In a Perfect World

I'm extremely grateful that I've had the opportunity to work part-time and my current company has been flexible and supportive of my new, 32-hour/week schedule.  It could change at anytime, but for now I'm enjoying having Fridays off to spend with Evelina. We get to chill at the homestead together and have mommy and me time, run errands, attend mommy and baby groups or meet up with friends.  I very much look forward to our Friday's together each week.  They make getting through a busy work week so much easier, and having a 3-day weekend every week isn't anything to complain about either.  I am a lucky gal. 

But (of course there's always a but), in a perfect world, I would love to continue to work, but only 10-3, 3 or 4 days a week.  Lina and I could get up in the morning and leisurely get ready for the day with some playtime or cuddle time thrown in.  She could head off to daycare during the middle part of the day while I worked.  After I picked her up, we could head home, she could go down for a nap while I made dinner in preparation for Chris's arrival home.  While I cleaned up, Chris could take over the bedtime routine and after 7p (she's in bed at this time) we could veg on the couch, cuddle with Violet, watch our fave shows, update the blog, or read until bedtime.  

Sounds perfect to me.  

First Teeth

The toothless smile that once adorned the adorable face of our wee little Evelina is no more. As of December 23rd, 2010, not one, but two teeth have emerged through her tender little gums.  

For the past month or so, each time Lina would have an abnormally fussy day I would swipe my fingers over her gums in an effort to feel anything sharp, if I didn't, I would blame her crankiness on her short naps.  I "thought" I felt something out of the ordinary a few days before her first tooth was cut but I wasn't completely sure. Being a first time mom, I had no clue what a tooth would feel like!! Then, on December 9th, I fetched her at school and one of her teachers was so excited that Lina cut her first tooth.  What an exciting day...and we were all a little shocked since she didn't have many teething signs, such as excess drooling (she isn't much of a drooler still, just more of a spitter), refusal to eat, lots of biting/chewing, excess fussiness, etc..  Her night-time sleep wasn't even impacted.  In hindsight, the only symptoms we noticed were her rosy cheeks and sucking on her lower lip.  At her 6-month well-baby visit, her pediatrician told us not to get too excited since every tooth is different.  Then came tooth #2 and night-waking commenced!!  Although, we didn't initially attribute her waking to a second tooth, I was still surprised when it made it's entrance. If her teeth are cut in the usual sequence, she will be getting four top teeth next, including her two front teeth. Selfishly, I wouldn't mind if they didn't appear for another couple of months or so.  

I'm teething therefore I chomp on my bib

In an effort to nip her night-waking in the bud and get some tips on improving her naps, I've resurrected a few of my sleep books over the past week and have been amazed that many of them write that teething is not a cause of night-time wake-ups. Personally, I find this hard to beleive.  If my gums and jaw were sore, I think it would certainly cause me to wake-up for some drugs soothing. 

Sleep Tight

Dear Evelina,

Before you were born I would say a little prayer every night before drifting off to sleep hoping you would continue to grow and be healthy. I was constantly worried about you and the simple prayers always made me feel more secure.  After the prayer I would always rub my belly as you were moving around and bid you good night, "Sleep tight Cashina, don't let the bed bugs bite.  I love you."  

Growing up, your Mimi would always say the same to me...despite bed bugs being disgusting and something you definitely DON'T want in your bed. Hopefully, it was more for rhyming purposes.

You are almost 7 months old and each night when I lay you down to sleep, I still say those same words, "Sleep tight Evelina, don't let the bed bugs bite.  I love you." Although, now I get to give you a kiss instead of rubbing my belly. Whether you are crying in protest, smiling while gazing back at me or already snoozing when I put you in your crib, I still say them.  I'm looking forward to the day when you actually say them back to me.  

Love, Mommy

Dear Santa...

Last night was another doozy. Hopefully Santa will hear our  my pleas. 

On another note, Auntie K was over for a visit yesterday and I told her she needed to check out Lina's first tooth.  To my surprise, when she looked, she said there were two!!   Apparently, all Lina wanted for Christmas was her two bottom teeth.

WTF?!?!

I am 1000% fed up with Evelina's current night-time sleep pattern.  Sometimes I think I need to change the name of this blog to "Simply Sleep Ciano" because I feel that sleep is constantly an area of struggle.  Just when we think Rip Van Lina is back, she throws us a curve ball and changes her sleep pattern once again.  I am BEYOND frustrated and just plain tired.  Uggghhhhh......  

After we successfully implemented sayonara soother, Lina was again sleeping like a dream, but then one night she started waking up around 2am and chatting for 45 minutes and then waking up at 5:30a again.  Ever since that day the trend has continued.  The chatting doesn't bother me per se but, what bothers me is that she will sometimes get aggravated and start to fuss a little more and then intervention is required (usually a diaper change since I never know what could be in there).  Over the past nights the one wake-up has turned into 2-3...the only positive is that she actually sleeps past 6am but only because she has been up for almost 2 hours during the night.  We usually only intervene at the first wake-up and if she gets up 2 or more times she is on her own unless crying out in some sort of pain. 

