libby's three month photos

Friday Sarah and I took Libby for her second photo shoot. On Katie's advice, we took the first appointment of the day. Being the day after Thanksgiving we were worried about finding a parking place and about a photo studio full of crazy kids and parents. When we got there (30 minutes before they even opened) we were lucky on both accounts. We walked in as soon as they opened and started taking photos right away. By the time we left, the place was packed with families dressed in their holiday best waiting for their turn. Below are a few of our favorite shots, and more are available in our Mobile Me Gallery. Enjoy!

thankful

As we sat down to another delicious Thanksgiving dinner today, I realized that in thirty years I can't remember a time when I've felt more thankful. I have a wife who is beautiful in every way that a person can be. I have a daughter who manages to make me fall deeper in love with her every day. We have a home that is warm and safe and perfect for us. We have successful and rewarding careers that we not only enjoy (for the most part) but they provide us with a very comfortable life. We have family and friends that love us unconditionally and that we love back just as much. And in the world we live in today, I don't know what more I could ask for.
Happy, happy, happy Thanksgiving...

working from home

My office is only open a half day today, so Libby and I decided to work from home. She kept me company during breakfast this morning in her Bumbo seat. As you can see, she was a very nice dining companion. Katie sent the red booties home with her yesterday because she said she liked looking at them while she sat in her Bumbo. I just stuck them on her toes, but she did seem to like the bright color.

We have a nice long holiday weekend on tap. Uncle Seth is coming down today to visit us and to bag up our leaves. Tomorrow we're going to Gran's and Nonny's for Thanksgiving. And Grandma Whitman is coming to visit on Friday. We're hoping to get our Christmas tree this weekend, so stay tuned for lots of pictures. Happy Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be grateful for this year--more than ever!

great gran!

Since Kevin was traveling Tuesday and Wednesday, and Libby has been pretty fussy in the evening, my maternal grandma, Gran, came to stay with us girls for a few days. It was such a tremendous help to have her around and we really enjoyed our time alone with her. Usually when we see her there's a big family gathering and we don't get much one-on-one time. And she hadn't seen her little Libby is several weeks, so she was itching for a fix! I think Gran especially enjoyed helping with Libby's bath (I told Libby that Gran used to give Mommy and Aunt Katie baths too!). As I was getting Libby ready to get in her tub, Gran was talking to her and laughing, then Libby started laughing for the first time! It was such a cute little throaty guffaw. Daddy got her laughing again last night, and I can't wait to hear more of that sweet little sound. She's also all smiles these days. Last Friday, I came home briefly from work before heading out again for some take-out dinner. Kevin was holding her facing outward as I chattered and put my things away. Then I looked at her and realized she was just beaming at me as if to say, "Mommy, you're home!"

As you can see, Libby is growing and changing fast. She's sooo close to rolling over from her back to her tummy. I'm hoping she does it when Kevin and I are both home and watching. She's also making more and more noises as she talks to her toys. And she's started batting at them too.

We're looking forward to the weekend and a short work week without travel. Wish us luck catching up on sleep (Mommy's averaging 4 to 5 hours a night this week) and that Kevin's wicked cold is better soon.

our big week

As you know, I returned to work last week, and Libby started daycare with Aunt Katie. All in all it was a successful week. I managed to get both Libby and myself where we needed to go on time each day and to pump three bottles of milk a day so that we don't need to supplement with formula, which were the things I was most worried about. I feel settled at work now and enjoyed seeing my co-workers again. And Libby seems to be doing great with Aunt Katie. Katie keeps a detailed record of Libby's day, and she sent us photos of her twice last week. She's giving her lots of good playtime and love. And it's nice to have someone else (who's already a mom) to weigh in on her care. I like seeing Casey every day too. All three of them wave to me from the window as I leave each day. Sometimes it seems too good to be true that I lucked into such a great daycare situation. There's nowhere else I'd rather have her staying if she can't be home with me.

It does stink to get up at 6 a.m. and not get to work until 9 a.m! But that's the drill by the time I eat breakfast, give Kenzie his pill, get myself ready, feed Libby, get Libby ready, pack her bottles/my pump/my lunch/her diaper bag/my purse, take Gilmore out, put our coats on, load her in the car, take her to Katie's and drive to work. I'm ready for a second breakfast and a nap by the time I get to the office!

Libby has been kind of cranky in the evening. We think she might have a bellyache from taking bottles during the day and/or taking her vitamins, which she just started this week. (They recommend that breastfed babies get vitamin D supplements now.) Or she might just be adjusting to her new routine. Really, she just wants to be held all evening, which isn't too hard to accommodate when Kevin is home, but it was really challenging Tuesday night when he was out of town. I'd LOVE to just sit and hold her all night, but I have to find time to eat dinner, take care of pets, wash bottles, etc. And it's been taking several attempts to get her to bed. Last night we started our bedtime routine at 9:30 and she finally fell asleep at midnight. Luckily she slept until 7 a.m. after that, which she's done three times in the past week. It's just really frustrating when she's sound asleep, and just as I start to drift off she wakes up crying. Kevin tries to help, but often the only thing that calms her down is to nurse a little more. I'm hoping this phase will pass as she settles into a new routine. And, needless to say, I'm not looking forward to all of Kevin's upcoming travel. I don't want him to feel guilty, but rather, want him to know how much we appreciate having him here to help in the evenings!

