I go back to work on Thursday and there's a big part of my heart that is already breaking at the thought of it. I've been away from her at the most for 5 hours. I knew this was going to be extremely difficult, but I had no idea it was going to be this hard. Luckily, I should be pretty busy when I head back, so at least I'll have that distraction. I've allotted half an hour in my day to excuse myself to the bathroom in another part of the building to have a good cry. Tomorrow I'm printing off my favorite pictures of her to carry in my fancy picture wallet, plus, I'm going to fill my digital picture frame with her image so I can remind myself why I work and that I'm helping to provide for her. So for you moms, does it get easier? What is the curve? When will it be a little more routine and you don't freak out so much?Seriously, I love my job. I absolutely love the benefits. I love that I contribute a little bit to society. I enjoy the adult interaction. I'm not whining, just trying to find a balance is all.

Anyhow, tomorrow is my 3 year anniversary. I found this link 30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge and I'm going to read up on it and see if I can better convey my appreciation to my beloved. I think I do a pretty good job, but there's always room for improvement, right?

New news:

I finally went to the dentist. At long last, I've let go of my hissy fit and found someone that I feel comfortable with. Unfortunately, after 18 years I have not just one, but TWO cavities. Bleh! Oh well, I'll get those filled and it'll be like new. My mouth feels incredible!! Wheee! Happy teeth again.

Also, I dropped off my work clothes to be pressed and cleaned. It was nice not having that monster dry cleaning bill for the past few months. But even better than that was to see my old clothes that I hadn't worn since this time last year! Woohoo! They actually fit and they looked pretty good. Exciting stuff.

I got the cleaning bug today. So I power cleaned from 3 to 5. When Don got home, he jumped right on in and picked up and helped out. I'm so blessed to have him and his help. Our floors are scrubbed clean and shiny, my clothes are put away, I filled a ridiculously large bag of clothes and other goodies to be donated, and the house smells delightful. I just love a tidy home. I'm glad I made the time to get this done. I had some other goals in mind to achieve before I went back to work, but I would much rather sit still watching Mari and pouring over every small movement than sort old paperwork. =) I can't buy more time, but I can be patient enough to organize the office.

I got to see the friends today. I had a spa party at my house and we were all pampered and scrubbed and exfoliated to the extreme, and it was marvelous. Amazing how a little bit of scrubbing makes a world of difference.

Guapo is beginning to have a more difficult time with the adjustment. At first he was really good, but now he's becoming more and more over protective of the baby. He barks more at the door and at people. He herds people and gives a thorough smell-over before letting them pass to the baby. It is sweet, but a little annoying. I'm working with him to be gentler and calmer, but man, it is tough! I can understand, though. How cute is she??

Lastly, we are doing a great job at our volleyball league. It is a rec league, so not nearly as competitive as the past, but still loads of fun. Right now we are tied for 2nd place and tomorrow we face the number 1 team again. If we win, then it is sure to be quite a show during the play-offs. It feels great to be running around in the sand and playing again. I forgot how much I missed it!

Anyway, that's it! Have a fabulous hump day!

Formal Goal

Alrighty, I've reached a more tolerable goal weight. No more double chin and I'm beginning to see the formation of strong biceps. While I've lost that pregnancy weight (and then some), my body still isn't shaped like I'd want it to be. I've molded my body so many times before and I'm inspired, yet again, to make a change.

Now it is go time. Here are my goals that I'd like to achieve before my birthday in June:

• lose a minimum of 6 inches in my waist
• drop a minimum of 7% of body fat
• drop at least 15 lbs
• comfortably run 2 miles in less than 18 minutes (nearly there already! wahoo!)

So long jiggly bits. Thank you for visiting, but it's time to be evicted. =) Good luck to everyone else on their health quest! You can do it!

11...once in espanol

When did she change? She looks like a baby and no longer a newborn. She's talking more and growing taller. Her cheeks have filled in and she's starting to get the little chubby legs that you see on most babies. Of course they aren't that big yet because more than one person has told me that she's "skinny" for a baby. I laugh every time I hear that. Of course they aren't saying that she's underfed or malnourished, she's just really active and healthy. She actually has muscle tone, which cracks me up. If she's awake at all, then she's moving. Arms going around, legs kicking, toes exploring and grabbing like fingers, and just chewing away on her hands. It's so great.