Chris and I have brainstormed as to what may be causing this night-time waking, because we know very well she is sleep trained, and we think it could be a few things.  She is getting another tooth, solids don't agree with her, or she is deep into Wonder Week 26 (she is 28 weeks but 26 weeks past her original due date).  Because she can't talk we are unsure if teeth or gas are bothering her so Ibuprofen and Mylicon are always ready to go if needed.  We also stopped feeding her solids at dinner since this seems to really bother her and it has helped slightly but she is still waking.  WAAAAA.......

And don't even get me started on her shiz naps (but happy to know her friends at school are experiencing the same)!!  I am praying to the high heavens this is all just a phase.

Don't worry Lina, we still love you to pieces!!

Father Christmas

We couldn't let Evelina's first Christmas pass us by without a trip to visit Santa for the first time.  I was relieved when I heard he would be making a special trip to Weston Nurseries in Hopkinton so we could avoid the mad rush and crazy lines at the mall. We planned the morning perfectly in an effort to be graced with smiley Lina, but her dreaded short nap got the better of her so she cried, rubbed her eyes, and tried to take off her headband, while we made our way up the rather short line.  Lina clearly hates lines as much as I do. Between her crying and all of the children in front of us telling Santa what they wanted for Christmas, it felt like an eternity before it was her turn. 

Santa did not disappoint.  He was sweet and gentle with our wee one and luckily by the time Lina sat on his lap, she had stopped crying, but man oh man did she want that headband OFF...as you can see in the photo.  It will be fun to see her pictures with Santa in the years to come.      

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

We put up our Christmas tree a couple of weekends ago and Lina was quite the little helper.  I grew up with real trees, the pine scent filling the house and blue spruce needles so sharp they could draw blood,  but Chris has visions of vacuuming up needles until July so we've opted for the artificial variety for the past 5 or so years.  It definitely has it's advantages...pre-strung lights are THE BEST....but next year I would love to go real in celebration of Lina being more aware of the holiday.  

We are looking forward to sharing the magic of Christmas with Lina this year, even though she will most likely only be interested in crumbling up wrapping paper.  

Mommy's Little Helper

Lina loved the ornaments and touching the tree

Evelina's First Christmas Ornaments

No coal will be going into this stocking this year!!

Violet's Stocking

As you can see, Violet was a big help

One little horsey plays peek-a-boo, loves to come and play with you.
Two little duckies take a spin, splash in the water, come on in!!
Three little piggies twirl around, playing in the pig pen, making sounds...

deedadeedee deedeedee deedadeedee deedeedee

I've been singing this jumperoo song NON-STOP for the past 3 days.  I.can't.get.it.out!!!  Help!!!

Sweet Potatoes and Peas, Oh My

Over the weekend I broke out the food processor and immersion blender to prepare Evelina's first baby food.  I decided to start out easy with sweet potatoes and peas.  Both were surprisingly simple.  My biggest challenge was not knowing what the consistency of the puree should be, so I decided to purchase a jar of peas to compare. Once I got the peas just right, I tasted my homemade version and the jarred variety and what a difference.  Poor babies!! if I had to eat the jarred peas, I wouldn't like my veggies either!! 

Overall, my first attempt at making baby food yielded about 10 servings of each veggie.  The big test will be whether or not Lina enjoys them this week!! She will be starting her 3-day schedule of sweet potatoes today and we plan to add peas on Thursday. So far we know she enjoys oatmeal but I didn't go as far as grinding my own.    

The last time I checked, peas were green. Which peas would you rather eat?

Jumperoo Fun

Evelina enjoying some fun time in the Jumperoo.

Violet Cuteness of the Week

Last week Violet came home from daycare with a new Idle Dog hoodie.  Since the temperatures have been on the cooler side over the past few weeks, she has been shaking after going outside. Poor little thing.  This hoodie has definitely kept her a little more toasty.  Another bonus?  Since the majority of her fur is covered, we get less on us when we pick her up. 

6 Month Stats

Lina had her 6 month well-baby visit yesterday and she did great. She got off to a rocky start by crying each time the nurse would enter the room but once she got over that she was her happy, ants in the pants self.  Smiling away and grabbing for her pediatrician's stethoscope, his hair, his face.   

She weighed in at 13lbs 8oz and 26.25" long (67.75th %ile).  Even a longer string bean now then she was at 4 months.  She went from the 10.7%ile for weight down to 7.4%ile.  We thought FOR SURE she would weigh more but I guess we were proven wrong (BUT...she does weigh more than Violet now!!).  Her doctor isn't too concerned since she is still gaining, getting longer and her head is still growing.  Chris is happy that her noggin isn't growing as quickly as it was initially, it is still 17" and in the 70%ile but that is down from the 87%ile at her 4 month visit.  

