Celebrating 5 months... in the new house!

Happy five months, little Lettie!  Being your mama, my dear, is pure joy.  You are just overflowing with happiness.  

This month you found your feet, and have spent many happy minutes tugging, pulling and trying to chew on them.  However; your hand is your absolute favorite.  You love to turn it over and over and watch it in awe.  

Speaking of awe, you just love to soak people in.  You watch them talk, sing and eat.  Sometimes when I'm rocking your sleepy little self and say something to Daddy or Anni, you pop your head up to watch me talk, as if you'll miss something important if you don't see my mouth moving.

You are such a sweet sleeper.  It's definitely a whole different ball game for me the second time around.  While you aren't sleeping through the night, you very happily eat when you do wake up (usually around 3:30 and 6:30) and go back to sleep when you're all done.  We have a pretty comfortable rhythm down (though moving did make for some troubled nights), and while I'm certainly tired sometimes, I haven't hit the level of exhaustion I reached on a regular basis when your big sister was this size... there's a certain ease to knowing I've done this before and that every phase moves on eventually.  I'm not eager to say good-bye to your baby days, so I sleep when I can and love each kissable moment with you in-between.

You also use a pacifier, which is definitely different than your sister.  She was done with hers by the time she was a few months old, and rarely used it when she did have it.  You, my sweet, need something to suck on, plain and simple.  The pacifier is key to many of your naps (though Aunt Hannah proved you can be sung to sleep, it was so beautiful to watch her pace and hum to you!), but thankfully you don't mind if you have it once you're asleep... so it's not a constant issue at night.

 

 The easiest way to get you to nap is by snuggling up with you in Mommy and Daddy's bed.  You seem to take that as the sign to give it up.  That being said, you'll also take being rocked/walked to sleep and laid in your bassinet, snuggling in the sling and occasionally, just passing out in exhaustion as we drive somewhere.

You also officially rolled over for the first time!  You really struggle with getting stuck on your arm, but I have no doubt it'll get easier as you practice more.  You are learning how to use that body to move it!  You also have started to pound your chest with your little first, and we tease that you are saying the confiteor ("through my fault, through my fault, my most grievous fault"), but, in all seriousness, I think you just like that sensation.    

 We've also finally heard a few sweet giggles!  Thus far a peek-a-boo session with me, a tummy nuzzle from Grandma and playing in the backseat of the car with cousin Charlie have brought forth your little laugh.  We've never doubted that you are a happy baby (you truly do smile most of the time!), but it's so fun to hear you laugh!  I can't wait to hear what else brings the giggles out.  You're starting to add chubby little rolls to your legs. You're just squeezable, my little love!  

Our Move [in photos]

Keys!  Right after our closing... super excited and terrified!

The second or third time Lettie has slept in her car seat outside of the car - taking her first nap in our first house!

Hanging out in our empty house the first day.  Lettie mostly stared at the ceiling fan while Anni ran big circles.  We also tried out somewhere around six samples of blue paint in the girls' room-to-be before we found the right one so we could be ready to paint the next day.

Last bath in the apartment!

We were so excited when our new couches arrived!  A place to rest as we painted, painted, painted!  (And by we, I mean Daniel's parents and grandparents and Daniel... I mostly watched babies.)

Lots of lovin' for "his peanut" from Deda!

And lots of kisses and Yugoslavian nursery rhymes from Baba.

After three long days of painting and preparing and one very tiring Saturday of moving, we had our first night in the new house!

That's right, matching jammies... just too adorable to pass up!

Good night, new house, good night!

Moving

The big moving day is upon us... t-minus 8.5 hours until our official start...  here's hoping all goes quickly and smoothly!

The Vintage Honey: A Review

A little over a month ago, I bought myself a nursing necklace in hopes that it would:

a) keep Miss Colette's little fingers busy so she would stop pinching when nursing or trying to fall asleep in the sling

and

b) Give me a little something extra special/pretty to wear with my very limited post-partum wardrobe. 


This sweet little necklace from The Vintage Honey totally came through!   In fact, my hubby took a quick iPhone snapshot, and the photo got a pretty immediate, happy response (I couldn't even include all the sweet comments, there were so many!):

 

So, when they asked for baby-wearing reviewers, I was all over that one!  (Yes, they did send me the pretty mint colored necklace you see below... but I actually purchased the one above myself and my opinions are all my own!) 

