8 months

My little munchkin is 8 months old already. I am in disbelief. He is huge (wearing 12 month clothes!) and he crawls everywhere, pulls himself up on everything, and says mama, dada, baba, gaga and a lot of babbling that sounds like he is speaking in a different language. He goes to Gymboree and absolutely loves it. I recommend it to anyone with a baby! I originally thought that maybe you just put babies on equipment that in reality they are too small to use and watch them barely do anything haha! But that is so far from the truth, they sing songs, teach them different activities and show them how to use age appropriate equipment that help them develop motor skills. It's really a great thing! He is our little ray of sunshine we love him so much!

25 weeks

Us in the snow--we have like 3 feet here!

Baby V is 25 weeks old! Time flies when you have a baby. Today he rolled from back to belly for the first time. He rolled from belly to back when he was only about 2 1/2 months old but the other way took forever! We offered him his first rice cereal a couple weeks ago. I wanted to wait until he was 6 months but he was nursing so frequently because he's HUGE and I read up on the signs of when to start and he had all of them. I got the organic brown rice cereal and he loves it! He grabs the spoon and tries to get more. We are still only doing one feeding a day of that and only at night hoping he'll sleep a little longer through the night. It will be fun (and messy) once he starts to eat other solids. I have a little food grinder and I'll use my food processor too to make him food. He's SO close to crawling. He gets up on all fours and for a while he would just rock and get momentum and then lunge forward to grab a toy. However, now he actually lifts his legs up and will move his legs in the right motion he just hasn't gotten the motion of the hands and arms down yet. I run to break out the Flip cam every time he looks like he's going to do something so his dad won't miss it! We are in our new place and I love it! I'm still working on his nursery, looking at lots of websites and blogs for inspiration! I want to mix all his new furniture with vintage decor so I've been scouring antique stores and thrift shops for stuff for his room but I haven't found anything great yet! I'll post pictures once it is all done.

A Few of My Favorite Things...02.02.2011

 Making paper flowers...this was Martha Stewart's tissue paper flower making kit I bought a looong time ago and finally made them! I love them now and they are in a vase in my living room.

This is a tray that I decoupaged over the original image with magazine clippings I had saved and a quote I liked. I love collages and decoupaging and I hadn't done it in quite some time so this was really fun!

These squishy blocks from Target. I bought them for Baby V for Christmas and I didn't know if he would even really play with them but they are great. I can stack them up and he knocks them over and they can't hurt him and he squeezes them and chews on them. Plus they look cute.

And lastly, these pictures of Baby V. He is getting enormous!! My mom bought him this funny hat at a children's consignment store and then Daddy is holding him up to see the crazy amounts of snow we have been getting lately!

Fab Artist: Melissa Nucera "This Years Girl"

I actually came across this artist's photographs through Etsy's little program that finds things for you based on your taste. I want the Little Prince series for Baby V's new nursery! I am beyond excited to start decorating his nursery when we move into our new place. Up until now he has just been living in our room with us in our one bedroom loft apartment and finally we are getting a proper two bedroom. Melissa Nucera's Etsy shop called This Years Girl has gorgeous altered photographs that she sells as prints, pins, cards, and even adorable lockets.

Aren't these beautiful? I think the little animal prints lined up on Baby V's wall would look amazing. Check out more of her work at her shop.

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4 Months

Baby V is 4 months old! Unfortunately for me, he is already starting to teethe! I didn't think it was possible because my cousin's daughter just got her first tooth and she's 8 months old but I checked my baby book and I got my first tooth at 5 months so it is a definite possibility. He babbles now and tries so hard to talk. It must be frustrating to be a baby and want to speak like an adult but when you try it just sounds like jibberish!

Anyway, sorry for my little hiatus but my computer is terrible. It has gotten very slow and freezes all the time so hopefully one of my Christmas gifts is a new lap top ;).

The Baby's Daddy recently got promoted so we are moving to New Hampshire! We just found a place and are moving at the end of the month and I am very excited.

A couple weeks ago I had to put to sleep my 21 year old cat, Jack. I just wanted to make a note of him because he was the best cat ever. I got him when he was about 5 years old from the SPCA and he was a huge, fat, orange tabby cat. He loved to lick people like a dog and he was just an enormous sweetheart. Everyone who met him fell in love with him and he converted a lot of people who thought they were only dog lovers into cat lovers! He was diagnosed with cancer a year and a half ago but he went through chemotherapy and was doing really well. Finally though he was extremely arthritic and his health started to go downhill, he lost a lot of weight and when he could barely lick anymore I knew it was time. I got his ashes back but I'm not sure what I want to do with them yet. I remember hearing about a company that makes pet ashes into blown glass necklaces? So I might look into that.

