Baby's First Easter

After a super busy week, it was nice to have a long weekend. We were excited to have a couple play dates with Maryn, who is the daughter of my college friend Lindsay and just 11 days older than Brooke. Lindsay lives in Colorado, so this was the first time for our girls to meet.

Saturday, we visited Michael's family in Deer Park to celebrate Easter. Brooke got a new swimsuit, puzzle and some fun toys from her Mamaw and Papaw. They were fascinated with her motor skills; she was crawling all over the place. She was definitely more curious about their dog, Duke, and his unstoppable "kisses". She got lots of lovin' while we were there, just as Papaw stated "she is about 3/4 rotten". I would have to agree; she is pretty spoiled!

   

Sunday, we woke up early to attend 8:30 mass. It was packed, as to be expected. She did well, although Michael ended up in the overly crowded cry room for the last half and I made a trip to the bathroom with B before it was all over. She had a bottle in church and passed out on the way home. We had french toast, bacon, sausage and bloody mary's at our house for breakfast. After a short nap, we got a few family photos and Brooke played with her gifts from the Easter Bunny. She had a baby-fied version of our annual egg hunt and got a Rocktivity Station, as well as lots of new summer outfits. She had another nap at my parents before heading to my Aunt Amy's house for dinner. It was surely a long weekend, and I think all 3 of us could have used another day to recoup from the holiday!

We were unable to see Auntie Jen and Uncle Mike this weekend, so Jen made a special trip over to our house Monday evening to see her Goddaughter and shower her with Easter presents (a book, swimsuit and more summer clothes).

All in all, it was an EGG-stra special Easter with our sweet pea. No doubt we are beyond blessed!

Crawling, Standing and...Hopping?

By now Brooke has mastered crawling. I still am in awe when I sit back and watch her go. I often reminisce to the days of her being so tiny that she could barely open and close her eyes while I held her in my arms. Oh...how my precious baby has grown (mommy moment)!

April 10^th Grumpy claimed that Brooke was standing in her pack-n-play after a nap, and the next day Brooke was standing up in her crib during her afternoon nap and pulling up on her toys all day long. She would cry after she got up, because once she stood up she didn't know what to do next. It only took a couple days of fear-induced random crying through naps and nighttime for her to figure out that she could sit back down and be just fine. She is now pulling up on everything – in her crib and on her toys. We officially have a mobile baby on our hands! Time to finish baby proofing the house.

   

   

Easter is right around the corner and it seems like she will have just as many wardrobe changes as she did for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Grammy got her an Easter dress and bunny outfit. Great Ga found her an Easter dress. Auntie got her a "chick" outfit, bunny romper, rabbit ears and a tail! And of course, her Mommy had an Easter dress before she was even born. I don’t think there is enough hours in the day for all of these outfits…although you never know! 

With the introduction of solid foods to her diet, all bets are off. Daddy and I definitely keep score with diaper changes these days. I never thought I would say this but I think I prefer the newborn baby blowouts to these new extremely scented and colorful packages that come from our precious angel!

Moving on to bath time, Brooke has upgraded to the tub from the kitchen sink. While she can sit perfectly fine unsupported, you just never know; we decided to get an inflatable tub to make for an easier transition. Daddy gives her a bath almost every night. She loves it! Now that she can sit up and has a little more room, she is getting more curious about playing and splashing around.

Okay, so she hasn't quite mastered "hopping" in time for Easter, but she surely has crawling and pulling up down to a science. We have plans to see the Easter Bunny and have her first egg hunt this weekend. I can't wait! Holidays are even more joyous having her to celebrate with.

7 Months

Our little sweet pea is 7 months today. I fall more in love with her every day. It also never seems to get any easier leaving her. The older she gets, the more we try to venture out and do things with her. Grammy and Grumpy seem to be more adventurous than her own parents. They have done lots of fun activities with Brooke while they care for her during the week. Fieldtrips include her first carousel ride (at Memorial City Mall), lunch/play dates with her auntie or Great Pa & Ga, and it’s rare if there isn’t a weekly Wednesday visit to Carter’s. Brooke went grocery shopping with Mommy and Daddy recently and rode in the grocery cart for the first time! Nosie Rosie was more interested in what was being put in the cart behind her rather than the toy in front of her, not to mention the bright yellow coupons that she kept trying to put in her mouth! 

