9 weeks 6 days: Bumbo!

9 weeks, 4 days: Formation of a (mini) foodie

Today I took Devyn out to a farm for the first time to pick strawberries!

I didn't get a great photo because she was asleep with her back to the camera at the time. But she was great, and we picked about seven pints of tiny, jewel-like strawberries. It was the last of the June crop, but I think we may need to go back in August for more—not to mention pie cherries in a few weeks, raspberries in July, currents...

We may spend a lot of time on the farm.

Two Months: UPDATE!

Yesterday, whilst playing on her playmat, the inimitable Ms. Bean reached out and grabbed the ring suspended from the stuffed monkey and hung on for dear life, swinging it around and making the monkey rattle.

I would have thought it an adorable fluke, but then she did it again. Twice.

My brilliant daughter, ladies and gentlemen.

I would have gotten photos or video except I was on the phone with my sister at the time, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

Today we go get our two month jabs. Mommy is not looking forward to it.

[EDITED TO ADD:] Getting the shots wasn't nearly as traumatic as I was expecting; she cried for a few seconds, but calmed down pretty quickly, and she was very good during her exam. The doctor pronounced her in great health. She's on the small side (15th percentile for weight and 35th for height) but not anything to worry about.

AFTER the shots, however, was another story. My little one had her first fever, which got up to 100.6, and her first dose of baby Tylenol. She slept a lot and cried a lot whenever she woke up. But after the fever broke, she seemed to feel much better.


Poor little woobie.

Two Months Old

Dear Devyn,

I can't believe how much you've grown and changed in just two months—you weighed 9 pounds 4.5 ounces yesterday, up from 6 pounds, 6 ounces when you were born. I have these crazy moments when I try to remember that you were inside me, which is just insane. And I have other moments when I think I'm catching a glimpse of the person you are and are becoming. It's incredible to look backwards and forwards at both simultaneously.

I feel like I'm getting to know you more all the time, and that you are getting to know yourself, with distinct likes and dislikes. You like to listen to music with me, and kick your legs happily when I sing along to you. One of your favorites is "Mr. Sun," by Raffi. You love to play with your daddy when he makes funny faces at you. You love to be held upright so you can look around at the world. You like to lie on your play mat and smile at the toys and the bright colors. You still don't like to have your clothes changed, you don't like to ride in your car seat, and you get grumpy when it's time to go to sleep; I think it's because you don't want to fall asleep and miss anything.

Everyone comments on how alert and engaged you are, even strangers. And everyone—even strangers—comments on how beautiful you are.

Your smile is just about the most amazing thing I've ever seen. Sometimes, when I come to pick you up out of your crib, you grin at me with the biggest, goofiest toothless grin and I just have to laugh. It's a thing of pure joy. Last week, you grabbed and held onto a rattle for the first time, and actually seemed to enjoy swinging it around. Your Aunt Em suggested that we put a toy on your car seat for you to look at, and I think it really helps when we have to drive somewhere. I'm really very excited for you to start really engaging with your toys.

We had a couple of hard days when I got very frustrated, but I was never frustrated with you, only with myself because I felt like I didn't know what to do for you. But that, too, has passed, and we've settled into a pretty good routine. Part of the problem seems to be that your naps have changed from an hour and a half long to only 45 minutes long, and I was fighting it. But now that I'm going with the flow, I think we're doing better.

You sleep in your crib in your own room every night. I felt a little pang in my heart when we moved the pack and play out of our bedroom—that you were already growing up and becoming more independent, even at this tiny age. But that's exactly as it should be. You're sleeping anywhere from four to six hours at a go every night now, which is doing wonders for your parents' sanity, so thanks for that. In fact, one night this week you slept for nearly eight hours! And, you're taking almost all your naps in your crib as well. Definite progress.

Your daddy gives you a bottle every night, and I know he likes being able to help out and spend time with you. He gets better and better at putting you to sleep every day (in his defense, he doesn't have NEARLY as much opportunity to practice as I do!). Last weekend he went to his first appointment to get an old tattoo removed, and I think it shows that he loves us very, very much. (It's really gross looking; I'm thinking of taking a picture of it to show to you should you want to get a tattoo before you're 30 or so.)

Your great-grandmother Alma passed away this month. She was your Grandma Zana's stepmother, and daddy's grandmother, and I'm sure she would have adored you. Maybe one day you will get to visit her house in Florida and ask your Grandma Zana to tell you all about her.

We love you more and more every day. You continue to amaze and astound us, and I know you will keep it up just about forever!!