Overall, Lina is a healthy 6 month old who is developing normally both physically and socially.  The best part is...she is our babe and we think she is perfect no matter what!!

Sitting Practice

Our little girl needs to build up some ab strength so we have been encouraging her to practice sitting.  She is getting better but still topples over rather quickly.  It won't be long before she can sit unassisted and her perspective of the world will become much more interesting. 

6 Months!!

Dear Evelina,

You are 6 months old!! WOW!! I just can't believe that a half a year has gone by since your birth. I am proud that you actually survived despite me and your papa navigating the world of parenthood for the first time. We've encountered some bumpy terrain along the way but we made it through together and will continue to do so as you (and us too!!) learn and grow. We are just thrilled that you are such a happy wee one, smiling so much that I often wonder if your cheeks ever get tired. Your smiles and giggles just make me melt. Even after a stressful, long, exhausting or frustrating day (yup, even days that you don't want to nap for more than 30 minutes), I will lay my head down peacefully just thinking about how happy you make me feel. I couldn't ask for anything better in my life.

Over the past month you have continued to change and grow. You are working to perfect your grabbing skills and stretch your arms out for anything within reach, including our faces, mouths, hair, jewelry, clothes, Christmas tree, Violet or even me or your papa. You just love to touch and inspect things with an intense stare or pursing of the lips. You still need some work keeping your grip tight on objects so they don’t always fall to the floor but you will get there. You do keep a tight grip on our fingers though, especially during feeding time. I even made you cry the other night when I had to release my finger from your grip to grab a burp cloth while feeding you your bedtime bottle…so sad. In other developments, you love grabbing your feet and attempting to put them in your month, you’ve started to do baby sit-ups, and you can successfully roll from belly to back although you still haven’t mastered back to belly. You still remain content just chilling out on your back or doing your side rolls. If there is something next to you or behind you that you must have, you can shimmy around to capture it. You’ve also started to put more weight on your legs and feet this month and enjoy standing in our laps. When you get bored, you just buckle at the knees and we know it’s time to move on to another activity.

I’m happy to report that the fussy period you were in last month, when it seemed like nothing would make you happy, not even the floor gym, is over (for now that is). You once again enjoy all of your toys, especially bouncing in your Jumperoo. It is just too cute seeing you bouncing up and down with joy. One of your favorite activities is to sit on our bed after I pick you up from daycare. I plop you down against my pillow with a toy for you to play with as I get into my pajamas. We chat about your day, play peek-a-boo, I give you tons of kisses and tickles and we have fun giggling together. It is truly one of my favorite times each day.

The biggest accomplishment of the month occurred just days before your big 6-month birthday...you were weaned from the pacifier AND Mr. Miracle Blanket!! YAY!! I was dreading the first night swaddle-free but you did so wonderful. I had hoped all along that you would make the decision to be ready for a sleep sack and that is exactly what happened. Although, swaddling had such a connection to when you were an ity bity newborn so for me it will be a bittersweet moment when I store it away. Now that you are free of the binkie and swaddle, you move around like crazy in the crib. We put you in the crib with your feet toward the door and you wake up with your head toward the door. You are quite active during the night but you are able to go back to sleep without a peep (usually) and are back to sleeping from 7 until about 6 or so. My fear is that once you start rolling over and/or teething our nights will get tough again but we will get through it like we have been for the past 6 months.

You had your first taste of solids this month, yummy sweet potatoes, while we celebrated your first Thanksgiving. Your 6-month well baby visit is coming up on Friday (more shots…whaaa) so after we speak to your pediatrician about starting you on solids and ask him lots of questions, we are going to officially begin. I hope you like your mommy’s cooking since I’m planning to attempt to make you some yummy purees. We will see how that goes.

As always, I wonder what new and exciting things you will learn and do this month? Will you roll from back to belly, will you say “Papa”, will you push up on your hands and knees, will you have a favorite food, will you get your first tooth…? What I know for certain is that we are very excited to spend our first Christmas with you (well, we spent last Christmas with you too, but you were only the size of a lemon) and celebrate the holidays with family. You are most definitely on Santa's "nice" list.

You are the sunshine of my life,

Mommy

Mittens

I came across these mimiTENs mittens today on one of my favorites blogs, spearmint baby, and thought they were so adorable...and a GREAT idea!! The long cuff is ingenious.  It was hard enough to keep those little newborn mittens on Evelina after she was born to protect her face from her dagger nails. Now that she is actually aware of her hands, I can't imagine standard mittens are going to stay on her for to long.  I may have to snatch up a pair of these.  

Evelina's Nursery

It only took 8+ months but Evelina's nursery is complete, minus some additional art I would like to scoop up, like this cute hanger from Etsy or a silhouette of Violet, and perhaps a yellow rug to tie everything together.  

I really wanted to create a happy and cheerful space that wasn't too pink or cutesy.  A room that I'd like to enjoy being in just as much as Evelina, a space that could grow with her and evolve as she makes new discoveries.   

