Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

XOXO
Love,
Nora the Leopard and Cousin Hunter the Puppy

P.S. More pics tomorrow--soooo many cute ones!

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Refreshed

Revamping the blog has been on my list of "to-dos" for a while now. Obviously, as a new mommy, it was down pretty low on the priority list. But, I've spent the past few days working on it between feedings and naps and laundry, and I finally got it to a point where it's ready to transfer over to the blog.

You're looking at it! I hope you like it.

There are still a few bugs and perhaps a few features that aren't working correctly--please let me know if you notice anything strange. Also, if there's something you'd like to see on the blog page that isn't here currently, I'm open to your ideas.

I hope you're all preparing to enjoy a wonderful Halloween weekend!

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Book of Baby

Does this count as a book review? I think it should, because well, Lord knows I have not been reading anything lately.

When I was pregnant, I spent a decent chunk of time looking at baby books. There were specific things I was looking for in a book to document the first year of my child's life, and it seemed that a lot of the baby books out there did not fit my vision.

For my pregnancy journal, I had this same problem, and decided to go with a blank book so that I could make it my own. Well, I failed miserably at that. (Although I did keep up with weekly blog posts on the subject, so at least I documented it all in some way.)

So for a baby book, I knew I needed something more structured in order to make sure, you know, I actually filled it out. I wanted something with questions and other prompts for my writing. I wanted something with enough space to write little memories and personal things, but I didn't want too much space--I don't have time to write a novel about every little thing. I wanted all of the milestones to be things that I actually consider to be milestones. I wanted sufficient space for photos and keepsakes.

I found all of those things in My Baby Book: A Keepsake Journal for Baby's First Year by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.

The book is broken down into three sections.

The "My Arrival" section allows you to share some memories about the pregnancy, including things like how and when you found out you were pregnant, who you told and how, etc. There are spaces for ultrasound photos and questions about whether you found out the sex, how you were feeling, and more.

Then there are pages to record information and memories about the birth itself. How long you were in labor, the birth stats (date/time/place), the baby's stats, doctor's names, etc. And of course, there is space for a photo and then a couple of blank pages for things like hospital bracelets, name cards, additional photos... whatever you want.

There are also a few fun pages that provides info about the zodiac symbols, the birthday flowers, and birthstones. Pages for footprints and handprints. Pages to document a Baptism or other religious ceremony.

The "My First Year" section provides a page for each month milestone.

There is a space for a monthly photo, and then it asks the same questions for every month--the date, baby's weight/length stats, and other milestone info.

Every three months, there is also an additional page for an "interview with baby." The questions for this vary, but it's a way to provide more information about what baby is up to at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.

"My Gallery of Firsts" is everything you would expect a baby book to be. First smile/laugh, first bath, first tooth, first haircut, etc.

There are also pages for first winter, first spring, first summer, first autumn so you can provide a snippet of something baby did in each season.

^ Personally, we can't wait to fill these pages out! :)

In the end, I feel like this is a book that can easily be kept up with when you put a little time aside for it every few weeks. I like it because I think it's thorough enough for a child to really enjoy reading when he/she gets older, but it's not so thorough that there's no chance for you to complete it. I want to get the same book when we have additional children so that they each have their own!

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The Many Faces of Nora

On Saturday, Nora started giving us smiles. Real ones, not just the starter kind. It's adorable and it absolutely melts me. Consider me a puddle on the floor.

This morning, I was trying to capture said smiles on camera, which is kind of challenging, actually. I have to hold the camera out away from my face so she can see me (because I'm the one making her smile, obviously!), and trying to aim, focus, and shoot while doing that is somewhat difficult. Not to mention that I'm also simultaneously making ridiculous faces and talking in an obnoxious voice.

Baby photography. It's certainly a talent.

Anyway, in my quest to get the perfect photo of her smiling, I captured a hilarious series of facial expressions. *LOVE*

By this point, I'm pretty sure this was her way of threatening to give me a knuckle sandwich.