   

We don’t get out much; Brooke thrives on routine. We have recently made a few changes, due to her adjusted feeding schedule with added baby food, but she still sticks to it! On a typical day, B wakes up at 8-8:30, eats cereal and fruit. She plays for about 1-1.5 hours, then she has a bottle before her morning nap. She sleeps for 1-2 hours, then eats lunch. After some more play time, she has another bottle before her afternoon nap. She sleeps another 1-2 hours. At 5 she has dinner and plays until bedtime. She gets a bath and bottle at 7 pm before she goes down for a solid 12 hours. She is such a good little girl – great eater and wonderful sleeper! I guess she got both of those traits from her parents. We love to eat and sleep, although sleeping in now is staying in bed until 7:30 am, maybe 8 if I’m really feeling crazy on a weekend!

March 23 her first tooth broke through the gums, and the next day the one next to it had followed. She wasn't too fussy. She seemed a little more sleepy than usual and had some mucus-like spit up, due to the extra saliva, but it wasn't bad at all. Brooke has been quite the drooler for the past few months, and all of the monogrammed bibs from Auntie have been extra handy!

She is really starting to practice talking too. She says “gee-gee”, which I think is a sweet reminder of Grandmere (“Gigi”) looking down on all of us. She says “muh” and “tuh” as well. She is absolutely fascinated with peek-a-boo and laughs out loud when mommy throws her hands in there (touchdown-style) or shockingly gasps for air. She has a breakfast, lunch and dinner – combination of cereal and stage 1 fruits/veggies, along with 4 bottles throughout the day (26 ounces). We tried peas again and…she still doesn't like them. Poor thing tried about 4 bites before she realized it was not getting any better. This time she was spitting it out; it was everywhere – hair, ears, cheek, neck, hands, etc! Our little Sweet Pea does NOT like sweet peas, unlike her momma and daddy who LOVE them! Oh well, maybe in a few more weeks, she will change her mind…

She is over 20 pounds now, wearing 9 month clothes and size 3 Pampers. She still sleeps with her lamb wubbanub, glowing seahorse and duck lovey – she loves them all. Some nights I think she stays up and plays with her “friends” while mommy and daddy sleep; in the mornings, all of them are in different corners than where they started the night. Perhaps in comparison to other babies, Brooke may be lacking locks, but she probably has twice as much hair as she did a couple months ago! She is starting to crawl and getting stronger everyday. She started by scooting on her tummy, which she still uses to pivot around. She knows what to do, but for some reason just loves pushing up on her toes (almost seems to be planking) with her rear in the air. I imagine it won't be long before she is walking too; she is just so strong! If there's a toy, phone, laundry basket...anything that she can get her hands on, she will get there! Our little "baby" is growing up.

   

6 months

1/2 Birthday onesie and headband compliments of Auntie Jen

Brooke is halfway to her 1st birthday, 6 months today. It is so crazy to sit back and look at her and think "she is mine". It seems like yesterday that Michael and I were just living a simple life with little responsibility other than work and bills. And just like that, Brooke came into our lives, and all of that changed. There’s no doubt that simple life before being parents was easier, but in no way, shape or form was it as fulfilling as our lives are now. Every day I wake up and look forward to seeing what Brooke is going to do today to make me smile. She fills my heart in a way that I never knew I needed or was ready for.

Right now she is sleeping 12 hours at night, on her tummy with a pacifier, wubbanub and a lovey. She eats about 8 ounces (combination of breast milk & formula) every 3 hours starting at 8 am. She has her bath and bottle every night about 7 pm and goes to bed without a fuss. Sometimes she needs a little comforting about an hour or so after going down – usually getting readjusted in her crib or helping her find the paci does the trick. She reaches for everything; her hand-eye coordination and motor skills are great! She has mastered sitting up unsupported and is so proud of herself when she is standing (with some support). She turns her head and smiles to familiar voices and faces. She loves riding the horsey and mumbling one-syllable noises (“mmm” and “buhh”). We are working on “momma” and “dada”, sign language too. She still loves “1,2, Buckle my shoe” and her Sophie toy. Her toys that light up and play music she really gets enjoyment out of. Simple things like water bottles and burp clothes really seem to excite her too! She is rolling and scooting all around, especially in her crib. It won’t be long before we have a crawler on our hands. She is in size 3 diapers and mostly in 6-9 month clothes. She has a matching headband for almost every outfit (definitely an obsession her auntie and mommy have taken on). She has tried rice cereal and sweet potatoes, but is not eating regularly just yet. She knows the spoon goes in her mouth and she is desperate to eat, but she is still unsure about the texture of this new “stuff” going in her mouth. I am confident it won’t take long before she loves it! Soon we will introduce a sippy cup and see how she does training with that.