When I was searching for nursery inspiration I came across the two below that really tickled my fancy. 

Sweet and Sunny Nursery 
Little P's Room

I just loved the blues, yellows and bright pinks(hence the colors of this blog) that showered each of these rooms and created such a fun but relaxing atmosphere.  

There are so many things I love about the room but a few of my faves are: 

• Little White Chair - It was my father's as a child and my Uncle John repainted it for Evelina.  My father carved his name in the back as a child and his childhood dog, Penny Nickel Fisher, even chewed up the wood slightly.  It is a very special chair that I am looking forward to Evelina sitting in soon. 
• Owl and tree mobile hanging above the changing table - Evelina loves staring up at it and watching the owls fly by  
• Fabric Hoops - My mom and I created these easily and I think they are pretty, inexpensive art. 
• Shadow Box - What's better then having a memento of Evelina's little hands a feet?  And the memory of how difficult it was to get her to cooperate to get the impressions!! 

We are thrilled with the way the room came out and it makes me happy to spend time in it with our sweet little one.  I hope that Evelina will enjoy it for many years to come.  

Our next project for Evelina?  Creating a playroom in our current office space.  We barely use it for an office and think it will be the perfect place for Evelina once she is a mobile toddler!!  

Click HERE for source list.

Operation Sayonara Soother :: Update

Since Monday night I have been putting Evelina to bed sans binkie in an attempt to help her learn how to self-sooth without its use.  I figured, while I was at it, I would start to wean her from the swaddle during night-time sleep as well (we've already attempted for naps for over a month) hoping she would suck her fingers in replacement of the binks.  

Monday night:  In bed at 7p, no pacifier, right arm out of the swaddle and Gigi (her giraffe lovie) tucked under her arm.  I stood by the crib while she cried, rubbing her belly and telling her that it was sleepy time and everything would be okay.  After about 5 minutes she stopped crying and was rubbing Gigi against her face and sucking her fingers.  By the time I turned the monitor on downstairs she was asleep.  She made a couple of squawks at around 12:30a but didn't wake up.  At 1:50a she awoke so I let her fuss for a few minutes before I entered her room.  I made sure she was okay, didn't have a dirty diaper, turned on her "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Violet", rubbed her belly, told her it was still sleepy time and left the room.  She was asleep by 2a. I "think" I heard some additional minor sleep squawks around 3:30a and 4:45a but nothing that woke her up.  She woke up for the day at 6a.  Now, she used to sleep until 7a but ever since the time change she isn't consistently sleeping past 6ish. We keep her in the crib as long as possible hoping she will fall back asleep. She will usually keep herself occupied for 15 minutes and once she starts to fuss I turn on her projection mobile which will fascinate her for another 15 or so minutes. Chris scooped her out of the crib around 6:50a. 

Tuesday:  No binkie used while in the car seat to and from daycare or during naps!!  Lina's teachers were very impressed and thought they would hear more protest then they actually did.  Lina was more interested in talking to Gigi then wondering where her binks was.  

Tuesday night:  In bed at 6:55p, no pacifier, right arm out of the swaddle and Gigi tucked under her arm.  Minimal crying, less then Monday night, but I did stay there rubbing her belly until I knew she would be fine.  She awoke at 10:15p which is a strange wake up time for her.  She seemed more in distress so Chris and I stayed with her for 10 or so minutes, I changed her diaper and she was out again by 10:30p.  Up at 5:30...ugh...we need some serious help in this department.  She was happy talking to Gigi, grabbing her feet and sucking on her fingers until about 6:20a, after which she started fussing, probably because she was still tired. On went the projection mobile at 6:30a, Chris scooped her out of the crib at 6:45a.  

Wednesday:  No binkie used.  Longest nap was 40 minutes...ugh. This child just LOVES to be awake.  Before we left daycare she started fussing in the car seat so I gave her the binks but she spit it out.  She was asleep by the time we got home.  

Wednesday night: In bed at 6:55p.  Again, minimal crying.  I think she cries more because she is overtired (which is understandable considering her naps aren't the best) not because I am putting her to bed.  I tried to get her to bed earlier but when her routine includes a bath (which we only give her every other night right now), it takes a tad longer.  4a rolled around and I happened to wake up so I click on the monitor and she was still sound asleep...although in a completely different position.  When we lay her in her crib her feet are facing the door, but at 4a her feet were facing the windows.  Clearly she had been up during the night but with no fussing and she fell back asleep on her own.  She was up again at 5:30 though...drats.  I went in after I finished pumping and to my surprise she had put on the projection mobile with her foot and was gazing at the lights.  Her diaper was soooooo full, so I change her in hopes of getting her to fall back asleep but didn't have much luck.  Chris scooped her out of the crib at 6:45a. 

Thursday:  No binkie used.  Longest nap was 65 minutes.
 