Last picture of Jack.

Rest in Peace Jack, you will always be remembered and truly missed.

3 months!

I can't believe my little guy is 3 months old today. Nobody was kidding when they told me that time flies even faster when your children are born. I love the stage that he is at right now where he can recognize us and smiles all the time. However, I can't believe I've already forgotten what it was like when he was a teeny tiny newborn, he seems like a different baby altogether! In honor of his 3 month birthday I wanted to do a list of some of the best baby products we either bought or received at our shower.

1. The swing--we have the Graco Lovin' Hug Swing. It will be your best friend. Sometimes when he is super fussy we put him in it and it calms him right down. It plays classical music and nature sounds but we usually just put it on the classical music. He also sleeps the longest in the swing during the day.

2. The Baby Bjorn--I love this carrier. It is comfortable and easy to take with you anywhere. I actually have the Moby Wrap as well but I use it far less because I find it harder to put on and he doesn't feel as secure in it. We were fortunate to get a hand-me-down as they can run pretty expensive. If you can find one used I would definitely recommend it! I would rather wear him in this than push him around in a carriage and now he is big enough to look out so he can see the world.

3. Playtex Double Electric Breast Pump--I almost splurged and got the Medela one but even though I read mixed reviews on this one it was one of the cheaper double electric pumps I found. It works great and I have had no problem with it. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants an affordable electric pump.

4. Sleep Sheep--This makes several different sounds and it really works. We attached it to the side of his bassinet and we've grown to like the sounds for sleeping ourselves! I prefer the white noise but the ocean sounds are nice too.

5. Swaddles--We have 3 different Kiddopotamus swaddles. We have actually stopped using swaddles recently because he's outgrown the ones we own. However, this was the best thing to get him to sleep as a newborn. We discovered early on that swaddling was a necessity to keep him sleeping for the longest intervals through the night. He would sleep 4 hours at time at only 2 weeks old and then slept 6-8 hours at a month and a half old. We would change him, swaddle him, then feed him, and he was out for a long interval. On the nights that I would try to leave him unswaddled he would be fussy and flail his arms around. Don't underestimate the power of the swaddle!

6. Graco Pack N Play with Newborn Napper--The new and improved Pack N Play has a newborn napper, a changing table, and a bassinet. We put one in our living room and it's a great place to lay him in during the day for a nap where I can still watch him. As he gets older we can take out the napper and the changing table to have a bassinet and then it will turn into a normal Pack N Play. Great investment!

11 & 12 weeks

I missed Baby V's 11 week post so I'm combining 11 & 12 weeks together.

Last Saturday Baby V rolled over for the first time!! It was unexpected and so exciting. He proceeded to roll over again 3 more times and then we couldn't get him to do it again for 2 more days! It's so amazing to see him grow stronger and learn his own abilities. He smiles all the time now and it is the best feeling in the world to make him smile even if it's by mistake (perhaps especially if it's by mistake). He's been sleeping in bed with us a lot lately. I start him out in his bassinet but eventually he ends up in bed with me and it is wonderful waking up next to a precious little sleeping baby who looks so peaceful in the middle of a big bed. He has also started batting and grabbing onto toys and objects hanging from his tummy time mats and seats.

We took him to the Boston Museum of Science on Monday and he was the most interested in the math room where there are a lot of large black and white patterned objects and prints on the walls. At the very least it was a visually stimulating trip for him!



10 weeks

Happy 10 weeks Baby V!

He loves to wring his little hands, and he has such large hands and long fingers for a 2 month old! Baby V has brought such happiness and light into our little family. He is getting chubbier everyday and his little elbows have adorable baby dimples, and the fat roll bracelets have begun to form around his wrists and ankles. He laughs and makes an assortment of noises now that sometimes sound like real words such as "Ma" and "Hi" but it will be a while before he can actually speak. I wish I could stall time and spend more than a week in this cuddly phase. He is the perfect size for hugging close, and some of my favorite times are naps in the big bed with him.

9 weeks

Baby V is 9 weeks old today! He has started to smile and laugh more and he really recognizes us and responds! Even though I've been told that babies don't notice TV for awhile, he definitely watches TV! I think now that he can see more he is attracted to the brightness of it. I went to the YoGabbaGabba website the other day while I was holding him at the computer and he was totally mesmerized by the colors and music. Not that we want to start any kind of habits at this age!