Man, I love parenthood!

Oh and I have to brag: We went to the movies for the first time since she was born and we took her! There were explicit signs displayed all over SMG Plano saying they did not allow children under the age of 2 for ANY PG-13 or R rated movies after 6PM. I was worried they weren't going to let us go in, so we didn't make any eye contact. I was certain she was going to sleep through the whole movie anyway, so no worries. She's a really great baby and isn't fussy. Well, we seated ourselves in the back and in the corner in the event we had to make a quick escape. I packed a bottle and some water just in case. 10 minutes into the movie, we clicked our LED flashlight to check on her, and Don said she was like a small animal in a cave: wide-eyed in the dark and quiet. Five minutes after that, she was fast asleep. Good baby! Oh and in case you wondered, we saw "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." Freakin' wonderfully hilarious movie that I would recommend!

Tuesday Reflections

I stayed up rather late watching "Water." It is a foreign film entirely too complex for me to attempt to summarize the plot. In any case, it was a marvelous film, just the type of emo-snack I'd been craving. During the movie, Don joined me in the den and was reading the good book while holding our daughter. I didn't particularly care that he wasn't engaging in the film with me, it was such a sight to see. Tiny hand gently folded into her daddy's strong hand. Small legs curled up on his lap. A perfect bend in her fragile elbow, remarkably like her fathers. Quietly slumbering and the glow from the lamp caresses her perfect, angelic face. My family...I had a family. We'd managed to reproduce and the two became three.

About an hour later he went to bed and I sat there quietly reflecting on my blessings. My, my how God has blessed me. I had an incredible family, wonderful friends, an amazing husband, and a healthy daughter. I see Don's goodness in our daughter and every bit that is good in me, I've prayed has been passed on to her. I felt inspired, so I grabbed our leather journal that we exchanged on our wedding day and decided to write this year's entry. Unfortunately, halfway through the prose, I'd lost my frame of thought and it was gone. I'd hit that writing wall again and I rushed through to finish. I hope it made sense. I've not gone back to read what I wrote. I did, however, revisit the other writings. I enjoyed reading my thoughts from the actual wedding day, my recap, then the first and second year's entries. Even more importantly, I quietly chewed on every delicate word he'd inscribed. God's grace is ever present and I couldn't help but get a bit emotional thinking about all of the wrongdoings I've done in my life. I'm prime example that Jesus values us all and definitely died for our sins. Forgiveness has been granted tenfold for me and for that I'm grateful. Amazing how faith grows and grows and grows with just a little bit of nurturing.

So next Wednesday, we celebrate our 3rd anniversary. Hard to believe it has flown by so fast. Crazy, huh?

Quick Trek to Austin

Saturday, I trekked on over to Longview with one of my besties. I hadn't seen her family in so long. I'm especially grateful to them because they embraced me during those lonesome holiday seasons when my folks would galavant on over to Vegas. I wasn't complaining that I couldn' t be with my family, so it was a warm welcome to be able to retreat on over to a slower pace of life, with close family ties. Anyhow, Mari was a trooper. And isn't Lindsey such a beautiful pregnant woman? Gorgeous!!

On my way home that night, I was in a texting convo with Brother to see when he would be free so I could visit him. I made a promise that I would head south before my maternity leave was up and 'lo and behold, I had less than a couple of weeks before heading back.

when are you free?
when? this week or next?
this coming up, as in starting tomorrow
i get off early tomorrow and am off until wed.
then i'm coming for a visit. be ready.
K, love you
k love you too

I sent Cam a text to see if she was free and she was! So Sunday we packed our bags, loaded up the car and headed South. Loved the spontaniety of it all!

