Tuesday, July 13, 2010

June travels from the Midwest to the Northeast


Life has been so busy in the Schwartz household that June blogging got sidetracked. In June, we had a great family trip (me,Jay,Eva,Nana) to Rhode Island! It was Jay's first time to visit the Northeast and for Eva as well. We stayed in my Aunt's friend's house which was only a few minutes from the beach. However with it being June in RI - the water was freezing! Eva was terrified of the waves but eventually we got her into the water but only a few minutes b/c she started to shiver.



Jay found his new favorite food - steamas (steamers which are basically A clam). We went and looked at out old house in Kingston where I spent three months every summer for about 15 years. We went to Narragansatt and saw the pier and walked along the wall (ate a Del's). My cousin Susan took Jay and I out one night to Newport, RI. My other cousin ,Lauren, flew in from Prince Edward Island. We even had a mini family reunion involving the lobster people vs the steak people - its a long standing tradition.


As soon as we got home to Memphis, Jay and I flew out the very next day to MN where we went to our friend's - Bo and Kate's - Wedding. It was a beautiful outside wedding in Stillwater,MN. Kate wore an elegant ivory dress with a little bird's cage veil. The colors were yellow and gray. It was very nicely done - and so much fun. Although, everyone had to move inside b/c tornado sirens went off! There's a funny moment to remember.

We also got to see Sarah, Liz, and my nephew Milo! He was as cute as ever and getting so big. We all went out for a night of Ethiopian food at the Blue Nile and it was yummy. Jay and I felt like true city people taking the light rail from Sarah's condo to the airport. Imagine that - public transportation that makes sense! ha! Below is a pic of an old Sears building that Minneapolis converted into condos, restaurants, etc. A.K.A. useful things.





(Jay and nephew Milo)

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Iowa Trip

Eva took her first flight up to Cedar Rapids,IA to see her new baby cousin - Miles. With much anticipation(Jay did not go with us)Eva did really well sitting on my lap for the first flight to Minneapolis and then changed flights to Iowa. I was amazed at the generosity of strangers who volunteered to help me with my bags and stroller.

We had lots of fun watching Eva "play" with Miles. She even gave him a kiss on the head which she doesn't do for us. Miles is definitely going to be a BIG kid since he is 7 weeks and already weighs 14 lbs (Eva weighs 19) and is wearing 6 month clothes b/c he is so long! Milo is such a cute baby - he loves to smile which is usually followed by a very serious face.
Grandma Alice and Grandpa were wonderful grandparents - cooking, cleaning up, and holding babies the entire time. It was a great trip and we'll be back (with Jay) in August!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Moms of Girls

This morning I went to the first group session of "Moms Of Girls" - a section of moms from my first time mom group. We are reading "Bringing Up Girls" by James Dobson who is better known for his book, "Bringing Up Boys" which has been out for awhile. We just started the first two chapeters but already we seem to have the same concerns for our daughters.

We discussed the pressure from peers and the media to be thin and pretty - starting from an even younger age than us! It seems as though every other commercial is about staying pretty and having a perfect body image. We all agreed that how we carry ourselves and how we treat our own bodies will have a profound effect on our girls.

It is scary to think that we are raising our girls in a time where you can buy a thong for a child. Yuck. But I feel as though by giving our girls a healthy atmosphere and setting definite limits are important in raising strong/healthy children. We have our work cut out for us!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

1st Mother's Day

This weekend was my first mother's day! We celebrated Mother's day by having my mom, Jay's mom, and Shannon (and of course Trent,Tyler,Maddux,and Olivia) over for a little BBQ get together. Wow, our family is getting big! It was actually a nice and kind of cool day so we sat out on our patio with our new umbrella and newly landscaped backyard. :)

We ate central BBQ, potato salad, and three bean salad topped off with pies from Fresh Market - Delicious! Jay arrived from New Orleans with gifts and flowers in hand - what a wonderful husband.