Michael is home from Ennis (we are so thrilled that he is back) and was able to go to the doctor's appointment with us today; it was his first time to meet her pediatrician. We were so happy to go together for her 6 month check up. The doctor is so pleased with the way her eczema looks now; we are using hydrocortisone lotion and Curel twice daily. She weighs 19 pounds and 3 ounces (92nd percentile), 26.5" long (76th percentile) and head circumference of 17.3". She is one healthy baby girl! She got 5 vaccines at today's visit. It broke my heart to hear her cry as they pricked her leg 4 times! She reached for her mommy and had tears rolling down her face. Seconds later she was fine, and actually was full of smiles the rest of the day!

We are truly blessed to not only have this sweet girl in our lives, but to have such a good baby. We couldn’t ask for more. Every day I wake up and my heart is full. I am so grateful for this life and enjoy every day with my family. It is bittersweet to think that our little girl is 6 months and while she is still a “baby”, she is growing up before our eyes. I love seeing her learn new things and embrace her personality. She is the perfect combination of Michael and I. We are so proud of her and love her to pieces. Looking forward to many more milestones.

Ready to crawl

Big weekend for a big girl

Just a few days shy of 6 months, this weekend Brooke celebrated a lot of firsts. She had her first ride in the stroller, without the car seat.

She rolled over from her tummy to her back! She has been rolling over to her tummy for weeks now, but has yet to make it over the other way. On Friday, Grumpy said she rolled over during her nap but he didn't see it. We were still a little unsure, until Saturday morning, I went to get her out of her crib and when she was on her tummy lifting up, she rolled over to her back. She looked more surprised than excited, but nonetheless it was such a happy moment to see our little one reach another milestone. And Daddy was watching on the monitor and got to see it too!

She had her first taste of solid foods, sweet potatoes. She has been beyond curious of food - watching us eat, reaching for everything on the kitchen table, attempting to drink Grammy's tea, putting anything she can into her mouth and showing us she knows how to use a baby spoon. She was so excited when we put her in her highchair and she saw the spoon purposely going towards her mouth, but I'm not sure she was so keen on what was going in. We are going to try a few bites for the next couple days, and then we may move on to something else. Plus we have a doctor's appointment next week and will see what suggestions the doctor has to offer.

It was such a nice day outside. We went to have pizza at Grimaldis at La Centerra, then for cupcakes. It was Brooke's first visit to Ooh La La Dessert Boutique, although she has had it many times unbeknownst to her. Daddy fed her a bottle while Mommy picked out cupcakes. She looked too cute in her polka dots not to take advantage of the photo opp.

Oh...and our little angel, who has mastered sitting up on her own, is already trying to stand. Bittersweet!

It goes without saying that she means everything (and then some) to me. I can't thank God enough for putting her into our world. How irrelevant everything before her now seems. 

Home is where the heart is

Lately everyone seems to be posting pictures on social media encrypted with #tbt for “throwback Thursday”. The meaning behind it is to display a picture or memory from the past and reminisce upon it. So today it had me thinking; so many thoughts and feelings have been flooding my mind and heart. It was about 4 months ago that Michael found out that we would be traveling to Ennis, TX to supervise a big job for his company. I was worried and heartbroken as my maternity leave was wrapping up and I was going to be alone during the weeks he would be gone with a 2 month old baby. I was terrified! It was a great opportunity for him, but we knew how hard it was going to be on all of us. The job got delayed a couple weeks, as did my return to work when my Grandmere passed away sooner than we had expected. Time went on and we all managed to make things work. I learned a lot! I adapted to an earlier morning routine than I had ever imagined possible. I found out just how much you can do one-handed. I learned how great leftovers are. I discovered that the tiniest of humans have the most dirty laundry.

I don’t think anyone else ever understood how hard it was on me. During that time, I was dealing with sleep deprivation and anxiety, grieving my grandmother’s passing, raising a newborn, and returning to work after a c-section and 10 weeks of maternity leave. Having my parents live nearby and watch Brooke was the greatest blessing. Let it be known - you are never too old to get help from your parents! I am not ashamed to say that my parents watch our baby, live 2 miles from our house and often invite me for dinner or provide me with lunch during the week! I am also grateful for my sister and a few close friends who are always there whenever I need them. Along with all of these emotions it just had me thinking about how hard things were with a newborn and how much Brooke has grown since then. She is such a great baby and Michael and I are truly blessed to be her parents. She will be 6 months next week! How is it that it seems like just yesterday but then again seems so long ago?