Thursday night: In bed at 7p, minimal crying.  I heard her thumping her legs at 12:30a but she fell back asleep on her own with no fussing.  She awoke at 4:45a...ugh,ugh,ugh...and I thought 5:30a was bad.  I just left her to her own devices and heard her fussing around 5:30a.  I got up (dreams of sleeping until a little after 6a shattered), changed her diaper, turned on "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Violet, told her it was still sleepy time and left the room.  She cried around 6:10a and just when I was going to give in and go up and get her at 6:15a, she fell asleep!!  Yay!!  Up at 6:55 for the day.  Beleive me, I was very tempted to give her the binks at 4:45a but I stayed strong.  

Chris calls me "the general" since I'm adamant on breaking Lina from her soother and swaddle habit, and I'm determine to get her to sleep past 6a (she slept 7p - 7a for WEEKS so I KNOW she can do it)!!  I just know how important sleep is for children and I'm the one who has done endless research on the subject so he needs to trust me.  Can you tell who is going to be the softy parent?  

Starting today, we are attempting to go swaddle free.  Lina is napping as I type in her cute elephant Aden + Anais sleep sack.  

I'm Tired

Ever since Evelina's birth I have been tired.  Completely normal for a new mother, right?  In those first weeks of her life I was pretty much a zombie (battling with breastfeeding, growth spurts that led right into one another, and the fact that she was a newborn) but once she started to sleep more than 3 hour stretches and nap longer during the day so I could nap as well, I felt much more refreshed...or maybe I just adapted to fewer hours of sleep.  When she started sleeping though the night I felt great!!  I even felt rested upon going back to work.  But over the past couple of weeks the tiredness has crept back in and I am just tired...t.i.r.e.d. The consistent 6ish hours of sleep a night is catching up with me. 

• I'm tired because I have to wake up in the middle of the night to pump. 
• I'm tired because I have to wake up 1/2 hour early every work day to pump when most days I would love to sleep a little bit longer.   
• I'm tired because even on the nights that Evelina doesn't wake up once, my body still feels the need to wake up multiple times and it doesn't do well in falling back asleep next to a husband who snores (not even that bad I might add...I'm just horrible at falling back asleep no matter how tired I am).   
• I'm tired because of falling back in November.  It always has taken me forever to adjust so I have been waking up around 4-4:30a and the likelihood of falling back to sleep until 5:30ish is slim so I lose out on almost another hour of sleep.
• I'm tired because Evelina has decided that she doesn't want to sleep past 5ish in the morning which means that I never get to either...particularly on the weekends when I can't WAIT to sleep until 6ish. Oh how I miss the days when she would sleep until 7a.  
• I'm tired because I am constantly going, going, going.  

I have no doubt that Evelina's smiles and giggles will wisk my tiredness away today and I'm certain that she doesn't care about the dark circles under my eyes.  

On the menu tonight before bed? Prenatal vitmains, DHA and a Benedryl. 

Shweet!!

Evelina won't officially start solids until a few more weeks but I couldn't resist giving her a little taste of sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving Day. Auntie K had already cooked up a batch for the meal so I grabbed some cubes, mashed them up with a fork, added some breast milk to create more of a pureed consistency and broke out the cute monster bowl we picked up the day before. I was almost certain that Lina would break out her pouty (aka babune) face but she rather enjoyed the experience minus some minor gagging after the second spoon full. 

Getting Ready

Um, I don't know about this...

That was fun!!

2010 School Picture

Back in September Evelina had her first school photo taken.  We couldn't resist purchasing a copy for her "scrapbook".  Chris thinks she looks like a little Italian old lady.  Teehee.  

Christmas Advent Calendar Idea

How cool is this idea?  I may have to hijack this next Christmas for EMC. 

Christmas book Advent calendar

[Reblogged from Babyccino Kids]

Sayonara Soother

Yeah, remember this post?  Well, I take the part back about the Nuk Pacifier being one of my favorite things.  Why you ask?  Because this very "favorite thing" has been the bane of our existence ever since I wrote that blog post!!  


For months we have not had issues putting Evelina to bed with the pacifier.  She would eventually spit it out but would continue to sleep peacefully even through the light portion of her sleep cycle, which meant we would sleep peacefully as well.  But a couple of weeks ago, something changed and she is now dependent on the dang thing which requires us to head into the nursery multiple times per night to replace her plug, after which she will go back to sleep immediately (most of the time...except usually around 3:30am when she likes to stay up for 15 or so minutes gazing around, perhaps spitting the pacifier out just to get us to go in again for her to smile at us...she knows very well what she is doing!!).  


I've mentioned to Chris that we need to stop giving her the binks at night since I think it's what's causing her night-waking, but I just haven't pulled the trigger yet.  Now, it would have made the most sense to have done this while I was off from work for 5 days since I suspect there will be some crying involved, but the caring mother who doesn't like listening to her dear daughter cry multiple times a night just keeps going in and giving her what she wants.  Bad move, BIG.HUGE.  