Mother's Day really had a new meaning to me this year. Until you are put in these shoes - you have no idea how much time and love goes into this full time job. I appreciate everything that my mother has done for me - she really is a wonderful and loving mom. I gave my mom a necklace with a pea pod in which there was a white and pink pea (white for milo and pink for Eva). I gave Jay's mom a pea pod with 2 pinks and 1 white. I love etsy.com

Maddux loves opening and closing doors so he was fascinated with the screen door. I love being around my nephew because I know what Eva will be into in a few months! Cousin Olivia is cute as can be - she is smiling now!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

New Trips and Teeth



Due to Eva's recent virus, we have postponed our trip to MN too see my sister's baby Miles. We were looking forward to the trip but its not worth the risk if anything happened to 5 week old Miles and a baby with diarrhea on a plane is unimaginable to me.

Soo, we will be flying on May 20th to Cedar Rapids,IA to see Miles as well as my entire Iowa family. My "cousin" Alex is graduating from H.S. and her family will be throwing her an "open house". Apparently, this is where anyone is invited to stop by to say hi and congrats (Iowa is safer than Memphis it appears).

Jay is leaving to New Orleans tomorrow morning for his friend's bachelor trip. He should make it back in time for our Mother's Day cookout at our house. :)

Also, we can see one top tooth coming! It is a speck of white it is breaking through the gums. Ouch! We just learned about the recall of Tylenol and Motrin - which is ok for us b/c generic motrin/tylenol are not included in this. Trying to save a buck really paid off this time!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Really Good Things do Happen...

We finally got our front porch!!! I have been waiting 2 years to get it. For everyone that may not know, we turned a midtown duplex into a house and we never finished the outside of the house. I guess marriage and baby and finances got in the way of that one. But it is done and it is so beautiful! I love sitting in the rocking chairs with my family just enjoying the few nice days we have left in Memphis. We have already picked out the house paint color which is going to be a nice neutral creme color. I'm thinking the shutters will be a natural green color... We are also going to tear up the old cement walk way in the front and create a new path on the side.




Friday, April 30, 2010

Sick Eva

So, I was just braggimg the other day about how Eva is 8 months and hasn't gotten sick. I guess I should of knocked on wood because today Eva had diarrhea and was spitting up more than usual. I feel especially bad because Grandma Alice was watching Eva today while this happened!

She wouldn't eat lunch which is a rarity and she screamed when it was time for her nap. My gut instinct tells me that she is teething as diarrhea and fever are common during teething. But we'll call the doctor tomorrow if her BM have not improved. I just hope that this passes soon so I can have my happy baby back!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

8 months

Miss Eva is half way through eight months so here's what is going on in Eva's world. She weighs app. 18 # and is 28 inches long. She has filled out in her face and I believe she looks like a good mixture of me and Jay. She still only has two bottom teeth and no top teeth that we can see yet.

The biggest change is that she is moving....quickly! She has mastered crawling and loves to climb. Whenever the dishwasher is open, she moves like lightning to get inside. One of her favorite things to do is also to stare at our front loader washer and dryer. She appears to be attempting "cruising" (holding onto furniture and walking) and she likes to stand and lean against something so she can use both of her hands. It won't be long until she takes that first step!

Eva so far loves to go in her stroller and likes the wind blowing in her hair. :) We need to get her a swing!

Her most prized possession is her lovey - the monkey. Which btw, I cannot find another GUND monkey (10 inches) so if anyone can find one, please tell me!

Eva goes to Parent's Day Out (PDO) at Christ Methodist on Mondays from 9-3. She is very social and likes to touch and play with the other babies. She goes from baby to baby, saying her hellos. Its really sweet. The caretakers are really nice and I'm so happy to have her in a good,secure place.



New finger foods:
mango
brussel sprouts (not a winner)
pieces of turkey/ham
gouda cheese (its a family tradiiton)
squash
citrus (cutie)
pear
broccoli (not a winner)
egg yolk (also, not her fav)

She is very good at picking up food using her thumb and forefinger in the pincer grip. You can see her concentrating on the piece of food and then total focuse goes into getting it just right and then the difficult part - bringing it up to the mouth. I'd say 7 outta 10 times she makes it. And instead of finding the piece that fell, she moves on to a new piece of food. Yes, that's why bibs have that pocket on the bottom.

