take baths at night. I hope I get over this small hurdle in my life. I hope my parents do, too.

********

On a separate note, do you notice how light this baby's hair is getting?? It's turned from a dark, brown color (almost black) to a light brown...looking somewhat blondish on the edges!! Totally throwing us for a loop.

The Play Yard...endless entertainment

Recent Events

Hello, cute bottom!! A pre-bath naked shot...

We watched Kate briefly yesterday. She was a big help with Lainey and Reagan enjoyed the extra friend to play with. When referring to her position with Lainey and Reagan, Kate commented, "Now that's a picture." I agree! Pretty cute.

our self portrait

A breakthrough!!! Lainey slept allllll night in only her sleep sack! She slept without her Miracle Blanket swaddle!! It was one noisy night but we didn't have to go in there once from 8:30 - 7. Yippee Skippee. I am so excited, I really can't tell you. Only because I was worried that she was becoming too dependent on her swaddle to sleep and I'm grateful she made it through the night without it. Her noisy, grunty self awakened me at 4:45 a.m. but she never fully woke up. She really, really enjoys her pacifier when she is tired and trying to fall asleep, but still doesn't fuss too much when it falls out. A lot of times we can just leave her be and she'll fall back asleep. We feel blessed!!

Cousin pictures!

Talking Baby

This footage isn't too terribly thrilling, but it lets you get a glimpse of Lainey's personality. :)

Fourth of July

We had a fun and relaxing Fourth of July weekend. On Friday we spent the evening with my mom and dad, my mom's cousins Kim and Pam, Pam's husband Mark, and their two boys, Luke and Nate. What a glimpse into toddler-hood they gave us... :) Busy and sweet boys, they are!! Then, on Saturday, Ben and I went to Cedar Creek Lake with our friends. We left Lainey with Ben's parents for the day. We had a great time and it was a nice break from the baby but I did miss her a lot. Ben and I are tomatoes today - we got LOTS of sun despite our sunscreen efforts. It was great to see and hang out with our friends from the Dallas/Plano area and Austin. Thanks to Laura and Bruce for hosting us!

Please contain your excitement, you two.

Red, white, blue and... pink

Thanks for the precious dress, Dana and Stuart! :) 

4 years ago today...

We got engaged! Ben proposed at my parents' then-home in Worthington, Ohio. We look so young. How parenting has aged us...haha. :) 

July 4, 2004

We also recently celebrated our three-year wedding anniversary on June 25th. That was one of the best and most exciting days of our lives - the other being Lainey's birthday! 

June 25, 2005

Wednesday's Pictures

I love this dress! It's so cute and girly, although Lainey would argue that it's a bit too much to be wearing in almost-100-degree weather.

She's actually about to fuss in this picture, but she looks like she's laughing.

4 Generations! Lainey met my grandmother for the first time who is visiting from Arkansas. We met over at my parents' house for dinner last night to see my grandmother, uncle, and his girlfriend Kathy. We had an excellent meal but had to leave in a big hurry because the baby started to melt. We couldn't calm her down! So we left. She had her bath and bottle as soon as we got home and completely crashed in bed - was asleep immediately. Always nice for moms... ;)

Waking up the baby

I love waking this baby up (well, when she's supposed to get up, that is!!). My favorite is when she wakes up and then smiles...but this one doesn't show that. Once again, ignore my talking-to-baby voice!!

New mode for travel

So relaxed...even fell asleep. (Thanks again for the carrier, Jill!)

Awake because of the camera flash! She fell back asleep after that, though. :)

I think Lainey finally likes the Baby Bjorn. She was extremely content in it for a while! YAY! Her favorite way to be carried is facing out - like the Baby Bjorn - so I have been eager for her to like the carrier. And it is a nice way to walk her around the neighborhood.


