Slowing down

It's been so nice seeing the sun this past week. Today it's been dreary, but I'm hopeful for spring. I can't believe we have been here nearly a year. Stella has been having a tough couple weeks. First she had a stubborn tooth trying to poke through, and then she started coughing this dry cough. She doesn't seem to be getting sick, but she hasn't been much of a happy camper. This past week she started saying "Bless you" when we sneeze. She also says, "No, please" and "No, thank you". She's understanding how to put things away, and she likes doing exactly what I do. If I'm cleaning something up, she will take a rag and start wiping too. The other day she pulled a wash cloth out of the drawer and started cleaning her face. If she drops a tiny crumb, she says "Uh oh, uhh oh, uuh oh". She's so much fun and has so much spunk, just a lively little child.

This past weekend my mom and her fiance Loren came down to hang out with us and celebrate my and my brother's birthday. We went shopping all day on Saturday. I got some fun things for baby boy. By the end of the day I had never felt so exhausted. I still haven't gotten my energy back and I feel like I'm dragging all. day. long. Hopefully some warmer weather in our future will set my motivation in gear. I already have the nesting itch, although it's a little more tame than last time, and I have been organizing and cleaning it seems 24/7.

Other than feeling tired, I have been feeling great, feeling baby kick and move around now from the outside. I had forgotten what a crazy feeling it is. Matt's already talking about taking him hunting and balancing out the girls in our family. Now he just wants a dog.

This week I hope to spend some more time figuring out my camera. I have been kind of slacking on that lately. Mostly because it's been so cold outside. Matt got me a new lens for Christmas and I want to play around with that outside. Hopefully we'll be slowing down with the busy details this week.

The new member of our family

is a healthy baby BOY!

From the mouth of a Stella

"Wey Taay?" (Where's Tre?)
"Wey Dayee?" (Where's Daddy)

(Along with these, she puts her hands up in front of her like "Where did he go?")

"Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, uh oh..."  (Usually said in sets of eighteen)

"Dahhh?" (That?- Usually said with a whine when she wants something)


15 month stats:
Height: 31 1/2 inches
Weight: 21.12 lbs
Head: 12 1/4 inches

Loves:
Books
Drawing
Being chased
Being thrown on the bed
Walking to the elevator
Eating my cereal
Frothed milk (AKA her own cappuccino)

Dislikes:
Diaper changes
Not being able to reach something
Having her coat zipped
Having anything zipped
Sleeping anywhere other than her crib

Bookworm

Random tidbits

I'm growing. I'm in my 19th week, and this pregnancy is going by incredibly fast. Other than feeling like I'm on Nyquil all day (I'm. exhausted.) I've been feeling great. Felt baby at 16 weeks. Matt felt it last night.

Matt's job is going really well. We are really thankful for all the time he has put in lately, and we are really thankful he has an awesome job in this economy.

Staying at home has been difficult the past few weeks. Stella and I have been climbing the walls. It makes it difficult when it's so cold outside as well as trying to save money. We do get out about once a day though, so that helps.

I am lucky. Lucky for such a patient, loving, dorky, phenomonal husband. Lucky for a beautiful daughter that makes me laugh. Lucky for the precious gift of life growing in me. Lucky for my beautiful family and friends.

Trying to get motivated to get some projects done, but mostly just waiting on my energy to come back.

Cause for celebration?!?

I think Stella began sleeping through the night between 6-8 weeks old. She was such a great sleeper until around 10 months when she started waking in the night for a bottle. Or two. Or three. Okay, so she was still growing, spurting, she must need the extra calories. Well this growing and spurting never stopped. Even during the holidays at 13 months old, she was waking 3 to 4 times a night. She would eat at least 2 bottles, sometimes more, and sometimes just waking up for a little comfort. Mommy was/is tired.

We weren't planning to cut out bottles right away. Stella's pediatrician wasn't concerned about weaning her off them right at 12 months. We slowly eliminated bottles from her day. At 13 months she was getting one bottle in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one before bed... and then 2-3 (sometimes 4!!) in the middle of the night. We eliminated the afternoon bottle, and then the bedtime bottle. We started giving her bottles with water when she woke up in the night. She'd take a few sips and go back to sleep, but she'd still wake up so it wasn't solving the problem.

Sunday I got home from a weekend away (with plenty of sleep) and put her to bed with a sippy of water in her crib ( a suggestion of my sister-in-law). Since I was well rested, I was prepared to be awake the whole night if this would start helping her sleep better. But she really surprised me. She woke up three times and each time, instead of taking her out of the crib, I just turned her over and rubbed her belly until she calmed down. She'd fall asleep within five minutes after that. We only had to do this for one night, and she's been sleeping through the night since then! (knock on wood).

So I'm loving my sleepy toddler. And she's loving her well-rested momma (I think Matt is too). Next comes the Nuk but I'm not worried about that at all yet.

13 weeks

And feeling great! Due in July.