We arrived and hit the ground running. We met up with Brother at the driving range and he was there with his longtime friend, Tanner. We hit some balls and headed to his place. We chilled out for a second, popped on over to Wal for some essentials and then headed on over to BJ's Brewhouse for a late night snack. I had one of the absolute worst drinks of my life! GAG!! If you go, stay away from the Pom Punch. It tasted like expired cherry cough syrup. I'm throwing up a little bit in my mouth thinking about it. Even the waiter/bartender laughed a bit when I told him how awful it was saying how it was the most horrid thing ever. LOL! Thanks for the suggestion buddy. But dude, seriously, I'm on a time frame here, so I need to drink fast before I nurse again. (And yeah, before the food and drinks arrived, I nursed her right there in the booth. I figured Austin is full enough of tree huggers that they wouldn't mind. Well, I did get quite a few stares despite being covered up. Jeez, I don't stare when you eat. I'm in the corner behind the carseat, why are you STARING??? I digress, but I swear, we live in such a puritanical society, get over it! Yeah, I think I struck a nerve within myself! LOL) I digress, he made me this really delish pomegranate martini. MMMmmmm...much better than that other sewer water. BLECH!

We went back to the apartment and settled in for the night. Guess what! Mari slept for more than 5 hours!!! Poor thing soiled her onesie and a bit of her footed sleepwear. Stupid Huggies! Grrrr...they are officially fired. (Now what am I going to do with more than half of the econo pack of diapers??) Anyway, I got up to a happy baby and she's so precious when she's grinning and smiling. I showered, bathed Mari, and Cam showered. I got Brother up and he got ready. Then we headed out to Ikea, then Texadelphia, then Kohls, then Babies R Us, and finally home. BUSY, BUSY day of shopping! At his place, Cam and Brother embarked on putting together his new furniture. I set up shop in the bathroom arranging the towels. Camille came in and organized the shelves and went back to helping Brother. I went to organize the living area and lifted my old TV. As I was moving it, I rammed my two small toes on my left foot (stupid clumsiness!). They throbbed and I might've broken them, but how would I know because I've broken them before. Oh well. Three hours later and his drawers were put together, the living room organized, and we were exhausted. We loaded up the car to go visit my aunt, but unfortunately, we were lost for nearly half an hour when we gave up and headed home.

9:45 and we are going home...and I was able to have one of the most engaging, reflective conversations of my life. I love one-on-one roadtrips! We rolled into town at 12:30. We drove straight through and my baby was passed out like a champ! I fed her as soon as we got home and she went to sleep for another 5 hours!! Wheeeee!! Two days in a row..fabulous!

Pierced

We took Mari to Sweet and Sassy at Willowbend mall to get her ears pierced. It was quite a shock to her system, but she was a trooper. Yes, she did cry, but not nearly as bad as when she had her shots. Poor baby, she was sound asleep when the first piercing gun went off.

I was quite pleased with their services and was especially grateful that they had the rounded backs on the earrings. We opted for the emerald earring because that is Don's birthstone. Her birthstone didn't seem nearly as brilliant and since she seems to wear plenty of green, this was a more practical choice.

When we walked into the store, we were a bit overwhelmed with the "girlyness" of it all. We did prep ourselves for what was to come in the next several years. Loads of dressing up and imagination. Well, at least we think we'll have to prep. Heck, even if she is a tomboy, we'll have a dress up box to help that little imagination of hers grow.

Anyway, I have to give mad props to Don. At first he was hesitant and even though he said he didn't have an opinion on it, it became abundantly clear that he did. Initially, I was the only one who was passionate about getting it done. He went with me and actually held her tightly when they did it. They opted to do one at a time since she's an infant and they have a tendency to move or twitch. I know it was hurting him to see her crying and visibly upset, but when it was over it was done.

We've since cleaned it twice and turned them and they are healing fine. She looks so pretty!

Double Digits!

Happy 10 week birthday Mari!! You're growing so fast!

Quick recap:

1. She's discovered her hands. Well, she kinda did last week, but her new favorite thing is to gnaw on them.


2. She's on the brink of rolling over. She rocks back and forth and even kicks her leg up likes she's preparing to do it, but she just hasn't. I wonder if she'll do it before I go back to work.


3. She's eating like an angry piranha! Every hour and a half to two hours she's eating voraciously. She'll feed for 18 minutes and then will want more. Last night, we broke down and gave her some of the emergency formula. She ate nearly 4 oz., and that was AFTER having eaten for 5 minutes. Any minute now, the sleep will catch up and I'll get more than 4 hours in the night But she's just so cute, so I don't mind not having any rest for the past couple of days.