So here we are at the end of February and Brooke is almost 1/2 a year old. During that time, there were lots of phone calls, pictures and tears. It was a wonderful opportunity for Michael and his career, but I can honestly say I have never been so happy to have him home! When he got home tonight, it was different than any other Thursday. I was overcome with this sense of relief knowing that on Sunday he wouldn't be packing up to leave again. Looking back at everything we have overcome and how strong are family bond has become; I know we are capable of taking on anything. I can only hope that the future jobs that Michael has are located in town, but if not, that is okay. We are both hard working parents and we do so to provide for our child. However, for now, I am going to enjoy every minute of him being here. Tonight I was able to wash my face and get ready for bed, while he fed the baby. I was able to sit down and enjoy dinner at home with my love on a Thursday night. I didn't even have to wash the bottles! I was in bed before 9 and…was able to watch the entire episode of Grey’s Anatomy! Wow… I think that is what others call normalcy. And it feels so good. Feeling blessed and ever so grateful for God putting Michael and Brooke into my life. I don't know where I would be without them.

Unfortunate, inherited trait

Brooke has gotten a trait from mommy that I was wishing she wouldn't... What we were hoping was just dry skin from the weather, the doctor recently confirmed is eczema. I remember as a child itching so bad that I would not be able to move my arms and legs. I was even hospitalized when it got really bad. The thought of that happening to Brooke breaks my heart. We have been trying to keep her dry skin under control, but this weekend she had a very bad flare up. Saturday, I bought some Baby Eczema Eucerin cream and tried that Sunday morning. She looked red, but it seemed to go away. Then a couple hours later, it got worse. It was red around her mouth, her chest, legs, arms…everywhere. I was so scared. I was in tears. Michael was nervous too! We called the doctor’s office and were ready to take her to Urgent Care, if necessary. She was scratching the backs of legs with her toes and her head and chest too. It was heartbreaking to see her skin so irritated.

We applied hydrocortisone on the affected areas and it didn't take long for it to be looking better. We kept a close eye over night, but planned to take her to the doctor in the morning. I don’t like seeing my baby suffer, and I take full advantage of snuggling during times like this. She is my precious baby and I want her better!

The doctor confirmed it was eczema and, as we know, there is no cure. We just have to keep in under control. She prescribed a steroid cream to use if and when lotion and hydrocortisone are not working and in case of flare ups, like on Sunday. She suggested using Curel for an everyday lotion, and so far that seems to be working much better. Her skin is back to being baby soft, with only minor redness in some of the creases. I am so happy that it is already looking 100% better. She is on the right track!

Despite her closet full of adorable clothes, she has been spending a substantial amount of time in her birthday suit lately. Her skin needs to breathe and she doesn't mind it either! She even enjoys “taking a ride in her car” in the buff.

My sweet life

What used to be a week (or sometimes month) long celebration was barely a thought in mind. Last year I celebrated my birthday by going shopping for PB, as we had just found out about our pregnancy a few weeks prior. This year was not much different. Brooke is my world. I could barely even think of anything I wanted for myself. I asked for a few items for the house, and was more than happy to get that and more! I have converted to a less materialistic type person with the birth of my baby girl…or maybe my needs and wants have just changed more with age.

Michael and I went out to dinner the week before, to avoid the Valentine's Day crowd. Yup, we are that old and lame. My parents watched Brooke and we were on the road to dinner about 6, no reservations either. We ended up at Brenner's Steak House, a first for both of us. We got the last table in the corner by the bar..and it was perfect. We both had lamb, 2 drinks and dessert! Wow. It was such a nice date with my love, to celebrate my birthday and us! It is not often that we get out anymore, but when we do, we do it right. We left semi-miserable after a 3-course meal, but we were home in bed by 9. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Thursday my coworkers surprised me with chocolate chip cookie cake (yum!). 

Friday night, my actual birthday, my parents had us over for dinner…and my birthday peanut butter pie (my mom knows the way to my heart…and never fails to make it every year for me!). My hair was in a ponytail and I had on no makeup – it was perfect. 

We had a few family and friends over the next day to enjoy some cake (as if we hadn't had enough already!)...

