We (ok, I) Survived

my previous post i wrote about going back to work this past thursday. i will admit a few tears were shed that morning. just leaving the house was difficult and then getting to school and having to talk about her got the tears coming again! however, it was so great to see my kiddos and once they all started coming in i was distracted from thinking of her. of course i called/texted/emailed brian throughout the day to check on her. go figure that she had the PERFECT day with him. at one point he asked me if he should wake her up from her 2 and a half hour nap. WHAT? that never happened when i was home! i loved that she was having such a good day though, it made it much easier. maybe she just needed daddy's touch! friday she had a pretty good day as well with him (no 2.5 hr nap, but hey, he can't get that lucky!) he is staying home with her next week as well. we are going to meet with our babysitter tomorrow so we have already started gathering up toys, blankets, and things to make her feel at home while she is there. hopefully she will be on her best behavior tomorrow. :)

Back to Work

ah! i knew this day would have to come but i am not ready for it! i have completely mixed emotions about going back to work. i am fortunate enough to work with amazing friends and i am excited to see them and get back in a routine. i mean, it will be nice to actually get dressed in the morning and retire the sweats and spit up t-shirts, however, the thought of not being with her is hard to handle. b is taking off the next few days and then all of next week to be with her and i am thankful for that. we wanted to buy some time before taking her to the actual sitter since she is still fussy on most days. she is now 12 weeks old (today) and that magical thing everyone kept saying would happen...most kids grow out of the fussy/crying stage by 10-12 weeks, has not happened for our family....yet! i know the hardest part will come on the first day we have to actually drop her off at the sitter's house. although i know she will love her and take great care of her it will be tough! im already getting teary eyed thinking about it.

11 weeks old

Lilian turned 11 weeks old on Wednesday! Activites she enjoys doing...looking at her black and white books and pictures, starring at ceiling fans, smiling and making noises when talked to, Ralph's morning kisses (i.e. licks in the face, actually ALL over her face), being in her baby Bjorn, and looking into mirrors. I tried a Baby Einstein DVD this week too (had tried earlier and she didn't have an interest) and she seemed to really like it. We need to invest in some more of those. She likes to be in her swing and watch those. I am excited to put her in her jumperoo soon, I think I'll wait a week or two, to give her another activity. We go on daily walks (more for mommy than Lily...she just sleeps) but I enjoy the fresh air and getting out.

Transition Time

well, it's hard to believe but this is the last full week i will be home with my baby girl (at least until summer gets here!) i am trying really hard this week to transition her to take naps in her crib...the past few months her naps have been on me or in her carrier...so that transition has taken some getting used to. however, as we speak, she is napping in there! her sleeping at night has improved as well. in fact, on wednesday we hit a record with 7 hours straight. she slept from 9-4. brian and i both woke up several times starring at the clock and thinking it was too good to be true. we hope nights like that keep coming our way. until then, i am pretty good with our routine...down at 10 and up at 3 or 4, feed her, and then she goes back down until around 7:30. she won't start going to the sitter for another 3 weeks...brian is taking off a week and my mom another so we can strech out her time at home a little longer. going back to work does not seem so bad when i know summer is right around the corner and i'll get to spend lots of time with her!

Easter

We were hoping to take Lily back to Iowa for Easter this year but she is a bit unpredictable with her moods and we were not sure she would be able to handle the three hour car ride, church, and a family gathering. We have high hopes for making it back soon though, maybe Mother's Day weekend. We celebrated Easter at my parents house with Bryan, Alison and Curtis, and my grandparents. Lilian had a great day! We were so glad! We had so much fun watching Curtis with the egg hunt. I think we hid the eggs over a dozen times for him because he loved it so much. He is growing so fast and is talking so much, I love watching him. It is crazy to think that next Easter she will be walking along with him! One of the other highlights from the day was when we put the two of them together on the couch for a photo and Curtis tickled her belly and then gave her a huge hug (of course she got scared and cried!) but it was the most adorable thing ever. The start of a wonderful friendship I am sure.

Two Months Old

It is hard to believe our baby is already two months old! She turned two months on March 27, 2010. In a way it seems like just yesterday that she was in my belly and we were wondering what she would look like and when she would make her debut into our world. She has enriched our lives so much in such a short amount of time. It is hard to imagine what life was like without her in it. Looking back at her newborn pictures she has already changed so much in just a few months. Her eyes are still blue like Brian's, I am hoping they stay that way! She has a nice bald spot on the back of her head from rubbing up against her bassinet when she sleeps at night, but that is what cute bows are for, right?!

Lilian's 2 Month Stats

Height: 22 inches (32%) looks like she is going to be a shorty, was there ever any doubt?

Weight: 10.11 lbs. (43%)

Head: 15 1/4 (47%)

Smiling Girl

At six weeks (I am late posting!) Miss Lilian gave us her first real smile. It completely melted our hearts. All the nights of listening to white noise to calm her down seemed worth it to see her give us a big grin! Here are a few smilies we caught on camera...many more to come I am sure. Our first milestone...big moment as a mommy!