So, tonight I am going to attempt to put Evelina to bed sans binkie and we shall see what happens.  I'm not against her having it while in the car or if she needs it during the day to curb a case of the fussies but by hook or by crook I will wean the child from the need to use the binkie during naps and night-time sleep!! She is beyond the newborn sucking phase so there is no reason that she can't learn to sooth herself to sleep without the aid of a prop (mind you we still swaddle but that is another issue).  I'll let you know how it goes.  Wish us luck!!

Jump, Jump, Jump, Jump

I broke out the Jumperoo last week hoping that Lina would enjoy it. We went through a tough couple of weeks where she would only tolerate her toys for about 5-10 minutes max before she got antsy and wanted a change of scenery. Even the floor gym wouldn't make her happy!! In came the Jumperoo. So far she likes it but she hasn't really gotten the hang of the jumping part quite yet. She will bounce a little here and there but she would much prefer grabbing the hanging cat rattle. 

Sitting High

Even though we don't plan to start Lina on solids for another few weeks, we thought we would start getting her used to the high chair. She hasn't been thrilled with it just yet and either tries to scoot out of it or fusses, but hopefully she will begin to enjoy it. She did have some fun with Sofie though last week...but not for too long!! 

Milestone :: Rolling Belly to Back

Today, Evelina surprised me by rolling belly to back for the first time. Yay!!  I was convinced that she would actually roll back to belly first since she's been so close for over a month, but either way, I am very proud of the little string bean. AND, very happy that she decided to achieve the milestone on my day off!!  What could be better?   

PS: I think it may be time to retire the bodysuit she's wearing; she's a little young to be flashing cleave. 

Christmas is a Comin'

Christmas is just around the corner and will be here before we know it.  I am already overwhelmed with the thought of Christmas shopping.  I am hoping I can do a lot of online shopping this year but there are always things that require a trip to the crazy mall.  Hopefully having Friday's off will help me avoid the Rt. 9 parking lot traffic on route to the Natick Collection.  Here are a few things that I hope Santa brings this year:  

Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker - I plan to make as much of Lina's baby food as I can find time for so I think this will be useful (since you can steam veggies right in it and then puree), in addition to the immersion blender we already have.  Hopefully I will be able to freeze a bunch so these are a must (any color will do).   

Cooking for Baby - I'm not very creative when it comes to recipes and don't like just making them up on the fly so this should help with my baby food making initiative.

Child of Mine - Feeding with Love and Good Sense 

Splat Mat - I have a feeling this will come in handy once the introduction to solids begins in a month or so.  Plus, it is super cute.  

Embroidered Tote Bag - Red, Small, Regular for EMC 

Macro Lens and Tripod

Slippers - Size 9, Deep Violet 

A new wardrobe ala Anthropologie -  I am in a dilemma, my pants are too big in the tush and hip area but fit in the waist (although sometimes too lose) so if I go down a size, they would be too small.  This leads me to...

Time to work out (I think Chris has this on his wish list too)

A personal chef

A trip to Italy- Rome, Venice, and Florence will do.

Violet Cuteness of the Week

Every evening during dinner time, Violet spies on Chris and I as we dine at the breakfast bar.  She is just waiting for the moment we finish up so that she can be fed her dinner.  She is definitely smarter than we give her credit for, and very well behaved I might add (ha!) ;-)

My Birthday

Today is my birthday.  When I was 33, I gave birth to the most beautiful little being and it was the most amazing year. A year full of pregnancy, excitement, anticipation, preparation, fear, challenges, frustration, joy, fun, love, and a new addition to our family!! 30 wasn't so bad either, but if I had to rank them, 33 would be at the tippity top of my birth years.   

With this being the first birthday for which I am a mother, I've thought about how wonderful it must have been for my mother on this very day 34 years ago. Hearing that I was a girl, being introduced to me for the very first time and dreaming about what I would become. A feeling I didn't experience until my 33rd year, it now adds a new sense of meaning to this, my birthday,  It's a moment I certainly will never forget each time that Evelina celebrates her birthday.  

I don't know what 34 will hold for me but I am excited to see what it reveals.  As long as Chris, sweet Evelina, crazy Violet and my family and friends are near by, I think it will be tops.    


xo

BFF

Recently, my BFF has definitely been the slow cooker.  Dinner time can be hectic since it tends to coincide with Lina's witching hour or her bed time.  We aren't at a point yet where we can put Lina in the exersaucer or bouncy seat for play time while I cook dinner (unless I'm making a 10 minute meal).  She either likes to be held in the evenings or is tired from a busy day at "school" and would rather hit the crib.  In comes the slow cooker, I whip something up on Sundays and we have leftovers during the week.  It has been great.  What else is great?  Chris cooking more!!  My fave slow cooker recipes these days:  

Beef Stew
Chili Chicken Tacos
Tex-Mex Chicken and Beans

A Few of My Favorite Things

We are starting to accumulate more and more baby stuff and I fear that baby items will begin to explode from each window after Evelina's first Christmas.  I am just as guilty as family when it comes to spoiling the child.  I come across so many cute toys, toys that look like they would be a blast, toys that would be perfect for when she is teething, toys that I think would help her learn, and the list goes on and on.  Don't even get me started on clothes, bibs and burp clothes.  I'm the one that needs a new wardrobe but I still go crazy for baby apparel, and with Winter approaching the cuteness that is baby hats is overwhelming.