It was a nice and simple celebration. Brooke met my friend Chelsea’s youngest son, Parker who is one month younger. They hit it off right away, and had a great photo shoot!

All in all, my birthday celebrations have surely changed, but one thing is for certain, family is the greatest gift of all. Spending some quality time with loved ones and having my little sweetheart in my life is all a girl can ask for!

My heart is full.

5 months

On February 4^th, Brooke was 5 months old. I truly feel the days go by so fast. It seems like we just brought her home from the hospital. The restless days of 3 hour feedings, tiny little diapers, and standing in the hallways singing made up songs while rocking her to sleep seem so long ago. I miss her infancy but I also adore watching her grow. It is amazing to know that Michael and I created this beautiful angel and after 10 months inside my tummy, she entered this world. Since then and with each passing day, her eyes get bluer, her smile gets bigger and her desire to learn continues to grow. I am absolutely smitten and blessed to call her mine. Some days I just stop and think “How did I get so lucky?” Brooke is such a good baby. I fall in love with her more and more everyday. 

On a typical day, Brooke wakes up at 7:30 and drinks 8 ounces of milk. She goes to Grammy and Grumpy’s Monday thru Thursday, and Fridays one of us is usually home with her. She sleeps for about an hour in the morning, a couple hours in the afternoon, and one more hour nap before the evening. She eats 7 ounces every 3 hours, with an extra ounce or two in her last bottle. At about 7 o’clock, we begin her nighttime routine – bath, bottle, bed. She isn’t to the point of playing in the bath just yet, but she knows her bottle and bed are shortly thereafter. Often she has trouble keeping her eyes open during her bath and tries to sneak a thumb in her mouth! She sleeps through the night and is in her crib for 12 hours straight! She may wake during the night but she “talks” herself back to sleep. She also falls asleep on her back, but at some time during the night rolls to her tummy and sleeps that way until morning. Like I said, we are blessed with a very good baby. I love her to the moon and back!

She is not blowing raspberries quite as much as she was a few weeks ago. Still no teeth, but drooling like crazy and will put anything (her fingers, your fingers, toys, blankets, etc) in her mouth. She tries to roll over during diaper changes, but that surely beats the way she used to scream when she was a newborn. We are still supplementing with some formula (5 ounces breastmilk, 2 ounces formula) and she is doing perfect with that. She is growing like a weed! She is in between 6 month and 9 month clothes and wearing size 3 Pampers Swaddlers. She has outgrown her size 1 shoes and hates socks! She still loves putting her toes in her mouth; socks and shoes just get in the way. Her skin is still a little dry; I put baby lotion on twice a day and try to keep her naked for a little while to let her skin breathe. We are not sure if eczema will be an issue her whole life, but for now we are doing our best to keep in under control, especially in the cold, dry weather. We are not surprised, as eczema runs in both of our families; I struggled with it severely throughout my childhood. Due to those troubling memories of my itchy skin, I pray that Brooke's get better soon!

She loves seeing people make silly faces, blow raspberries and “talk” with her. She has recently started hugging too. I am not sure if she completely comprehends what she is doing, but when her arms swing around my neck and she buries her face into my chest my heart just melts. Either way I know it is her way of showing her trust and love in me, and it’s the sweetest thing. She is capable of holding her own bottle and putting her pacifier in her mouth. She sits up unsupported very well, lifts up her entire head and chest during tummy time and loves to stand (with some assistance, of course). She is so strong! Her latest trick is riding the horsey; she moves back-and-forth when propped up on your leg. She looks so eager to move; I think she will be an early crawler, unless she skips that completely and goes straight to walking!

My entire world has changed from the life I once knew and I love every moment. I adore my daughter more than anything in this world! Being a mother is the greatest gift and I am blessed to call her mine. She has stolen my heart. She easily brings tears to my eyes just thinking of the joy that we endure daily because of her. Nothing in this world compares to the sound of her laughter, the grasp of her tiny hand around my finger and the warmth of her body as I hold her close to my heart. She is only 5 months old and I am trying to hold on to every moment and memory, as we all know how fast time flies by (I may have already started looking at 1^st birthday party ideas…)!

When it's just the two of us, nothing else in this world matters. I no longer live to work, but merely work to provide for her. It makes every bit of my job and every action I make even more fulfilling, knowing that she is the motivation behind everything I do. She is my world. I can't imagine my life with out Michael and Brooke. 5 years with Michael and 5 months with Brooke - I can't wait to see what the next 5 have in store for us!