8 weeks

My grandmother printed this poem for me, she actually remembered the first few verses from when she was a little girl and it was one of her favorite poems and my aunt found it online just from my grandmother's memory! Baby V is 8 weeks old today. Time is flying by and I am trying to hold onto every little moment.

Baby

by George MacDonald

Where did you come from baby dear?
Out of the everywhere into here.

Where did you get those eyes so blue?
Out of the sky as I came through.

What makes the light in them sparkle and spin?
Some of the starry spikes left in.

Where did you get that little tear?
I found it waiting when I got here.

What makes your forehead so smooth and high?
A soft hand stroked it as I went by.

What makes your cheek like a warm white rose?
I saw something better than any one knows.

Whence that three-cornered smile of bliss?
Three angels gave me at once a kiss.

Where did you get this pearly ear?
God spoke, and it came out to hear.

Where did you get those arms and hands?
Love made itself into bonds and bands.

Feet, whence did you come, you darling things?
From the same box as the cherub's wings.

How did they all just come to be you?
God thought about me, and so I grew.

But how did you come to us, you dear?
God thought about you, and so I am here.

7 weeks

I have come to realize that the array of human emotions can be seen upon the face of a sleeping baby. Tiny flutters of smiles and laughs are scattered between the saddest frowns and red-faced grimaces. I could lie all day watching Baby V. I nestle in close to him and breathe in his soft milky scent. I examine his thick eyelashes that grow longer every day, his dark wispy hair, and the small pulsing soft spot on the top of his head. I place my finger in his tiny hand and he grips his long baby fingers around it. I kiss his chubby cheeks and nuzzle his wrinkly neck. I am so in love. His eyes flutter and a signature smile appears. Whether the books say it truly is or not, it looks like pure joy. He makes a small contented sound, somewhere between a sigh and a coo. Yes, Baby V, I too cannot express these feelings in words.

Happy 7 weeks! 

6 weeks old

Baby V is 6 weeks old today! He has grown and changed so much in the past month and half. He is a BIG baby for his age! He was 10 1/2 lbs at his one month appointment so I can only imagine how much he weighs now.

This is what I have learned as a new mom in the past 6 weeks:

• 
  
  Swaddles are a necessity--we learned this early on and we swaddle him everynight for bed
• 
  
  Pacifiers are your friend--I initially didn't want to use pacifiers at all but when he was about 2 weeks old and just wanted to suck on something 24/7, the pacifier seemed a better option than the alternative...
• 
  
  Tubby time is only fun when Mommy is in the tub as well--he hates being in the baby bathtub by himself, so we take tubs together but they are actually really enjoyable now.
• 
  
  Always cover a cute outfit with a bib if you want it to last more than 5 minutes--enough said.
• 
  
  Likewise, always pack a couple extra outfits for the baby and at least one extra shirt for yourself when going out.
• 
  
  There is always a solution to crying (I know this is not always true for a lot of babies but so far it seems to apply to him).
• 
  
  Mornings are now cute time--he is all smiles and little giggles right when he wakes up and his fluffy hair is all disheveled.
• 
  
  Swings and baby packs are the only way to get anything done!

I'm sure there is more but everyday is a learning experience!

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5 weeks old

Baby V slept through the night last night! Well, he slept from 12 AM to 6:30 AM and he’s only 5 weeks old. I think that’s a pretty big accomplishment! He woke up this morning, refreshed from his long night’s sleep I can only assume, and was the happiest baby. I brought him into bed with me and he cooed and giggled and smiled adorable baby grins. They say that babies don’t actually smile for awhile but it definitely seems like he responds to me sometimes. I live for those little smiles and laughs. Isn’t it funny how even if it doesn’t mean anything, their smiles can make your day?

I am amazed at how quickly infants change. My little boy is getting huge and chubby really fast! I printed a ton of photos today and for the first time went back through them all and really saw his progression from when he was first born until now. I think he gets cuter every day (though I am slightly biased). I look forward to watching him grow and change in the days to come!

1 Month Birthday

My baby is 1 month old today!

What I love about being a new mom:

• The faintest beginnings of real laughs and smiles
• Gobbling up little fingers and tiny toes
•  Mornings together when I pull him in bed with me after Daddy's gone to work
• Watching his pure innocence as he just begins to discover the world
• Feeling needed and important when I'm able to comfort him
• Picking new little outfits for him to wear each day
• Seeing myself in him and the next second seeing his dad instead
• Getting excited about buying new cloth diapers
• Breastfeeding (yup I love it!)
• The three of us cuddling together as a family
• Taking a million pictures of him
• When he's swaddled up and looks like a little glow worm
• Just watching him when he's awake and calm
• Discovering the purest most natural love in the world