This was later, but clearly making all of those facial expressions is exhausting.

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A Bottle for Mommy

I'll tell you what... I'm doing this whole "stay-at-home mom" thing right now, and although tremendously rewarding (I certainly wish I could keep doing it for longer than my maternity leave!), it is exhausting!

Come Friday night, I was as ready to have a beer as I would've been if I'd had a long, stressful week at work!

Hell yes.

And what do you do with a fussy baby who won't let you put her down to make dinner? You strap her to the front of you, of course. Works every time. :)

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Baby Boredom

I'm six weeks into my maternity leave, and we have six weeks left to go. (Ohmygod, how are we already halfway through? I can't think about it without wanting to cry.)

The first several weeks, it seemed that Nora didn't require much... entertainment. When she was awake (which wasn't very often), she mostly just wanted to eat, or be changed, or be held.

Now, however, I'm starting to feel like I'm boring the crap out of my baby. See?

Totally bored. (But she does have amazing head control! At least I've fostered good muscle development!)

Nora will sometimes have long stretches (2-3 hours) of awake time these days, and well, I just don't know what to do with her. Sure, I can play the "so big" game a few times; I can talk in a high-pitched voice; I can read a couple of books and sing a couple of songs. But um, OK... that occupies like 30 minutes.

The rest of the time, I sit here and feel guilty about how I'm sure there is something that I'm supposed to be doing to stimulate her. Something that I'm supposed to be doing to make sure she doesn't end up as a third grader who picks her nose and doesn't know her ABCs. Right? Surely I'm already screwing her up?

As the next six weeks go by, she's only going to become more and more alert. So moms, teachers, developmental psychologists... I'm sending out an S.O.S. I need ideas here. What am I supposed to be doing to occupy a wide awake six week old?

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Birth Announcement

Before Nora was born, I had all these grand plans about how I'd do these elaborate photo sessions with my baby, and have so many cute "pro" pics to choose from without the cost associated with professional photographers. I imagined we'd quickly have photos framed all over the house, and maybe even a canvas. I thought I'd get birth announcements out right away, and I'd come up with a special, unique design for them.

Well, we did the newborn photo shoot, but you know what? I've had time to edit exactly ONE of the photos from it. And that's only because I had to force myself to do it just so we'd get her birth announcements out prior to our Christmas cards! We'll see how the future "milestone" photo sessions go (next one would be three months), but if I keep going with this trend, we might actually have to *gasp* hire someone eventually. I honestly don't know how mom photogs do it.

Anyway, for those who may be curious, here is the birth announcement we sent out for Nora. I cannot take credit for designing the template, because damn, I just did not have time for that. But the photo is mine, and as I mentioned, it's the only newborn photo I have to show you (at least thus far).

What is it they say about the shoemakers' kids? ;)

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Starter Smiles

For the last week or so (maybe a little longer), I've been getting what I would call "starter smiles" out of Nora. They aren't yet full-blown baby smiles, but they are getting there. I'd say we're getting closer every day...

(Please excuse my baby talk. Hopefully it's not TOO obnoxious!)

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Three Turn Ons

Knocking out another one of the blog activities...

This one goes hand-in-hand with the last.

Blog Activity, Day Eight
Three Turn Ons

1. Interest in children and babies. I don't know if there is anything sexier than a man holding and enjoying a baby, or playing with a small child. HOT.

2. Sense of humor. I'm sarcastic, and my whole family is sarcastic. We live and breathe sarcasm. I love when someone is able to laugh with me and join in on the fun.

3. Passion. I think we all know that I can get passionate about things. Some would maybe say I'm "opinionated." I enjoy it when someone has strong feelings about something. It doesn't really matter what it is, and it doesn't always matter that our opinions are the same. In my mind, just the fact that someone cares enough to be passionate about something is a good thing.

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Four Turn Offs

Another installment of this blogging activity...