In the wider world this month, the largest wildfire in Arizona's history is still burning, and the smoke reached all the way to Denver; Denver elected a new mayor, Michael Hancock; the Dallas Mavericks won their first NBA title; and President Obama went to visit Puerto Rico, the first sitting president to do so since JFK, and his wife and daughters got to meet Nelson Mandela.

Love you always, sweet girl,
~your mommy

8 weeks, 3 days: Safari Hat

We bought a fold-up stroller from a lady down the street, and she threw in this adorable hat for Ms. Bean.

8 weeks, 1 day: More photos, please

I admit, I've been falling down a little taking photos lately, but we were feeling artistic/photogenic this morning, so hopefully this GLUT of photos will make up a little for the previous lack. :)

8 weeks: Stroller Club

Today, I joined a stroller club.

I don't know why, but it makes me feel a little like a cliche: the suburban mommy, traveling in a pack of other suburban mommies, each pushing a gigantic stroller with all their children in tow.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved it. Those ladies got me jogging when I haven't jogged in... I don't even know. Years. It was tough. It pushed me way beyond what I've been doing on my own. It even got me to a park I've never visited.

On the other hand, when I walked up, the two ladies who got there first were dishing about a six year old who is already wearing eight-year-old clothes and how her parents bought her a training bra because she has "fat boobies."

I kid you not.

I'm going to go back next week, for certain. The ladies I actually had a conversation with seemed extremely nice, and I loved the workout. But I have a feeling I'll need to be careful what I share, at least at first.

If reality television has taught us anything, it's that some housewives will eat you alive.

7 weeks, 4 days: Shake Rattle and Roll

I was pretty impressed with this little turn of events.

Devyn weighs 9 pounds now! The nurse at the breastfeeding group said she's growing like a weed and that we should keep doing whatever we're doing.

She's also gotten a lot more regular, which I'm chalking up to the bottle of formula each night.

Another great accomplishment: her happy baby vocabulary is growing, and we're hearing more and more as she decides to "talk" about lots of things. Very fun!

6 weeks, 6 days: Snack Time

6 weeks 6 days: Pro

If "burrito busting" were a sport, my daughter would be a pro.

6 weeks, 3 days: Gold Stars

We deserve a few gold stars for the past couple of days:

• On Friday night, we started putting Devyn to bed for the night in her crib and it has made a WORLD of difference in the quality and quantity of sleep we're all getting. Before, we were getting maybe two to three hours of sleep between feeds; now we're getting four to five hours. Hallelujah!
  
• Like bad scientists, we introduced a second variable on Friday night: Brandon has started giving Devyn a bottle of formula at around 11pm each night. It means that I can get more sleep (I can go to bed around 9 after her 8pm feed and then sleep straight through to 2 or 3am when she wants to eat again) and it seems to be helping her sleep as well. Who knows, then, if it's the sleeping in her own room or the formula that's helping her get longer sleep, but I'm getting a happier baby, so it's win/win as far as I'm concerned.
  
• Devyn pooped this morning! This is only worthy of a gold star because this time she went FIVE DAYS without a poop. That's just crazy to me, even though everyone tells me it's perfectly normal. It may be normal, but I think it makes her cranky, which makes all of us cranky.
  
• She is taking at least one nap per day in her crib now, usually the first nap of the morning. That is a great step. We'll build from there.
  
• I got my six-week checkup on Friday and was told that all is well. I have healed beautifully.

We went for a long walk this morning to the grocery store to buy milk, and on the way home, we encountered a crazy man walking his golden retriever. He made some comment about it being hot, but a dry heat (for real) and I made the mistake of saying that I'd grown up in Dallas, so dry heat was the best kind to me. Then he launched into telling me that he grew up in Chicago, that he was in the army, that he'd gladly go back but he couldn't move to well now, that he loved his country, that he thought the president was doing a pretty good job, especially since Bin Laden was killed, but that if he'd been there, he wouldn't have shot him, but rather would have killed him with karate.

All without taking a breath.

I realized that he was headed in the exact direction I wanted to go to get home, but the thought of following him, or being subjected to this ramble for another three or four blocks was daunting, so I actually walked half a block in the wrong direction after I managed to extricate myself. I saw him turn and go into the park, so I thought I was safe, but he DOUBLED BACK and met me again as I was walking past the park! This time, he told me to be careful because all the drivers were crazy around here, that he'd learned to drive in Germany, that it cost him $1500 and six hours on the Autobahn, but now he was an excellent driver, not like these kids who text and talk on the phone, because of course he has a phone, but if it rings, he pulls over and puts on his flashers if he's going to answer it, and in Germany, if you get one DUI, they take away your license.

I've got to say, it's a little wacky the people you meet in the middle of the day when you aren't going to work. I'm almost afraid to walk at that time of day ever again, in case I have to meet him again!

6 weeks: video