8 month old Eva will be going on her first plane ride soon!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Eva in Springtime

Here are some super cute photos of 7 month Eva on a spring day in April. And yes, that is the tall grass in our backyard:








Emmanuel Children's Clothing Exchange

I went to this consignment sale last year and they had some cute clothes. Its a smaller consignment sale and not too busy when I went. This year I am participating as a consignor so I can go early. Its super easy to register as a consignor, just email them to get a consignor number, label the clothes, and drop them off this Sat. or Sun.

Emmanuel Children's Clothing Exchange
2404 Kirby Road
Memphis, TN 38119

Shopping times:

SHOPPING DATES

Monday, April 12 - Only Baby Sale ONLY - All baby items & clothes thru 24 months
5:00pm - 6:00pm Sellers
6:00pm - 8:00pm Everyone

Tuesday, April 13 - All items available
5:00pm - 8:00pm Sellers who brought clothes Saturday
6:00pm - 8:00pmSellers who brought clothes Sunday

Wednesday, April 14 - All items available
4:00pm - 5:00pm Guests/Sellers Only
5:00pm - 8:00pm Everyone

Thursday, April 15 - All items available
10:00am - 2:00pm Everyone
5:00pm - 7:00pm Everyone

Friday,April 16
5:00pm - 8:00pm - Everyone - ½ price sale!

Saturday, April 17
8:00am - 11:00am -Everyone - ½ price sale!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Tree Killer!

So, this morning after Jay left for work, I heard something that sounded like a combination of a huge chain saw and a train. I look out to the railroad and sure enough, it was a chain saw and train combined! This thing sailed across the track, shredding anything in its path. Like a blender on steroids, it left tree limbs looking similar to a three old that just learned to cut a piece of paper - just bad.
I have to say - my inner nature lover became a little angry. It wasn't like these tree limbs were being "cleaned up", they were being massacred to the point that the tree may not survive from the trauma. Now, I understand that these trees are city property but after looking at them day after day, I feel as though they are ours.
I'm not sure what made me to analyze so much at 8:00a.m. (maybe it was the jolt of my morning coffee) ,but I begin to think that maybe my concern for these trees may be cancelled by my participation in going to the zoo yesterday and entering the new western exhibit which involved the destruction of several acres of trees in overton park.
However, I had no idea that this "train tree shredder" existed!?! I'm sure this method is 2 x as fast as putting a man in a bucket truck equipped with a chainsaw but this thing just seemed cruel and barbaric - not to mention dangerous... what if a chunk of wood went flying through our window? Oh well, maybe I should quit drinking so much coffee...

Monday, April 5, 2010

A time for Firsts

Today was an exciting day - we went to the zoo for the first time! We went with some moms from our first time mom group. It was of course more for the moms than for the children since babies tend to not care about looking at zoo animals, but Eva seemed to have a good time. I was amazed with how much the zoo has changed since I was last there. We watched polar bears swimming under water and went to the "western" exhibit. I can still remember when the big cats were behind steel bars and you could throw them "food".

We also celebrated Eva's first Easter by spending the afternoon at Jay's grandmother's house. She probably spent a total of 2 minutes on the floor before someone scooped her up and paraded around with her. :) She had a great time and never even cried despite skipping her nap - she is appearing to be a very social baby. It was nice to see everyone, especially the teenagers since they always are a foot taller and some are now as tall as me. I remember when I first met Jay's family and there were all these kids running around - how the time flies by - this is going to be my most used phrase throughout life.

Also is a first is there is a boy born in our family! Miles Jacob Kesler was born on March 29th, 2010 and weighed 8# 22 inches! He is a long baby. My sister Sarah and her wife Liz are doing well and happy to be done with an extremely long and difficult labor. We will be flying up to see the on May 6th so I can see him and Eva will get to meet her cousin!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Olivia has arrived!