Blogging Activity, Day Seven
Four Turn Offs

1. Smoking. It may be judgey-judgerson of me to say so, but it's true. My dad was a smoker when I was growing up and I truly just cannot stand the smell. I can't imagine trying to cozy up to or kiss someone who smells like smoke, so it's just a huge turn-off for me.

2. Lack of motivation. I'm a do-er, and I don't like to be around people who would rather sit around and do nothing. I like to go places, I like to do things, and I like to look forward to the future. I couldn't be with someone who didn't have any goals in life.

3. Rudeness. There are people who are just inconsiderate of everyone around them. They don't hold doors open for people, they are unnecessarily mean to customer service workers, they may have an attitude that they are "above" everyone else. I can't stand that. You can learn a lot about someone by watching how they treat others.

4. Being cheap. Listen, I am as frugal as they come, and I would even describe myself as a "penny pincher." But damn, if you ever tell me I owe you $1, or you break down the restaurant check by the nickel... c'mon now.

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Family

Pardon my lack of blogging this past week. It's been a busy one.

My brother was married yesterday. My dad came into town on Thursday, so he came over to hang out with Nora and me, then all of us kids got together with him and went out to dinner. Friday, I had the bridesmaid pampering stuff in the morning, my dad spent the afternoon with Nora and me, and then we had the rehearsal and dinner.

Saturday was the wedding, and it was a beautiful day and a lot of fun. What a long day, though! I brought Nora with me to the "getting ready" portion of the day, then my mother-in-law picked her up to babysit through the ceremony and pictures. She met us at the reception, at which point we were reunited with the little beauty. Wasn't she looking pretty in her fancy red dress? :)

Congratulations, Tyler and Marie. We're really happy for you guys. Enjoy the honeymoon!

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Caramelized Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I love adding sliced apples to turkey sandwiches. A couple slices of good wheat bread with turkey, honey mustard, cheddar, lettuce, and sliced apple? That just may be my perfect sandwich.

So when I saw this recipe for caramelized apple grilled cheese sandwiches on Beantown Baker, I knew we would have to try them, too. One night this week, we were looking for an easy dinner, so we whipped up these sandwiches with salads.

And well, they're everything you'd expect them to be. In other words, they're delightful. However, they're like... dessert. They tasted a bit too much like pie to be dinner, in my opinion. Even lunch might be pushing it. But if you're in the mood for a sweet snack, these are your solution.

We used cheddar cheese, because that's what we had, but Jen used gouda with great results, too.

Caramelized Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
(Source: Beantown Baker)

Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 dash of cinnamon
- 1 apple (peeled, cored and sliced)
- 2 thick slices of good cheese (cheddar or gouda work well)
- 2 slices of good bread
- 1 Tbsp. butter

Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a non-stick pan.

2. Add the sugar and cinnamon and cook until bubbly.

3. Add the apples and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

4. Assemble sandwich and grill until golden brown on both sides, about 2-4 minutes per side.

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Tummy time is for suckers.

Nap time is where it's at.

(Put Nora in her boppy for tummy time, and two minutes later, she was asleep. Oh well, we'll work on head control another day!)

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Cloth Diapering: The Beginning

A few weeks before our peanut arrived, I posted about our intention to cloth diaper, and shared with you our plans and the things we had purchased for our starter stash.

Well, now that Nora is one month old, I know that some of you are likely curious about how this whole cloth diapering business is going for us. The short answer is that it is going great! I'm pretty sure I've already fallen in love with it.

Going back to the beginning... we didn't mess with the cloth diapers for the first two weeks of Nora's life. We had a pretty decent supply of newborn and size 1 disposables thanks to my baby showers, so we figured we might as well use them. Plus, Nora was just so tiny, I didn't think there was any way that the cloth diapers were going to work very well on her. Looking back, I'm sure they would've been fine, but I don't regret doing things the way we did them, either.