On a separate note, some of y'all have asked some questions that I have failed to answer on the blog!! First of all, I am no longer nursing. I lasted about 3 weeks! And then I pumped and did bottles for the fourth week and was planning to continue that but Lainey decided formula was better tasting than breastmilk. So there you go. We have been on formula ever since. I have been happier and less stressed about it and Lainey, apparently, was fine with the switch. Some of y'all have also asked how she's sleeping. For the most part, she's sleeping well. She was going from about 9pm - 6am, so we tried putting her to bed a bit earlier (8:30). However, she has awakened the past two mornings at 4:30. Growth spurt? Earlier bedtime? I am not sure. Another interesting fact is that she's found a way to wiggle out of her swaddle. That probably also aids in waking her up. So who knows. We'll just keep plugging away!! :) Every night we do the same routine with bath, bottle, and bed. It's fun and she still seems okay with her baths. She doesn't enjoy getting her face washed (I can see why!) but other than that, she's pretty content. She still naps pretty often during the day with a giant nap in the morning about an hour after she's up and then she takes 45 minute - 1 hour naps during the day between feedings.


OK - lots of info. in that paragraph! That's all for now! :)

Today

Pictures from the day. :)

Looking serious.

Not to be forgotten...Reagan. She has an ear infection right now. Poor dog.

2 Months Old!

Lainey is 2 months old today. In some ways, it feels as though we've known her forever...and in other ways, it seems as though she just got here. Ben and I love being parents; this child is a true blessing and we enjoy each day with her. It's hard to believe that tomorrow I will love her even more than I do today. But I will. She had her 2 month checkup today and she survived her shots! It was hard to witness. Poor thing! The doctor said she's doing great and he was patient while I asked my 14 overly-concerned-parent questions. Ben was patient too, even though he had given me his answers to my questions prior to our office visit. And yes, Ben's answers were very similar to the doctor's! Basically, I worry too much. But what else is new!?

The baby weighs 12 pounds 5 oz. (75th-90th percentile); her height is 22 3/4 inches (75th percentile); her head circ. is 41 inches (90th percentile).

Lainey has made some new friends around the house and finds immense joy in the relationships she has with them. I've taken some pictures.

the "funny fan"

"Barkasaurus Rex"

cute spotted (also barking) dog

colorful happy face who lights up and sings the most delightful songs

That's all for today. The baby is recovering from her shots and is looking forward to some rest and relaxation today...she deserves it! We love you, Lainey!!

Hi Uncle Matt!

My brother Matt is in town for my dad's retirement party. We had a great dinner last night at my mom and dad's house and really enjoyed hanging out with Matt. Lainey wasn't being extremely cooperative in this photo; I think she was tired and ready for bath/bottle/bed. :)

My dad was walking around with Lainey holding her like that! It was so funny. He would walk outside, check on things, walk inside and do something...all the while she was a happy camper laying sideways with her belly exposed.

Rocker Baby

Side effect of being pregnant?

I am blaming these on the after-effects of the pregnancy. I found TWO gray hairs! TWO!!! I was so surprised to find them! But there they were...prominently displayed for all to see. I caught one in its early stages and the other - well, it apparently got away from me. Sorry, this post is a little gross and maybe too much information about me for some of you. :)

Update!

We've had a fun and busy week - hanging out with the Ratleys, visiting friend Emily and her son Gabriel, eating with Caroline, seeing Anne and Adam, playing with Nora and Kate, shopping with the Harris women, and playing with cousins. I don't have any pictures! I HAVE to get better at taking my camera places. I have lots of pictures from home because that is where my camera lives. Next week will be filled with more excitement: a visit from Uncle Matt from New York and my dad's retirement party. We're looking forward to the events. Also, Lainey has her 2-month appointment on Tuesday (shots!!) so I'll update the blog after that.

It's so hard for me to wake a sleeping Lainey!! She's so sweet when she's sleeping. But, I do love waking her up, also! It's pretty cute. As you can tell, we're big fans of swaddling. She sleeps well that way and she seems to enjoy it. We enjoy it because she does sleep so well. :)

Waking up after a nap...thanks for the funny onesie, Pam and Mark!! It's really clever and oh-so-appropriate... ;)