Jay, Eva, and I arrived at the hospital at 3:20 and not a second too late. We got to chat for a few minutes with Shannon and Tyler before their life would forever change with a new child in their lives. They seemed so relaxed and happy - excited to become a family of 4! Before we knew it, the nurse came into the waiting room and said ok, she's here! I guess that's the difference with having your second baby and also having a strong momma - only two pushes might I add. :)

Cousin/Niece Olivia Ruth Benitone arrived on March 28, 2010 at 4:08 and weighed 7# 9oz. and 19-3/4 inches long. She is so adorable as you can see from the pictures and a good size ,too! Her cheeks,arms, and thighs were so filled out and plump. Of course, we all started guessing who she favored but we all know how babies seem to change in appearance in only a matter of days. But she really is a beautiful girl and Eva was enthralled with her cousin! At one point, Olivia started crying and Eva started crying ,too. I'm sure there will be plenty of that in the future. It is always such a sight to see this tiny human being and think, "how did she fit in there?"




I hope they take pictures when Maddux comes up to the hospital with Granna (Jay's mom) to meet his new baby sister! We are so excited to finally have Olivia here with us! We love you so much!

Monday, March 22, 2010

7 months

Past the midway point, our little poobear has is now 7 months. I wish I could say how much she weighs and her length but we haven't taken her measurements yet. And we'll have to do it on our own because she doesn't have to return to the pediatrician until she's 9 months. So, I'll post that soon. This is a picture of Eva's new tutu from etsy.com (lurve that website). And I can't wait to make her next tutu, its looks so easy to do.




But, the big difference at 7 months is the appearance of two bottom teeth(central incisors)coming up! And they are some sharp little guys! Teethers, cold wash-cloths, cold vegetables, the great teether from Aunt Sarah & Liz, and just about anything is in her mouth at all times it seems. She even ran a low grade fever for about 3 days in the evening. But the worst of the pain seems to be over; once teeth break through the skin, it doesn't hurt so much according to the internet.

Besides that, Eva is sitting up on her own but still not trustworthy to leave alone unsupported on anything except the safety of comfy carpet. However, she is now sitting up in a restaurant highchair and in a store cart. She seems to be very happy being a big girl, out of her carseat when we go anywhere.

She prefers to of course be on her hands and knees when playing with toys or even better - standing up holding on to something. Her new favorite and cutest thing is when she pulls herself up to standing and then releases one arm out to you as if saying, "hey, you wanna hold my hand?"

Her favorite toys include plastic shells, piano, playskool play favorites poppin' pals, and the old-fashioned mirror. She really likes her fisher price activity table and her baby einstein jumper/exesaucer. I think I know where I should buy stock from next... Favorite games are peek-a-boo and having tickle games with mom and dad. She still really enjoys just staring and laughing at Mia and KB, especially when the animals "play" together.

Eva is on a wonderful and glorious schedule that I thought I would dread but it really has made my life so much simpler and peaceful. Eva seems to really like the consistency as well (Thank you ,Shannon). This schedule was based on cousin Maddux's when he was the same age:

7:00 -Wake up, 6-8 oz bottle
9:00 to 10:00 morning nap
11:00 6-8 oz bottle
12:00 Lunch small serving fruit or veg/cereal
1:00 to 3:00 afternoon nap
3:00 6-8 oz bottle
4:00 2 oz. juice with sippy cup
5:00 dinner small serving fruit or veg /cereal
6:30 start bathtime, pjs, read a book
7:00 6-8oz bottle, then bed

She is becoming much much better eating with a spoon. Eva loves her puffs and has mastered the "pincher" technique which is more advanced than the "grat". Yes, these are very technical terms. She seems to eat almost any fruit or veggie we try. We tried mixing her food with oatmeal instead of rice cereal and she seemed to really like that. Sometimes her teeth are so sore, she refuses to eat and just wants to chew the rubbery spoon. ;(

She is beginning to say da da da da da so I'm thinking her first word will be dada instead of moma.


The picture below is Eva's first time in the baby swing at the park.....and it turns out that if you take your baby to the park in a yellow,sear-sucker romper then you obviously have a boy...yes, this prompted me in getting Eva the pink tutu with flower headband....