But when Nora was two weeks old, I decided to bust out one of the cloth diapers and see what we were working with. And I'll be honest--when I got that first diaper on her (which was a little bit of a challenge in and of itself), I was totally second guessing myself. Not only did it take me longer to change her, but the diaper seemed SO BIG that I thought she looked borderline ridiculous. I knew to expect a "fluffy butt," but I did not expect it to be that extreme. It seemed like her pants barely fit her anymore. Then, later that night, I had her in my lap and the diaper leaked on me.

We certainly weren't off to a great start.

The next day, I don't think I even put a single cloth diaper on her as I was kind of disappointed in the whole thing, and I was actually saying things to Michael like, "Well, worst case scenario, we can sell what we bought and we'll probably get almost all of our money back."

But on Monday, I woke up with a renewed determination about it, and I wanted to be sure to give cloth diapering a fair chance before giving up on it. So, back into a cloth diaper Nora went.

And, well, I had to admit that while still big--it was awfully cute. I also did some more internet reading and found that people said that as you get better at putting them on, the prefold/cover combination becomes a little less bulky. So I looked for instructions to remind myself how to do it, and the next time I put a fresh diaper on her, I made sure to make everything a little tighter (now that I know what I'm doing, in that photo above, the diaper is actually way too loose on her).

We haven't looked back.

In two and a half weeks, we've never had a leak, we've never had a blowout, and things have been going great. I officially love cloth diapering.

When we first worked the cloth diapers into our routine, I was still afraid to take her out of the house in them, so I was using disposables for trips out of the house. But after a few days of that, I became more comfortable with the cloth and started using them all day long.

At this point, we're still using disposables at night, as I don't think the prefolds are absorbent enough for overnight. I don't like to have her go more than 2-3 hours without changing her prefold diaper, and even then, sometimes the prefold is completely soaked (like every inch of it). And because she'll sometimes sleep for longer stretches at night, I'd hate to have her sitting in a diaper that wet for an extended period of time. So until we move into our next stage of cloth diapering (pocket diapers) and can use an extra insert for nighttime, we will stick with disposables for overnight. Thankfully, that only means using two disposables a day, which we can live with for now. Especially since we still have a supply left from the diapers people purchased us for the baby showers.

As for our starter stash, it has served us pretty well. The 24 prefolds are definitely enough for us--I'm doing diaper laundry every third day. Once I was feeling confident that we were sticking with this, we did order one more Thirsties Duo (size 1) diaper cover, as I was often running out of covers before I ran out of prefolds. (Sometimes, baby poop will leak out the side of the prefold, but is thankfully caught by the cover--but this means the cover goes in the diaper pail for washing instead of being reused!) I also ordered an additional wet bag for traveling outside of the house, and an additional pail liner (we only had one of each before now).

Here is what the laundry pile looks like before folding. It's really not a lot of work to do this every couple of days. My biggest complaint is folding the cloth wipes since they tend to stick together due to a little bit of static. We'll see how long the folding lasts before I just throw them all into the bin in a big ball. :)

Here's our diaper drawer. We use the baking soda to sprinkle in the pail every so often to help combat any odors, though I really haven't noticed any thus far.

Oh, and have I mentioned we're using cloth wipes as well? If you're using cloth diapers, it's just easier to use cloth wipes as well, since everything can be thrown into the diaper pail for washing. We purchased several packs of cheap baby wash cloths (the really thin ones, Gerber brand) at Babies R Us. They come in packs of 8 for like $5, and I think we got four packs. I have yet to run out of cloth wipes. We use a spray bottle filled with water to wet the wipes. We haven't found the need to add anything to the water.

For washing, I do a cold rinse, then add the detergent (we're using Charlie's Soap), then run a hot wash with another cold rinse. After it's all done, I hang the covers up to dry. Then all prefolds, wipes, wet bags and the pail liner get thrown into the dryer on low heat. I'll usually remove the wet bags and pail liner about 20 minutes into the drying cycle and hang them to dry the rest of the way.

Here's Nora in just the prefold and a Snappi. We've been using the "angel wing" fold, and it seems to work very well for us.