4. On Saturday, April 12, she slept through the night for the first time ever! I should've caught up on my sleep then! LOL.


5. She definitely has my hair. It's wild and crazy and oh-so-cute! So many random curls and bits sticking out here and there. It's fabulous!

In the next couple of weeks I'm going to take her to get her ears pierced. Do you have any recommendations?

grr...

I can't add images to my blog right now. More blogs to come, I just can't upload pics.

Baptism, Baby Shower, Cookout

Today was a hella busy day. I got up early to head to Lewisville to get my mom from my sister's house. She participates in a produce co-op, where they all pitch in $15-$20 and get loads and loads of fresh produce. Well, she sent me home with some goodies that she wasn't going to get to and I was very appreciative. mmmm...I love fresh cilantro! Anyway, after picking up Mom, we grabbed some breakfast to go.

When we got home, we finished up Weeds. My mom actually got a bit hooked on it! Too bad the last episode was a big cliffhanger, so we have to wait until June for the next season to be on DVD. Anyway, afterwards, we got ready to go to a baptism for my friend's twin girls.

We got there 45 minutes early (yeah, I couldn't believe I was early either!) and witnessed a triple wedding. It was like a reality slap. It is so easy to get caught up in the material world, especially when it comes to weddings. You can really go overboard with spending money. But these three weddings were very simple: artificial flowers, no over the top decorations, or suits, or attendants. The grooms in simple suits, the brides in inexpensive gowns, but they still looked very beautiful! Then again, I've yet to see an ugly bride. The baptisms were lovely as well. Oh, and I failed to mention that all of this was in Spanish. While Don didn't understand what they were saying, he did know what was going on. That's the beauty of the Catholic faith, the order of the mass is the same in any language.

Afterwards, we booked it on over to the Brut Champagne tasting room for the baby shower. Talk about an extreme change in environment. Mom stayed home and watched Mari and Don and I lived it up. I tasted a really great sparkling shiraz. The shower was nice and it was great to see those friends again.

Then, we headed on over to my friend's house to have a cookout in honor of the girl's baptism. We had some delicious meat and mole. Mmmmm...the last time I had mole was at her baby shower and it was so good then too. I love how welcoming her family is. Plus, they were able to meet Mari for the first time. We were there for several hours until we totally lost our shine. We came home to pass out!

I had so much fun hanging out with mom and Don. Sidenote: while at the church, they were setting up for a festival called a Jamaica (ha-my-cah). They had these big bundles of cables leading to the booths for the vendors. Well, mom is in her scooter and these cables were at the base of the ramp. She sped up to jump the cables like she was a participant in X-games. Sure enough, she caught some air and landed perfectly. I couldn't quit laughing. There was mom, with a big smile on her face, riding her red scooter. That's how I always remember mom: smiling, innocently in the moment, and genuinely happy.

Neighbor's Tree

This is the Bradford Pear that had fallen during the storm. Don was a good Samaritan and went over to help cut down the tree. Two chainsaws, lots of elbow grease and less than two hours later and they had the tree down. Our neighbor was generous enough to let us have the extra wood so we could burn it for firewood next winter. Anyway, just had to share this image.

How was everyone else? Did you get some storm damage?

9 weeks, busy day

It's been storming up something fierce around here. Luckily, nothing happened to our house. Currently, we are fenceless so our fence didn't fall down. Heck, my petunias went unaffected as well. Unfortunately, our neighbor's Bradford Pear fell over nearly on his house. WHOA!

My brother came up from Austin for a brief visit. He took us out to eat dinner at Mi Cocina and he even paid. Sniff, sniff...I can't believe how grown he is. It was a proud moment for me. Afterwards, we went to Ikea so I could give him my opinion on a few beds he was looking at. I think he found the one he wants and I can't wait to head down to Austin to check out his new place. Anyway, on Thursday he was heading back, so we loaded up all of the stuff I promised him: table with chairs, bookshelf, end table, TV, stock pot, knives, a couple of framed paintings, and two rugs. I can't believe he fit all of that in his Xterra, but he did. Then, he loaded his TomTom and was off. Amazing how he doesn't get as lost ever since he's had his GPS unit. I mean he still gets lost because he is distracted, but it's all good.