Eva will hopefully be going to mother's day out on mondays at Christ Methodist. We are going today to turn in our paperwork! I think it will help me (and Jay) out to just have a day off to run errands, go to MD appt/dentist, and oh yeah...relax before I head back to work in the Fall. I also think that from watching Eva at mommy group on wed. that she enjoys "talking" and interacting with the other babies. Our friend Alissa is a teacher at Christ Methodist and we've heard nothing but great things about the school so I don't have any concerns for her safety. She might pick up a few germs but that will also be a good thing to help build that immune system more.

Hopefully, Eva will have another cousin anyday now! Liz is now only 6 days and Shannon is 15 days from her due date.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Schedule Please

After 6 months of letting Eva "snack nurse," I realize that Eva is still on a "very flexible" schedule. The only problem with that is that I realize just how much easier my life could be if I knew at what times she'd be hungry,sleepy,etc. It's a little nerve wracking to agree to a lunch date not knowing if your baby is going to have a meltdown b/c she's overly tired. Plus, she's got to be tired as well. I think my problem is that I'm out running errands and we run into "nap time" so she gets that 20 minute cat nap in and then of course there's no falling asleep after that. Also, I'm still in the mind set that my little baby needs to eat every three hours like a newborn. Silly I know. Maybe that is why my now 7 month old will drink 5 oz. q 3 hrs.when honestly, I know my 20lb girl can drink 6-8oz q 4 hours.

I know that this may seem trival and some mothers may be saying ,"I never had a schedule, I just let them eat and sleep when they wanted to." And I believe its great if you are with your kids all the time and never needed to go run errands or leave them with a caretaker (who I'm sure would greatly appreciate a schedule so as not to be left in the dark). But I would like a life. I would like happy, restful children when I run errands or leave them with a babysitter. I would like to confidently plan an outing a week in advance with no hesitation.

So, now that the time change has occured, I will not be spending 5 hours at a time running errands. Yes, it will be very confining for the first week but falling asleep in the carseat will only detour this process longer. So far today is going well, maybe tomorrow will be even better! Motherhood is definitely a journey, not a guided tour!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Books from Birth Program

My friend Alissa reminded me of the free Books From Birth program. I just signed up and it only took about 2 minutes. She'll get a book until she turns 5, so in total she'll receive 60 free books! Here's the link:

http://www.imaginationlibrary.com/usa/firsttime.php

Granna, Grandpa, Peace-pa, oh my!

Like I have said before, we are so lucky to have so many grandparents nearby. In fact, it is a challenge to see all of them in one weekend! Sadly, Grandma Alice and Grandpa David will be moving to Iowa very soon. We celebrated Grandpa's 60th birthday at Midtown BBQ before Alice drove to Iowa with her friend Marydee. I hope I spelled the name correctly. I know Eva will not remember having her Grandma and Grandpa in town so I'm trying to take lots of pictures. And when she's old enough, we can drive down Court St. and point out the house where Grandma/Grandpa used to live where she would laugh and laugh at the dog named Marie.

Yesterday, we stopped by Granna's house while we were out in Germantown and had a fun time watching Eva and Maddux play together. Maddux was very nice and was surprisingly gentle with Eva. Eva loved touching Maddux's hair which Maddux didn't approve of and let her know by giving lots of grunts. He also didn't seem to mind her playing with his toys since he found a canister of hand wipes which was far more interesting than any toy with lights or sound.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Lauren and Brook's Engagement

I have been meaning to blog about my BFF ,Lauren Tague, for sometime now. I figured that since its 6:00am and I'm up and nobody else is that it'd be a good time.
I have been friends with Lauren for over 10 years. I first met her when I went to St. Agnes in the tenth grade. It was tough for a public school girl to enter the private school arena and a year late at that too. Who would have thought that 70 white girls would be so intolerant?

Thinking to myself one night, "Why did I leave the safety and comfort of my midtown,public school friends? Why the hell did I want to spend my high school years in an all girls school?" I reminded myself of the reason I left which was to keep myself better focused and out of trouble. Sure, I had some midtown croanies already at my new school but no new friends. Not to mention, my public school friends told me they felt "betrayed" that I left. I remember when the phone rang and my dad told me it was for me (it usually was). Yes, this was before when every teenager had a cell phone. To my surprise, it was one of those new Catholic girls and her name was Lauren. Now her last name is up for debate so we'll stick with just "Lauren" throughout these time periods.