Miss Lettie enjoying my new necklace while she hung out with me in the kitchen.

As far as my hopes for the necklace(s), they were definitely fulfilled!  Lettie seems to like the shape of the necklaces to tug and pinch (rather than my skin, thank goodness).  I really like that the necklaces are adjustable, they tie with a ribbon in the back, so I can easily make it a little longer when she's nursing or awake in the sling and then I like to tie it almost like a choker while she's asleep so it rests in the hollow of my throat and I don't have to worry about her lying on it while she sleeps.  I was a little worried that the ribbon tie would slip undone all the time, but it seems to be the best of both worlds (stays tied, but comes off when I need it to). 

Dancing in the kitchen while our dinner cooked... love this sweetie!

The necklaces have also added a little somethin' to my rather limited wardrobe during these "in-between" months.  I love that both necklaces go with so much, and I get asked about them often (which means people are noticing the necklaces instead of any of the other wardrobe issues I worry about, score)!

Ready to go out for Daniel's birthday!  Well, almost, I had to change that shirt... cream cheese frosting is messy!

On the babywearing side of things: I've mostly worn it with my ring sling since that has slipped into top place for ease (and gorgeousness), but I did use the moby the other day and it still sat in a great spot both for her to play with and then me to keep it out of the way when she was sleeping.

Trekking through the zoo with a very sleepy babe.

I've worn the necklaces just about everywhere: church and lunch with the girls at Daniel's office, fireworks, the zoo, Anni's swim lesson (though not while swimming myself) and dancing in the kitchen. 

Fireworks on the 3rd of July!  Lettie actually was in the sling most of the night, but she stretched out a little before all the craziness began.

At the pool (see, didn't the necklace distract you from the wet hair?!)

Whether or not you're a nursing mama (I mean, aren't they just cute whether or not you have a baby to tug on them?!), check out The Vintage Honey Shop, I think you'll love them!

Seven Quick Takes: Volume V

-One-

"Comparison is the thief of joy." -Theodore Roosevelt 

I've been thinking about this a lot lately as get myself twisted in knots that "everyone else" has lost their baby weight and looks pulled together and fantastic, and that "every other business owner" knows what they're doing while I struggle to stay on top of things.  Is this true?  Probably not, and even if it is, I need to move on: this kind of thing is what steals all the joy from being a Mommy and having a job that I really enjoy (and am kind of good at, sometimes). 

-Two-

Daniel's birthday was on Wednesday.  I got him Jim Gaffigan's new book Dad is Fat... and I'm almost done reading it.  (And while he's hilarious no matter what, the fact that he's Catholic and has five kids squeezed into a two bedroom New York City apartment makes for a whole lot of hilarity... I almost never laugh out loud when reading and I have been giggling through this whole book).  I also made him a cake (Daniel, not Jim Gaffigan).  Well, cake is putting i milyy, it was like a teetering tower of cake.  See, I didn't read my recipe through very carefully and when I went to actually make the cake and was running back and forth to my computer to read the recipe from the kitchen (printer out of ink and iPad with Daniel at the office donchyaknow), realized they wanted me to use three 9 inch pans.  Um... I have one.  And my 9x13 pan is out on loan.  Therefore, I used my three smallest pyrex pans (ie the three I had left), and proceeded to make this monstrous tower that not even all of my homemade frosting could cover.  It did; however, hold 27 candles quite nicely.

This year, I asked Daniel's parents to tell us his adoption story beginning to end.  I would love to share it with you someday, but that'll be up to my love.

-Three-

We went to the nearby splash park for the second time. The first time a few weeks ago was a little chilly and Anni had a pretty miserable time as she just froze (and spent the whole time wanting, no, throwing a complete fit for, a snack).  This time it was hot, hot, hot, so the water felt amazing and didn't chill Anni quite as quickly, and, between the snacks I brought and our sweet friend brought, it was definitely a success.  There was a lot more bravery running up to the water, and a whole lot of happy smiles.  Lettie slept most of the time in the sling, but got to come out to test out the water for the last few minutes before we left.   