And here she is with the Thirsties Duo cover, all diapered up. (This is the extra one that I ordered--of course, now that we have a girl, I just had to order it in pink!)

I think that's really it for our routine and our experience so far. It's really been great--and I know that if we can get the hang of and enjoy prefolds, we'll be more than fine when we get to the pocket diaper stage, as things will be even easier.

My biggest concern right now is where we go from here. It's my understanding that most one-size pocket diapers do not fit babies well until they are around 12-13 lbs. And well, Nora is a month old and she's probably hanging out around 8 lbs. right now. Ideally, we'd be able to move directly from the newborn prefolds to the pocket diaper, but I'm not sure if that'll work--I'm worried she'll outgrow the newborn prefolds (the Green Mountain Diapers "orange" prefolds) before she'll actually fit into the pocket diapers. And if that's the case, do we invest in another 24 prefolds in the next size up (the Green Mountain Diapers "yellow" prefolds) so we can continue to use the Thirsties Duo covers, or do we use some more disposables to hold us over until she can fit into the pockets? Ugh, I really hope to not have to do the latter, but I'm not sure if buying the next size prefolds will be the way to go, either. For now, I'm just hoping that she'll continue to fit into the newborn prefolds for a while!

I hope this answers some of the questions you all may have, but if there are others, please feel free to ask in the comments. And if any of you cloth diapering moms have any wisdom to offer, please, I'm all ears!

If you're curious about our stash and how we got started on this cloth diapering thing, please check out my first post on the subject.

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One Month Old

Dear Nora,

You are one month old today. I can hardly believe it, as it still seems like just yesterday that you were born. Instead of expressing your age in days and weeks, we can now say you are one month old. Amazing.

One month and one day ago, I didn't have you in my life. It's actually hard to remember those days now. You've only been here for 30 days, but you fit into our lives so perfectly that it almost seems like you have been here all along.

Before you were born, some of our friends with kids told us not to worry if, after you arrived, we had feelings of “Oh my gosh, what did we do?” because it’s natural for new parents to feel overwhelmed with such a big change in their lives. Daddy and I talk frequently about how neither of us felt those feelings—not for one minute. Don’t get us wrong, there are challenging times, but still, there is joy to be found in it all. I guess we were just REALLY ready for you. And having all of those friends and family members who became parents before us—well, maybe their experiences helped us to have very realistic expectations.

You are growing and changing every day. As your mommy, I am faced with the dichotomy of wanting to see you grow, and wanting you to stay this small forever. I worry that as you grow bigger, I won't be able to remember you ever being this little--it makes me sad. But Daddy and I make a conscious effort to enjoy every minute of your life at this moment, drinking in every detail of you. The smell of your hair, your tiny little ears, the way you suckle in your sleep, the turn of the corners of your mouth as you smile your gassy newborn smiles. The way you stare at us with your wide open, blue-gray eyes. Your long fingers, and your teeny-tiny replicas of Daddy's toes.

At night, when we get ready for bed, I put a fresh diaper on you, change you into your pajamas, and nurse you in the glider chair in your room. Instead of falling asleep for the night at the breast, you are usually very alert and awake after your bedtime feeding. I burp you, then swaddle you in your swaddle blanket and give you your pacifier (which you LOVE). I carry you into our bedroom and pass you to Daddy to snuggle in bed while I get myself ready for sleep.

Once we're all in bed together, Daddy and I spend a few minutes just staring at you. You look like a little glow worm or a burrito when you're all wrapped up in your swaddle, with just your head showing. It's adorable. But the thing we enjoy the most is the way you suck on your pacifier. As the rest of your body lies still in the dark, all cuddled inside your blanket, the only movement we can see is the back and forth movement of your binky. We joke about how you look like Maggie from The Simpsons.