Afterwards, we took Mari for her 2 month checkup. She was scheduled to get her vaccines: 5 shots and 1 oral. I'm still on the fence about the vaccines, but Don and I both made the decision that early on she'd get them. I'd asked Don to go to the doctor with me because I was unsure how I was going to react. I has the same anxiety I used to get right before I'd have my own shots. Anyway, we went there and the nurse was very calm, detailing what was going to happen. She said she'd be quick and she was. I'd never heard Mari shriek before and it just broke my heart. Just because I'd prepared myself for this moment didn't mean I didn't want to grab one of those needles and shove it smack dab into her jugular. Poor baby. Fortunately, she'd had some Tylenol before the appointment and had eaten immediately after the shots. My heart was broken and I admit, I cried. I needed Don to hold my hand and we're still going to research more of the vaccines that they offer. Luckily, my doctor is open to us altering her vaccine schedule. Thank you Julie for all of your information and we'll be reading it more closely for the next time around.

The bright side is that she's 10 and a half pounds and 23 inches long. She's healthy and progressing really well. I'm so grateful we have a healthy and happy baby. Here she is when we took her home. She just sat in her swing sleeping away peacefully and quietly. She took another dose of Tylenol and after that she was back to her normal self. No irritability, no fever, just a little bit of tenderness in her thighs.

We've not taken those bluebonnet pics yet. Soon, though, very soon. Hopefully the weather will cooperate so we can get them!

Mo at the park

It was a cloudy day. Originally, we'd planned on going to the Arboretum for pictures, but neither of us was feeling it. Instead we headed to Prairie Creek park, a favorite photo place of mine, for some quick shots. Mari was fast asleep and we spent about 15 minutes total taking the shots.

We were pretty tired from the day before. We'd gone to Mockinbird Station to check out Urban Outfitters. After that, we went over to grab a bite to eat at Taco Diner, then Sprinkles for dessert. We quite possibly over-indulged, hence the bluesy laziness on Tuesday.

When we got home, we napped. That night he went to see The Mars Volta. There was a pretty big storm that came through, but that wasn't the last of that storm. Oh well. Anyway, it was a great visit with him and I was sad when he had to leave.

Poor thing

We took Guapo into the vet for a routine teeth cleaning. We'd noticed he had a bump (growth) around his anus and were a little worried. Not thinking it was normal, I asked the vet to look at it before the teeth cleaning to see if it was necessary to be removed. Well, sure enough, he called us to tell us it was a perineal tumor and we should probably have it removed since we were putting him under anesthesia for the teeth cleaning. He gave us an estimate (OUCH!) and we agreed to having the procedure done. Poor thing has to walk around with this Elizabethan collar for the next 9 days. Hopefully it'll go by fast.

Unfortunately, he's been running into everything and he wants to scoot his butt across the carpet. I can't imagine he's comfortable. And when he runs into things, you can't help but laugh a little and feel sorry for him a lot. Oh well. He'll be well soon enough. At least he's back to his normal self and not lethargic like when I first picked him up.

Deep Ellum Arts Festival

Sunday was an incredible day! The weather was perfect. We opted to head to the Deep Ellum Arts festival. There were definitely quite a few sights to see and a lot of pretty talented artists on display. I also enjoyed the music.

But most of all, I loved the food! Mmmmm...I love those ribbon fries. I'm starting to see them at more of these festivals instead of just the fair. They are so greasy and fried, but man, they are so yummy! Especially with Valentina sauce and a bit of ketchup! Delightful. Of course I probably need to run another 5K to work it off, but I'd gladly do it! Here is a shot of one of the trays of fries. Complete with Valentina sauce, ketchup, and a bit of ranch in the corner.

We enjoyed seeing all of the little dogs running around. Mari was up for most of the festival. She was quite alert and very happy despite being pretty hot. Any time we had the chance to sit in the shade, we did. Here she is flying under the trees.

First 5K!

We ran in the Seton Soles 5K Run/Walk on Saturday. This was Mari's first 5K and it wasn't too bad.