All in all, though, things are good. I'm happy we survived the first week and that we have some very short weeks to look forward to during the holidays. And I'm very thankful for my Mondays off!

good stuff

I saw this online today and thought it was so appropriate for Libby's first day of daycare with Aunt Katie. It's a good reminder to stay focused on what's most important now that so many other things will be competing with Libby for my attention. It also brought a few tears to my eyes.

"Try to feel honored, rather than burdened, by your baby needing you so much and needing so much of you. He/she is probably the only person in the world who will ever love you 100% without criticism or reservation. Arrange to enjoy his/her company whenever you can and don't let even the first murmurs of jealousy set up stresses between you and whoever cares for him/her when you can't. He/she is probably the only person in the world who always wants to be with you. He/she would never prefer anyone else although they'll accept loving care wherever it can be found. Make him/her feel good and let him/her make you feel good, too. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose."

tiny bubbles

I know this is a little overdue, but I finally found time today to finish up Libby's first bath video. It's actually a two parter, but I only have the first one complete.
Sarah went back to work today and Libby and I get to hang out all day because I didn't have to go to work. Oh, Happy Veteran's Day to all the Vets we know and love. Thank you!!!

all good things …

… must come to an end.

Today is my last day of maternity leave. Tomorrow I start back to work 30 hours a week. I'll work 4 days a week, Tuesday through Friday, and Thursday will be a 6-hour day so I can leave early and get our weekly grocery shopping done.

I'm pretty sad about ending my gig as a stay-at-home-mom, but I'm trying to think of it as less of an end and more of a change. I feel blessed that I'll still have Mondays with my girl, and I have zero anxiety about taking her to "daycare" since she'll be in the very capable and loving hands of her Aunt Katie. I'm just bummed that I won't be able to spend each day with her and that I'll only have a few hours with her in the evenings on those days when I am working. I am looking forward to seeing my co-workers on a regular basis again, though. They're such dear friends and I've missed them. I haven't missed all the outside stresses that the working world brings, though.

I'm going to continue to breastfeed—my goal is to stick with it for year—so I'll also have to pump bottles of milk twice a day while I'm at work. Little Libs is worth it, though! And Kevin is starting a 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. schedule this week, so he'll be able to pick to Libby up and spend some time with her before I get home each day. Unfortunately, he's going to be traveling a lot between now and Christmas, so Libby and I will be going it alone some days, and I know we'll both miss him very much. Tomorrow he's off for Veteran's Day, though, so he'll get to spend the whole day with his favorite girl. Please wish all of us (Aunt Katie, too) luck with this big, new transition!

bathing beauty

I took some super cute photos of Libby's bath a few weeks ago and thought I'd share them. You can see more in the "libby month two" section of our mobile me gallery.

I also thought I'd take a minute to explain her bathtub since we get so many questions about it. Yes, it's like a bucket, but it has a few features that make it more comfortable than sitting in a bucket. It has a foam contoured bottom for her to sit on. It has a handle that makes the water easy to dump. And it has curved edges that are comfy for her head. She loves being submerged in the water for her baths as you can see in the photos (the idea is that it's similar to being in the womb). She can support herself and likes to push up with her legs to a semi-standing position when she's in it. The only complaint I have with it is that it's hard to clean all the little creases in her thighs when she's sitting on her bottom, but we just hit those spots again with a washcloth when she gets out of the tub.

It's called the Prince Lionheart Wash Pod, and you can learn more about it here.

halloween

Unfortunately, little Libby didn't react well to her shots, and we had to cancel our Halloween plans. She had decided to be a black cat, and I had even washed her costume. It's hanging sadly in her room, unworn. :-(

We had planned to stop by to see Maddie and Sydney, then Casey, then Gus. Afterward we were going to hang out at Doug and Sue's. When Libby woke up from a nap around 4:00, she was hysterical, and it took her a good hour to settle down. She felt warm, and she was acting hungry, but wouldn't nurse. She's never been inconsolable, and she never refuses to nurse. We gave her more Tylenol, and she eventually ate and seemed to feel better, but we didn't want to press our luck. So we just stayed home and cuddled her all evening while she slept. She was still a little fussy on and off, which is uncharacteristic.

We ended up having a fun evening, though. Liz came to visit from Indianapolis and spent the night with. She and Kevin went and bought some candy for trick or treaters when we decided to stay home and picked up some Thai food and sushi. We just hung out all night and watched movies and TV, and made Halloween goodies like caramel apples and peanut caramel cereal treats.

Libby slept well last night and seems more herself today. It was sad to miss out on our Halloween adventures, but we're glad our little kitten is feeling better today.