From that point on, it seems we have been inseparable. She's the yin to my yang. The Nikki to my Paris. The Angelina to my Jennifer. She's someone that I am not married to; no legal papers to bind us. But in my heart, I know I'll be by her side for the rest of my life. She is my soundboard - my rock. The place where I can go and know that I will never be judged, never ridiculed nor hurt. To call her such an unadorned word such as "friend" may be considered an insult. She is far greater than the boundaries of a friend, she is my sister.



I am thrilled to announce that Lauren has met someone who she can laugh with and love forever. And believe me, she is worse than the princess and the pea, but this one seems to be just right. His name is Brook Farr and he has passed my evaluation with dotted i's and crossed t's. He is a kind and compassionate man who would run into a burning building to save her. Well, he's a firefighter who does that anyway but you get the idea. He is one of those "smart" guys who knows a good thing when they see it so they're not going to mess it up. In fact, its a little boring to never hear her complain about him but maybe like all good things, it'll come with time. :)

They will be getting married on August 7, 2010. Honestly, I never thought this day would come because Lauren doesn't even like to commit to lunch a week in advance. But the day will soon be here and I want to wish them lots of love and good fortune in their days ahead. And I will always be there with open arms and a soundboard to listen - never wavering,never judging. I am so honored to be by my sister's side and to have something I've always wanted - a brother.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Fun Wednesday

We had a fun day today by going to our first mommy group at Hope Church. I didn't know what to expect but I had a great time talking with new moms. It's a nice reminder that there are other women in this world that are just as sleep deprived as me. Every Wednesday the group meets at 9:30 to let everyone talk about their ups and downs and also to discuss a chapter in the book, "Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl" by Lysa Terkeurst. I'll let you in on more when I know it. Overall, it seems like a positive,refreshing experience that helps women through their spiritual journey with God. And I get to spend time with my friend Alissa and her newborn son - Jack.

Eva did great with all of the other babies by gently touching their faces and occasionally turning around to make sure I was still close by. The other mothers seemed equally impressed that she was crawling and pulling herself up at 6 months. I felt like a proud mommy. :)

I decided to try and get some of Eva's finest babbling for everyone to hear. She does fall at the end but no worries - she had a soft landing against the bumper. I apologize if you find your head turning to the side; I am still using my phone for video at the moment. And yes, my mom voice is naturally that high-pitched.


Friday, February 26, 2010

"Where will we fit it?"

So, what to do when you are running outta space in an 1100 sq. ft house? Well...get more stuff to fill it of course! We decided to buy the Graco Duo-diner highchair because this one was so cute and it turns into a booster seat once she outgrows the highchair. Plus, I can easily wheel it into the kitchen from the dining room. I'm so amazed at the straps on this thing as shown below. Eva is now eating 2 times a day. I make her own food with a food mill and we also got a big donation of baby food from a friend. Here is a breakdown of foods:

Favorites / Not-so-fav

Avacadoes / Sweet Potatoes
Green Beans/ applesauce
Yogurt / rice cereal
Squash
Bananas
Puffs

Let me know if anyone knows of any good suggestions on increasing variety of foods past the Gerber selection. Even Dietitians need help....

(This is Eva strapped down in her star trek highchair)






This is our new American Design jogging stroller! I found it on Craigslist for only 100 dollars and they even gave us a highchair ,too.! According to the Baby Bargain Book, it is comparable with the Bob Stroller. It is super light weight and the handle bar comes up high enough so that even Jay feels comfortable running with it. I asked Eva if she liked it but she seemed unable to communicate due to the several layers of clothes that were on her.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Crawling and Pulling Up - Eva Style

Eva crawled across the bedroom today and it seemed to be a legitimate crawl. Although, she still likes to go backwards more than forwards it seems. She would rather be on all fours than in sitting position which makes it difficult to play with her toys. She loves to climb!! She loves to pull herself up on anything as you can kinda see in this clip. Sorry if this clip is blurry; I used my phone to record it since we are having some techinal difficulty with our camcorder.







Wednesday, February 24, 2010

New Cousins to Arrive Soon!