I got up at 4:30 for her first morning feeding and opted to not go back to sleep since we had to be at the race at 6:30. Even though I didn't get to bed until 1:30 (yeah, I was exhausted!), I knew it was going to be a great run. By the time she finished eating and I changed her, it was after 5 and I knew if I went to back to bed, I'd be really cranky and sleepy. Instead I got dressed and figured I'd go for a coffee run. Who know Starbucks didn't open until 6 on the weekends?? Bleh! That didn't make me happy. It was really chilly outside too.

When I got home, I added a couple of other layers and planned to add a few more layers to Mari. By this time, Will was up and was ready. I logged in online to verify where we needed to park and then we headed to Starbucks. Cafe Mocha for Don, Cinnamon Dolce Latte for me...nonfat milk, no whip, at 140 degrees. Good stuff!

Now that I had my go-juice, I went back home and loaded up the car and baby. We headed to the race. I had those pre-race jitters. My strategy wasn't so much to run it, but to finish it in a decent time. I figured I'd jog for a bit, walk for a bit, alternating like that until we finished. The race started and off we went. I turned on the ipod and coming out of the speakers of the jogging stroller was my calm and relaxing mix. Since I was towards the back when the race began, I had to maneuver through several people until I got to a comfortable level. By the time the race started, it was significantly warmer and I was feeling more awake.

The first mile was right at 11 minutes. Not too shabby considering the first half mile was start-stop mess. The second mile was at 10 minutes. I admit I had to stop and walk for a little bit. I was getting paranoid that I was going to wet my pants. I was certain this was going to happen. I'd been having some accidents in recent weeks when I'd been working out or running. I was terribly afraid this was going to happen, so I kept stopping at the on-set of any pressure. That last mile I was determined to get it under 9 minutes, so I kicked it in gear. There was a bit of a hill to conquer and I was on an 8.5 minute mile pace when my little one gently reminded me that I was a mommy. Thank God I brought the bottle. I pulled off to the side and we sat on the curb for her feeding. She was much happier and better, but was not going to let me put her back in the stroller. So I held her and we walked. Don and Will had finished the race and came walking back to catch up with me. Will took over the stroller and Don held Mari for a bit. He offered to let me run to finish strong, but I figured I'd just walk it out to the end. He handed her back to me and we crossed the line at 48 minutes. I didn't think that was too bad especially since I sat for nearly 10 minutes feeding her! We survived the first 5K! Wahoo!

Afterwards, we treated ourselves to the Original Pancake House. Gotta love those fresh banana pancakes! When I got home, I immediately took a warm shower and crashed out for a couple of hours. Don and Will went to trim trees. When they made it home, we headed to Arbor Hills so they could do some biking. I leisurely walked with Mari to stretch my legs while they rode. My hip joint was pretty tight and I realized that I was getting older! ha ha! Then, we were bad again and had Mooyah for lunch. I absolutely love these burgers and I'm adding them to my faves list!

That night, my sister came over to watch Mari so we could have a date. Originally we were going to go to a movie, but it was sold out. Instead, we headed for oysters, but before that we went to Mi Cocina for drinks. Another late night for me, but well worth it!

Busy, busy, busy day!

First Baseball Game

Don was picked by one of his students for teacher appreciation night at his high school. He was very honored and got to wear that student's jersey. Originally, we were supposed to go to the game on Tuesday night, but they had a plumbing accident in the infield, so the appreciation night was postponed to Friday.



Well, after an amazing dinner, we headed out to the ballfield. But first, I'll tell you about the dinner. I went to the local meat market and picked up some meat. I got a dozen tamales, thin cut ribeyes, and 1 dry aged t-bone. Don cooked up the meats and I prepped some brown rice and veggies. I steamed the broccoli and cauliflower over the top of the rice cooker. I laid small pieces of lemon over the veggies for flavoring. Delish! That dry aged beef was so tender and flavorful! I'm definitely going back to buy some more! It is of course a luxury item, but well worth the money. Next time I want a steak, instead of going to a fancier steakhouse, we'll just buy our own. Here is a picture of Guapo enjoying the bone.



Ok, so we headed up north and went to the game. It was a chilly night, but we were well prepared with several blankets and they had plenty of hot chocolate too! I found it surreal to be surrounded by all those high school students. Listening to the things they talked about cracked me up! *sigh* I definitely don't miss those days!



The team won by 10 runs (very impressive)! They handed out clappers and these nifty backpacks. Doesn't she look so cute bundled up?