Sometimes we'll read you bedtime stories or poems. Daddy kisses you goodnight and rolls over to get some sleep, as he has to get up for work in the morning. I'll usually stay awake a little longer, snuggling you until you start to drift off, or sometimes, until you're out like a light. I say a little prayer, kiss you, and put you into your Rock 'N' Play bassinet, then sleep as I await your awakening for your middle of the night feeding.

It is moments like these--the simple, everyday, seemingly mundane things--that are now so much more special because we have you with us.

You are a great sleeper. On a normal night, you’ll generally sleep between four and seven hours before waking me to eat. Some nights, you decide to get up more often than that, but that’s rare for you. When you were about three weeks old, though, you went through a growth spurt and you were eating like a champ every few hours—you had me up several times throughout the night those days—but it only lasted maybe 3-4 nights before you were back to your usual. We know how lucky we are, because other parents tell us so! I’m seriously thankful every day, and I try to prepare myself for your good sleep habits to end. So far, they continue, and you’ve been a dream. Remind me to thank you for this when you’re older, OK? All I can say is, I hope you’re not going to make us pay for this during your teen years. :)

If I’m being 100% honest, there are nights when you spend a few hours sleeping with me—oops! I know it’s not a good habit, but sometimes I’ll drift off while I’m waiting for you to drift off. And sometimes, you’ll be a little fussy and you just want to be held. Some mornings, you’ll fuss early and I’ll tuck you into the crook of my arm in bed so we can both get another hour or two of sleep. I try not to feel guilty about this, as parents have been doing this for centuries. Plus, I know that these times will not last forever, so instead of looking at it like it’s wrong, I choose to just enjoy it while it lasts. As you get older, there will be plenty of nights for you to sleep alone in your crib.

The mornings are some of my favorite times with you. I love busting you out of your swaddle in the morning, and it almost always results in the most amazing baby stretches. You stretch out your whole body, from your head to your toes. Your arms fly up over your head and your legs and feet flex—it’s hilariously cute.

You still nap a lot during the day. Some days, it seems like all you do is sleep, while other days, you have much more awake time. You sleep in your Rock ‘N’ Play, which we pull out into the living room during the days, or in your vibrating bouncy seat. You also like to sleep while being held (surprise, surprise). In the evenings, we sometimes lie on the couch and let you sleep on our chests, which just may be our favorite way to snuggle you.

We are both doing really well with breastfeeding. I love it, and I’m pretty sure you do, too. (But then again, you’re a baby, and I think it’s in your nature to love it.) I was totally determined to breastfeed and am so happy that it is working out for the two of us. We have mastered nursing in the car when we’re out and about, and thankfully, we’ve also become really good at the whole side-lying thing for your middle-of-the-night meals (it.is.AWESOME).

I don’t know much about baby neck muscles, but I think you have amazing head control for your age. Other people say so, too, so surely it must be true? Your head is not very “floppy” at all, as you hold it up very well on your own. When I put you up on my shoulder to burp you, you are always pulling your head away from my shoulder and turning your head from side to side, looking all around. You follow things with your eyes, and seem to really like the Fisher Price jungle music/lights thingy in your crib.

Although you’re not “doing” much these days, I could still stare at you all day long. You are such a miracle, and we feel so blessed to have you. I promise to continue to cherish you. Thank you for choosing me to be your mommy. It’s been an amazing first month, and we can’t wait for the next.

We already love you more than we ever knew possible.

Hugs and kisses,
Mommy

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Pumpkin Patch on 10.10.10

This weekend was the epitome of the perfection that is fall. It was absolutely gorgeous--the colors, the sunshine, the temperatures that were warm but still cool enough to feel like fall.

When we're in the middle of winter, spring, or summer, and someone mentions fall, it is days like today that I think about and look forward to. I can feel the air, I can smell the smells, I can imagine the orange glow of the leaves and the sun. It's just perfection.

Naturally, today was THE day to get out to the pumpkin patch.

And of course, everyone had the same idea. It was crowded! But it was nice, as everyone all around us seemed to be in good spirits. Early this week, we had maybe a 4-5 day stretch of rain and gloomy weather, so everyone was ready to be out to enjoy the day.

