2 months

Sweet baby girl,
This week you turned 2 months old. Where has the time gone? You are growing and changing so much every day. I swear every day when I get home from work you are taller and bigger than when I left for work that morning. This post is a few days late because I wanted to include your stats from your 2 month check up. You are now 10lbs 9ozs and 23" long. You've grown 2" taller since your one month check up! You are in the 77th percentile for height and 17th for weight. I think you are going to be tall and slender like I was as a child.

This week you learned to roll up onto your side when we lay you down on your back. I can tell by your little grunts and coos you are working so hard to make it all the way over to your tummy. Soon enough, little one. You did roll from your tummy to your back this morning for the first time, your daddy was so proud he was calling for me to come quick to see you do it again. I think you were worn out from the first time, but I'm sure I'll see you do it soon.

We've settled into a nice little routine with our days and you are sleeping wonderfully. We all are in bed by 10 and you usually only wake once to nurse. You are learning to take the bottle much easier from your grandma during the day when she watches you. You are such a happy little girl, always smiling. You only cry if you are hungry or have a soiled diaper.

You love to snuggle up really close first thing in the morning when you are just waking up. It melts my heart every day. Really, you love to snuggle anytime and love to be held. I can tell already you have a sweet sensitive side.

You can also be very independent at times and want to lay on your own and not be held, especially early in the evening. You love to lay on the kitchen table with us watching right by your side, kick your feet and make smiles at us. Your favorite game is the "ah" game. We make big smiles and sing-songy ahhh sounds, you giggle and squirm and make big smiles right back at us. It brings me such joy watching you discover new facial expressions and seeing you so happy.

We've had colder than normal temperatures the last couple weeks, which means we've been dressing you in warmer clothes to keep warm inside, you do not like that. You love to just lay in a onesie or your diaper and kick your feet, you giggle so much and make the sweetest coo sounds.

Bathtime is your favorite. I think you may be a swimmer when you get bigger. You just love the sound of running water. We normally bathe you in your infant tub in the sink, but sometimes one of us puts on our bathing suit and gets in the big bath with you, and oh how you love that. You just love "swimming" in the tub while we hold you and let you discover kicking and splashing in the water.

You especially love when your daddy sings to you, you smile and laugh at his silly made up songs. When you cry, worship songs or daddy's made up lullabies soothe you into a sweet calm rest. We've had lots of snow lately, so "do you want to build a snowman?" has been your daddy's song of choice. You also love the rubber ducky song. You giggle everytime he starts to sing either of these songs. I just adore watching your sweet bond develop between the two of you. You love watching him play guitar, your face filled with fascination and joy at the sounds. I so hope your joy for music doesn't fade and you learn an instrument of your own one day.

Sweet girl, these past two months have gone so quickly. Every day you learn new things and I just love watching you grow. I'm so lucky to be your momma. I love you my sweet daughter.

Love,
Mom


Stats:

length 23.5" - 77%

weight 10lbs 9oz - 17%

head 15.25” - 48%

wearing newborn and 0-3 months

30 before 30

Have you heard of those 30 before 30 lists? Basically it is a list of 30 things you've never done before that you'd like to complete by your 30th birthday. I have wanted to make one for awhile now and with my 27th birthday coming up in the next few months I figured now is as good a time as any. I've had some ideas in my head for awhile, I've just never put anything down on paper. I'll be sure to update the list as I think of more goals or complete things. Also, I'm giving myself the grace to switch things up or change my goals depending on how things take shape. This list isn't meant to be work or full of deadlines, it is meant to be a fun way to accomplish some of my dreams. So here we go, in no particular order, just as things came to mind: 

1 – Come up with 30 things for the list :)

2 – Become debt free

3 – Clean out our basement

3 – Make a quilt out of my college t-shirts

4 – Go on an impromptu weekend getaway

5 – Finish my daughter's baby book

6 – Do 5 things in our hometown that tourists do

7 – Host a major holiday at our home

8 – Learn to make and perfect an authentic Spanish tortilla. This was my favorite food my host mother made the summer I spent in Spain. I’ve tried many recipes and can never quite get it right.

9 – Make a family yearbook for every year we have been married

10 – Take a class of some sort - cooking, painting, another language, music, I don’t know yet.

11 – Go on a couple’s vacation - Napa anyone?

12 – Make an article of clothing. I love to sew but mostly stick to quilts or other flat goods, I’ve been hesitant of trying my hand at clothing, but would love to finish something for my little girl.

13 – Purchase a rental home

14 – Complete a race (true goal is a half marathon) – Full disclosure: I don’t run and have struggled with this in the past, this feels like a very lofty goal. So, I’m giving myself grace to say a 5k or 10k would also qualify as completing this one. :)

15 – Go on a family vacation somewhere none of us have been before

16 – Finish our basement

17 – Build a piece of furniture

18 – Bring a meal to a friend in need

19 – Find somewhere to volunteer as a family

20 – Have a job I love

21 – Learn how to take quality photos

22 – Learn to make a family recipe - I’m thinking Great-Grandma’s apple pie, mom’s cheesecake or strawberry jam

23 – Start a garden of fruits or vegetables and maintain it.

24 – Learn how to can food. I’m looking at you vegetable garden.  
25 – Do 30 random acts of kindness

26 – Watch all of the movies on AFI’s Top 100 list

27 – Go on a date night every month

28 – Take a sabbath day each week

29 – Read the entire Bible

30 – Start a family tradition

31 – Since #1 shouldn’t really count. Create and complete a year long memory jar. - write down one memorable thing every day and on New Year’s Eve look back on all the fun memories of the past year.

Anyone else have a bucket list of sorts? If so, what is on yours? 

Newborn Photos...at 6 weeks old

As soon as we received our maternity photos back from Monica Marie Photography, I knew I wanted Monica to capture some photos of our sweet new baby. Most people have newborn photos taken when the baby is less than 3 weeks old. Babies tend to be sleepy and easy to pose for photos. With the holidays and conflicting schedules Monica wasn't able to come over until our little one was closer to 6 weeks old. She was a little more alert during our session, this little girl sure was fighting nap time, but Monica was still able to capture some beautiful photos of her.

This is the same feather hairpiece I wore on our wedding day. It clipped into my hair, but since our sweet girl doesn't have much hair for it to clip to, I fastened it to a lace headband. I love that Monica captured these photos with our wedding photos in the background.

It is amazing how quickly she has changed in the last 6 weeks. I'm so thankful that Todd's sister was able to come over just days after she was born to capture some photos and also that Monica was able to come over to capture these sweet moments of our family.

Of course, Ellie thought she had to pose for a photo too. Niah was too busy playing to stop for a photo. :) 

Valentine's Day 2015

This year for Valentine's Day, we spent some time as a family just hanging out at home. It was really nice to spend the day together just the three of us.

My grandparents and aunt were in town for the day, so later in the day we went over to my parents house for dinner and to spend some time visiting with them. They aren't in town that often and they were excited to see Charlotte and to get in some baby snuggles.

After dinner we were taking silly pictures and all of a sudden little peanut got this straight face. Parents, you know the face. She had the biggest blow out I've ever seen. Bless her heart, she had been having an upset belly all day, after that she was much happier to have her tummy feeling better. It was straight to the bathtub for her. Once we got her all cleaned up we headed home to get her to bed.

 

While it wasn't a typical Valentine's day full of chocolates, flowers and fancy dates, it was exactly what we needed. A nice quiet day spent with each other and then quality family time.