2 months

My, my, my these last two months have flown by in such a furious fit of joy. I can't believe how much she's changed even in the last week. Talking with my sister, she thought it was cute at how I remark how "tall" she is. I guess most people refer to their babies as long, not tall. Here are a few highlights of what she does that I want to remember:

1. She absolutely loves standing up. When we hold her, she likes to push off with her legs and stand with some help. It's pretty funny, but I'm always telling her that she has to learn to sit before she can stand.
2. She holds her head up very well. She's actually been doing this since 4 weeks, but now she seems to have a lot of control.
3. Speaking of head control, she absolutely loves looking right. It isn't because she can't look left, she just wants to look right. I don't know what is so interesting for her when she looks over there. It makes me wonder. Maybe it has to do with how I hold her and in what direction.
4. I've started teaching her sign language. Very simple things: eat, more, mommy, daddy, I love you, and change. She seems to calm a bit right before our feedings when I show her the eat sign. When I ask her if she wants to eat, she'll look me intensely and be really calm.
5. I've begun letting Guapo interact with her more. You can tell he loves his little sister. He's always so protective of her watches over her. Of course, he has been feeling a little neglected. So much so that this week when I've nursed her in the nursery, he goes in there and will sit in a little tripod position until I allow him to jump up on the ottoman and curl up by my feet. I'm sure If I let him squeeze on the Boppy, try really hard to do that too.
6. She's smiling and cooing even more than ever. I really need to film her. And when I sing to her, she makes noises like she's trying to sing with me.
7. We had to take out the first layer in her head positioner in her car seat. Since then, the fussiness has really come to a minimum. I guess she was just a little too crowded in there.
8. She really loves hanging out in the stroller. Even more than the stroller, she loves her cradle swing. That is hands down one of the best investments we made.
9. I bought her a blanket buddy in the hospital when she was born. It is a frog head with a purple blanket and white satin trim. It sits with her in the cradle and I call it her "buddy." Well, she'll hold on to her buddy and if the light is in her eyes, she'll grab it and cover her eyes with her buddy. It is too cute!
10. She loves bath time. I can tell she has anxiety at first because of the way she looks at me. But then we put her in the warm water and she just smiles and swipes at the water.
11. Her hair has gotten longer, but it is still too fine to be put in little ponytails. I still use the clips and she fits her headbands too! I need more hair ties for her. I really do enjoy brushing her hair.
12. She looks absolutely adorable in dresses! I really wish I had more of them.
13. She frequently kicks her legs when we're changing her. She really loves to just kick her right leg. But while she's doing that, she's waving her left hand. Her left hand is her active hand. Often she will get a hold of the toys I leave near her. She reeally loves this crinkly dragon fly and gator rattle. I call that gator rattler her gator-aid.
14. I love her little feet. They've grown and filled out, but more than that, I love how she grips me with her toes.
15. It breaks my heart when I hear her congested. I have to put a few saline drops in her nose and let them sit, then I'll suction her out. Invariably, I'll expel bits of mucus that surprise me with their size. No wonder she has difficulty breathing. Poor thing. But that look of gratitude and relaxation after I get it out is priceless. Expecially because she was so irritable just moments before.
16. Speaking of irritation, I also don't like it when she has gas. I'm able to deciper the gassy cry. Instantly when I give her the mylicon drops, she's quiet again. I don't know what they put in that stuff to make babies love it, but I am grateful!
17. She's starting to pull herself up a bit, almost like a miniature sit up. She'll grip my fingers with her hands and I don't have to hardly pull her up because she'll do it on her own.
18. Oh and during tummy time...she cracks me up. When she wears those socks with the rubber bottoms, she can push herself forward. She hasn't yet learned the dexterity to move her arms, but this week she's been doing push ups with her arms. She can inch worm backwards pretty good, though!
19. Her drool factor has increased quite a bit too. It cracks me up!
20. She's been doing a great job sleeping in her basinnette, but it won't be much longer before she's outgrown it. I'm certain by the time I go back to work she'll be quietly sleeping in her crib. I don't know if I'm ready for that, but she's been fairly independent so far, so maybe she's trying to let me know she's ready.

Happy April!