This week we added the newest baby necessity to 19 BHL.  A high chair.  Someone doesn't really dig it much so photos will be coming soon. 
 

In any case, in the midst of all of our baby gear, there are a few things that I thank the high heavens for each day:   

  

Summer Infant Video Monitor - This has to be one of my favorite things.  It just give us so much piece of mind each time Evelina is sleeping in her crib. We can check on her as often as we like (perfect for my OCD fix) but don't have to disturb her by going into her nursery.  If she makes any peeps we can quickly turn on the monitor to see if she is awake or just transitioning between sleep cycles (I've actually learned a lot about how she sleeps just from eavesdropping on her so much!!).  Even when we have to let her cry it out on occasion, it is nice to see that she is safe and hasn't gotten herself into any trouble in her crib.  Once she starts rolling, sitting up and standing, this device will become even more valuable.    

Miracle Blanket - What else can I say other than this truly is a miracle.  For a baby houdini like Evelina, this has been a savior.  We were able to use the super swaddle technique in early weeks but once Evelina bypassed the 10lb mark and grew more in length, the Miracle Blanket really became the star.  In fact, it works so well that we have a 5 month old swaddle addict on our hands who gets very mad if she gets put down for a nap/sleep unswaddled.   

Itzbeen Baby Care Timer - These days, I would forget my head if it wasn't attached so this has been a god send. It the early days I could easily keep track of when I last fed Evelina, how long she had been napping/sleeping and even how long since I had last pumped.  I found a fancy Droid app but at least with this timer Chris could keep updated as well.  She is on a schedule now but even so, this is still helpful and used everyday in our house (OCD again).   

Pump In-Style Advanced - For an exclusively pumping mama like myself, I couldn't live without this.  Although I would have preferred to actually breastfeed, Lina had other ideas, so I am just thankful that this pump has allowed me to keep up my supply for 5+ months, works quickly and isn't too much of a pain to lug around. And, considering the amount of time I've pump, I'm surprised the motor hasn't started smoking yet!!

Nuk Pacifiers - As soon as we made the decision, for my sanity, that I would exclusively pump and not breastfeed Evelina, the Lactation-Consultant-recommended Soothies went out the window and were replaced with these lovely binkies.  Evelina much prefers them and if she goes to bed with one, it will still be happily in her mouth for hours (as can be viewed by the video monitor). They work perfectly during car trips when she is unhappy in the car seat or to lull her back to sleep during nighttime wake-ups. Even though I am at a point where I would rather her not need a pacifier, these have been faboo. 

Exercise Ball - I had no idea that bouncing on an exercise ball was a baby soothing technique until the first mom and baby class I attended.  As soon as Lina started to fuss, I took my position on the ball and voila, a happy, quiet baby. Ever since that day, the ball has been a fixture in our living room and works at soothing our sweet daughter about 99% of the time.  I must have really bounced a lot while she was in utero because she is addicted to the ball just as much as being swaddled.  The only downside is that it can sometimes be a struggle when we aren't near the ball and she needs to be soothed.  I am hoping one day soon I will actually be able to use the ball for exercise instead of just bouncing a baby :-) 

Zip-Up Sleepers/Footed One Pieces - Dealing with all of the snaps of traditional sleepers can be quite annoying with a baby with ants in her pants (especially for Papa), and I can imagine that once Lina is no longer swaddled at night, we won't be wanting to fuss with snaps in the event of night time diaper changes.  In comes the zip-up sleepers/footed one pieces.  My faves are from The Children's Place, Baby Gap and Gymboree (hint hint for any one shopping for Evelina out there).  

Angel Dear Blankie - Evelina just loves blankies and this one is at the top of the list.  It is soooo soft and the perfect size for a lovie.  She snuggles with it in her car seat and during naps (when we are successful with one arm out of the swaddle).  It is very cute.  I know "they" say no blankets/stuffed animals/pilows/etc. in the crib for safety reasons but we may have to bend the rules for this blankie. 

Bibs - 'Nough said from this mama of a spitter. And it certainly helps that such cute prints exist thanks to many an Etsy seller.  

Aden and Anais Burp Clothes - See bibs.  Plus, the muslin is nice and soft, the patterns are adorable, they are nice and absorbent, and they fit nicely over the shoulder since they contour around the neck.  They can even be used as bibs which I just realized this week...yeah, I'm slow sometimes.    

Maybe I should write a post about what we DON'T use!! Ha!! If we have another babe, I will seriously be an expert. 