We are so happy to have two new additions coming soon to our family. My sister Sarah and wife ,Liz, are expecting Miles Jacob Kesler on March 26. And Jay's sister ,Shannon, and husband ,Tyler, are expecting Olivia Ruth Benitone on April 6. Olivia may be arriving the same time as Milo if she comes when her big brother Maddux did which was at 38 weeks! Growing up in a small family, I always craved that extended family that my friends all seemed to have. It also didn't help that families in the South tend to not move far so it made mine feel really small. It probably also didn't help that we didn't have things like web cam or you tube back then.





I hope that Eva grows up and feels connected to all her family members whether they are close by in person or not. One thing that I've learned from having a smaller family is that you really do appreciate the ones that you have instead of complaining about "having to go see so-and-so."





It is so nice that they will be so close in age so that if nothing else, at least they will have that in common! :)



Babies are not cheap so anything that can be borrowed from Eva is welcome. Although, I'm not sure if Milo would appreciate looking at baby pictures of himself dressed in a smocked pink dress.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

6 Months


Eva has reached the big 6 months! She was 17.1# and 26.5 inches at her check-up. This puts her at the 75th% for wt. and ht. So much has changed with our little poober. Besides her favorite rocking back and forth on all fours, she does downward dog. It's not effective in moving forward but it is very entertaining. She does do a good backward crawl which makes Eva very frustrated.

Surprisingly, she pulls herself up all by herself! We had to put the crib mattress down a notch. She is very strong and I'm guessing she'll be an early walker. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. :)



Due to Eva's nursing strikes, we are no longer breastfeeding. I was not ready to quit but it was getting too stressful trying to force her to nurse. And what a liberating feeling! I'm glad I did it for 6 months but its nice to go for a long run!
Speaking of food, she loves avocados and is practicing picking up little puffs. She's holding a 4 ounce bottle and we're working on the sippy cup with juice. She still wakes up for one night feeding which her pediatrician says to keep doing for a little longer since babies who had colic take longer. We just think of her as "special" at 3:00am.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Flying Chopsticks

So, we are slowing learning that our baby girl is no longer the little girl who is content to play with one toy or has trouble reaching for things. I think our favorite phrase is becoming, "Oh no, Eva, don't touch that!" And the funny thing is that she can't even crawl but seems to gain lots of distance by doing the rocking and lunge move which is quite effective.
Last week while eating sushi with friends, Eva did an Olympic baby lunge for my wasabi covered chopstick (yes, I lurve wasabi) and then gave her best shot put throw. Luckily nobody was temporarily blinded in the process. I think we'll be skipping the fondue restaurant...

Thursday, January 28, 2010

5 months(We skipped some in between)



Ok, so I'm not the best at blogging but I'm going to try to do better. Eva is 5 months now and its amazing how fast the time flies by. In a nutshell, I decided to quit my job to stay at home while Eva is a baby and it was the best decision I ever made. I get to see every little milestone and laugh and she loves to laugh!
Her acid reflux are improved so much that she is no longer on any medication and seems to be doing very well.
As of only two days ago, Eva was staying with Auntie Alice one afternoon when she pulled herself into crawl position! I couldn't believe it since she's only 5 months but pretty soon her rocking back and forth motion will turn into a crawl and then we'll really have our work cut out for us.
We are still nursing even though it seems to be just on one side which is not as abnormal as it may sound.
She has started eating solid food in her bumbo seat and enjoys prunes and sweet potatoes. She is also a big fan of prune-apple juice and its so cute to watch her hold her bottle. We will be needing a high-chair very soon.
At her 6 month check up we'll get an exact wt. and ht. but I think she's around 15 pounds and 24inches.
We are looking forward to meet Eva's cousins, Miles and Olivia, who are due only 2 weeks apart! Exciting! Eva and I will be flying to meet cousin Miles on May 6th and I hope that the flight goes smoothly. Its so nice for Eva to have cousins so close in age. I know they'll be grow up to be good friends. We look forward to meeting our new family members (XOXOXO) and I'll soon post an update on our busy summer plans of weddings, Rhode Island, and the midwest!!!