I started off in my jacket and with Nora wrapped in a blanket, but it turned out to be warmer than we originally thought and we were actually able to shed our outer layers.

We picked out four pumpkins--one for each member of our little family (Tessa, too!). We also explored the grounds, where there is a petting zoo, teepees, hayrides, and a country store. We picked up a pumpkin fried cake (yum!) and took lots of pictures.

A baby only has one first trip to the pumpkin patch, you know.

With the exception of a minute when she had spit-up shoot out of her nose, Nora slept the whole time. I guess she didn't find it to be all that exhilarating. But we wandered, and with all of the little kids around, it wasn't hard to picture how Nora will tear it up come next year. (But I can't even really think about that for too long, because it freaks me out that she's going to grow up that fast.)

Even though she's not yet aware of her surroundings, and she'll never remember this stuff, we think it's important to begin to make these family memories. So we did.

And Nora was the cutest pumpkin in the patch. (Duh.) :)

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Time

Babies are time consuming.

Who woulda thunk it?

My days are filled with Nora. Feeding Nora, changing Nora, bathing Nora, snuggling Nora, talking or reading or singing to Nora. Honestly, it's wonderful. I have eight weeks of maternity leave left, but with four of them already over, I'm already dreading leaving my girl and going back to work. I love being with her all day, and it's sad to think that it won't be like this forever.

Anyway, caring for Nora doesn't leave me with much time to do anything else. It's difficult to find time to shower, or make the bed, or cook, or clean. And obviously, it's hard to find time to blog. I have posts I want to write, but have not had the chance. Each day, it seems like we hit the end of it and I find myself wondering what the heck I did all day, because the house is a mess, and the to-do list in my head is largely untouched. But the answer is always the same, and it's always simple--I spent the time with my daughter. And isn't that what maternity leave is truly for?

This past week has been busy. In addition to the daily Nora duties at home, I had somewhere to be almost every day this week, so I had the extra challenge of having to get us both ready and out of the house every day. (Don't get me wrong, though, this isn't a rarity--I've been taking Nora out pretty often since the beginning. I don't do well cooped up at home, so we have to get out so I can maintain my sanity.) But actual appointments are kind of stressful because that means we have to perfect the timing.

Also challenging was Nora's bout with a growth spurt. It started last Friday, when she was just about three weeks old. She was eating more often, and not sleeping as well at night. By Wednesday of this week, I was feeling pretty exhausted, but praise God, the growth spurt seemed to end and Nora fell back into her good nighttime sleeping habits. We've been doing better since then, but I'm still trying to catch up on my sleep. I can't complain too much, though, as I swear I have been one of the most well-rested new mommies in the history of the world. We know we're lucky.

Nora is four weeks old today and I'm amazed by that. What the hell... four weeks?! Where does the time go? Seriously.

I'll leave you with a bunch of photos from this past week, and a promise that I will get to some of the posts I have planned... eventually. (HAHA.) I hope to do them this week, but my brother's wedding is next Saturday and I have a bridesmaid dress fitting on Tuesday/Wednesday and my dad is coming into town on Thursday and we have bridesmaid pampering/rehearsal on Friday, and... you get the picture.

Soooo... pictures! Here you go...

Last Saturday morning. Is this not hilarious? Tessa cracks me up.

A super cute (and girly!) Halloween outfit that my mother-in-law got for her. It was nice and cozy for her on a cold, rainy Monday.

I love when she wrinkles her forehead.

Wide awake and relaxing in her bouncer.

Funny sleep position during a snooze on Friday morning.

Liking her baths more these days.

Visiting with Aunt Cristina this morning.

Today, Nora met her cousin, Brendan, for the first time. He was totally into her, it was adorable. And look, she's smiling! ;)


Michael with his sisters and Nora

The other big cousin, Logan (who said "baby!" every time he passed Nora).

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