The Bird

Thanks for telling me how you really feel about your 5 month photo shoot.

The Sound of Sweet Giggles

Even though Lina has been giggling for over a month, it has been a challenge to actually capture it on video.  The majority of the time the camera just isn't within arms reach.  Tonight I thought I would give it a shot and had some success.  I know I sound ridiculous but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to hear the sweet sound of her giggles.  What could be better after a busy day at work? 



PS:  Apologies for the shaky camera.  It is tough tickling a baby, making jiggy jiggy jiggy noises and holding a camera all at once. 

ACHOO!!

You know when you are about to sneeze that looking up the sun or other light will sometimes trigger it? This doesn't typically work for me but I know it does for some and who knew that there is potentially some science behind it?

Well for the past few weeks this has been impacting Evelina. When we bring her outside in bright light she will sneeze, if we turn on the light in her nursery she will sneeze, even turning on the light on her crib mobile will cause her to sneeze.  I wonder if it is just a phase?  

5 Months!!

Dear Evelina,
You are 5 months old!!  Wow, a whole 5 months.  In just one month you will be half a year old.  It just seems so hard to believe.  


Every week, or sometimes daily, you try to perfect a new skill.  That brain of yours must be working so very hard to accomplish something as simple as reaching out to "pet" your big sister Violet.  We take the simplicity for granted, but for you it takes a lot of thought and concentration and I can see it in your eyes as you analyze a subject.  I thought for certain that you would be rolling over by now.  You have definitely mastered the side roll and as much as I help you by finishing the motion, it just isn't something you have the desire to do on your own quite yet.  That's okay, as long as you are happy on your back or stomach, then that makes me happy.  In addition to side rolling, you enjoy doing back bends by planting your heals into the floor or changing table and pushing up.  You even do them when we're sitting you up as if you are trying to get away from us, which isn't very nice!!  I wouldn't be surprised if you are a late crawler/walker which I guess isn't so bad...more time for your papa and I to childproof and something tells me Violet won't mind either.

You absolutely LOVE your papa.  As soon as you see him you flash your big smile.  If I'm holding you, you will sometimes shy away and nuzzle into my shoulder and then look back at him and smile again.  It is just too cute.  One of your papa's favorite activities to do with you is to just hold you and snuggle.  You tend to get antsy when held for too long though so other activities are required...like the floor gym, which you also LOVE.  


This month you have really started to use your hands with much more thought.  You will reach out for specific toys to bring them to your mouth, you will grab toys that we hold in from or you and snuggle with them...or bring them to your mouth.  You will hold our hands or fingers while we feed you and sometimes push or pull the bottle out of your mouth.  You like to reach out for my arm while on the changing table...and sometimes even attempt to put it in your mouth, and you especially like touching my face when it is near to you...although you haven't tried to put it in your mouth yet. :-)  Even Violet is getting attention from you these days.  

You have become quite the babbler and many times we can't get a word in.  You like to blow raspberries and will even mimic us if you're in the right mood.  You're teachers at "school" tell us that you enjoy sharing many stories with them each day in addition to you being very sweet.  I think the trees and birds on your crib bumper must enjoy your stories at 5am as well, since that is when you like to start your wake-up routine these days.  We are going to have to work on that.  


As much as you love so many things, there are a few things that bring the fuss on, other than you being hungry, over-stimulated or tired.  The bouncy seat isn't your favorite activity these days.  It will keep you entertained for a short time but you would prefer to be held.  Yup, that's right, sometimes you fuss to be held, you just want your mama or papa.  You absolutely HATE getting dressed for bedtime.  You will be having the best time, enjoying tubby time and your massage, chatting with me, giggling, blowing raspberries, doing your back bends and then as soon as I slip the bodysuit over your head you get very mad and cry. Making you happy again requires the intervention of your little bear friend that plays "Mary Had a Little Lamb" or me just simply blowing on your owl and tree mobile so it will catch your eye.  When all else fails, the Miracle Blanket will do the trick (yup, you are still a swaddle addict!!)...most of the time. 


It is so amazing watching you grow and learn.  One day you can't do something and the next day you can.  It is just so cool!!  Looking back even one week ago, you would only look to your right when I was holding you up on my shoulder, now you can push off my shoulder and look left or at me.  Such a simple motion but it just makes me happy to see even these simple developments occur.  I just love you more and more everyday, if that is even possible, and I'm looking forward to what new and exciting things you will learn and do this month!!  


You are the sunshine of my life,
Mommy

E and V

Over the past couple of weeks, Evelina has started to show some interest in Violet. She stares are her more frequently, will watch her run around and when Violet is within arms reach, Lina will reach out and grab her...her face, the extra skin under her chin, her legs.  It is very cute.  Violet doesn't make Lina smile or laugh yet but I'm sure once she figures out how crazy Violet is, she won't be able to contain herself.  On this particular day, Violet decided she wanted to bark at Lina, who ignored her for a brief second.  Oh, such a needy pooch.