-Four-

 The theme of this moving process is "suck it up".  I can't wait to get into the house, but everything has to be packed first, and, for some reason, my littles still need a semblance of an every day routine (food, naps, mommy looking at them instead of packing, you know).  My inexperience is showing as I stand in the middle of a room and try to figure what to pack, how to pack it, and if we're going to end up needing it in the next seven days.  I shouldn't be an inexperienced packer, but the last two times we've moved, I have been pretty sick (an awful case of mastitis while caring for a wee Anni on oxygen the first time, and an out-of-control case of poison-ivy made worse by a bad detergent and therefore me a little crazy between the itchiness and steroid side-effects).  I was lucky that one of my sisters and my mom came out both times and helped finish the packing and pretty much made sure everything went smoothly.  However; my mom and other sister are coming the day after the big move this year to help un-pack, rather than before (definitely something I'm going to need as I try to organize an entire household for the first time), but, with Daniel being insanely busy at work, I've been kind of on my own.  It's got to get done; though, because we need to be completely moved out with the apartment cleaned for the sweet girls taking over our lease by the 23rd.  So, suck it up, Alzbeta.

 -Five-

Lettie discovered her feet this week!   She likes to hang onto them while attempting to roll over and chew on her other hand... multi-tasking at its finest.  She's also starting to get the sweetest, most kissable little rolls on her legs.  I just can't get enough of her!

 

-Six-

My Antonia.  She has been telling stories and making up songs non-stop this week.  While I can only follow a portion of the story-line, I adore listening to her.  Sure, having a three-year-old is like living with a ticking time bomb (that inevitably goes off at the most inopportune time), but it is also one of the sweetest joys I can imagine.  

-Seven-

Despite a lot of stress over the move and keeping up with everyday life this week, I also had a lot of moments where I was able to take a deep breath and really soak in how much I love being a mommy.  I'm loving the fact that while I am still a worry-wart, I have found a few little ways to let things go and just enjoy kissing my babies and telling them how wonderful, smart, beautiful, sweet and funny they are.

 Find more Seven Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

   

Happy "the Fourth"

We spent our fourth digging into some family time.  I am a homebody, I completely admit it.  I have a great time when we get out (usually), but it takes a whole lot of convincing to get me out in the first place.  The biggest convincer for me has been my sweet family.  In 5, 10, 20 years, I want our family to look back and have a flood of memories meet them at the door of our past.  Sure, many of those will be snuggled in our own home, but I also want to show our babies all of the wonderfully sweet things in which we can find delight. 

We took both girls to see their first fireworks show the evening of the third.  We brought a picnic early so we could grab a spot before they were all gone and watched as the people poured in (it's free, earlier than any other fireworks show around which is way awesome for the babies and accompanied by the symphony, check, check and ch-eck!)

Lettie hung out on our comfy blankets, just taking in the people and sky while we waited for the festivities to begin.  Once the music started, I tucked her into the sling so I could help block out the noise a bit (we didn't make the decision to go early enough... so, despite checking several stores, couldn't find noise cancelling headphones... luckily, I was able to keep things muffled enough for her to get comfy and fall asleep right as the fireworks started to go off).

The show started off with the symphony, and oh, my... the girls loved it (here meaning Anni and one of her sweet friends, Lettie was freaked out if I forgot to keep her little ears covered)!  They danced, Anni proclaimed every song to be her favorite and echoed, "Today!" for several minutes after they performed Neil Diamond's "America".  There was a light show during, but it was much more fun to watch Anni's expression and dancing. 

When it came time for fireworks, Anni's sweet little friend crawled under a blanket on her mommy's lap and stayed firmly put except to once respond to her mama telling her that Anni was watching the fireworks by saying, "Noooo, Anni, noooo!" with great concern.  

Anni loved the fireworks (though requested that Daddy keep his hands firmly over her ears... noise-muffling headphones next year, mama!)  She used the words "pretty" and "popping" quite a bit, but mostly just stared.  This, my friends, was so worth leaving my little home.    

 
We didn't roll out of bed until well after 10:30, with Lettie snuggled in and eating most of the morning as I watched her sweet face and dozed off, enjoying the laziness. 

Daniel's parents came down to celebrate, though we spent most of the day lazily recovering (it takes this homebody a lot of recovering time after going out, even if she did have a blast).  We did manage to pack a few boxes and do some cleaning with the extra baby-holding hands and reading to toddler Nonna around. 

We picked up some barbeque (no grills allowed on our deck!) and finished off the night with some bubbles.  Miss Anni usually gets so frustrated when she struggles to blow bubbles, but the wind did it for her tonight!

My heart is full of the sweetness of our little family.  God bless America.