LOL: Video

I couldn't figure out how to video her laughing for the longest time, (because I have to tickle her to get her to do it) but this is the best I could get so far!

18 weeks, 5 days: Catching Up

Here's a BIG photo post, catching up with what I've taken over the last two weeks!


This was taken right after she got her four-month shots (notice the neon band-aids on her legs!). Poor woobie slept most of the day.

I bought her a snowsuit at a consignment sale, and I couldn't resist trying it on her. It's a little large...


Everything's cute the first time she does it! She took those puppies right off my face.


This was mostly to show the scale of the zucchini.

And this is just precious, n'est pas?

I took this at a restaurant. Brandon was trying to keep her happy while we were waiting for our check, and I thought it was funny for some reason!

I've got one more video, but it deserves its own post...

18 weeks, 2 days: Party!

We held a little "sip 'n' see" for miss Devyn Fae this weekend at our house. Just a bunch of friends, a giant bowl of sangria and some yummy nibbles. I didn't take nearly as many photos as I should have, but in my defense, I was busy hosting!

Above, you see miss Devyn in her party dress. That dress was actually purchased by her Gran in hopes that it would work for her 11-days-old photo shoot. But here's what she looked like in it then:



It was a little big.



This handsome gentleman is my friend Todd's son Max. He was so incredibly sweet. He asked first if he could give the baby a kiss, and then he wanted to hold her. Todd told me that he's a very sensitive little boy, and I could tell. I told him he would make a great babysitter in a few years.


And this is our neighbor Jane, who was thrilled to hold Devyn for the first time, as she broke her wrist around the same time Devyn was born and has been afraid to hold her until now. She wasn't sure she wanted to give anyone else a chance!

We had a really nice time. Apparently, all my friends are *GREAT* cooks and brought really yummy stuff including three kinds of dip from Todd, fresh tomato bruschetta from our neighbors Ester and Jose, Mrs. Weasley's blueberry muffins (from the official Harry Potter cookbook) by my friend Jennifer, and wild porchini mushroom spread from my friend Wendy! Brandon was the hit of the party with the under-12 set because he agreed to do a demonstration and feed his carnivorous plants on demand. And it was just really fun to have all our friends over and to see all their kids running around in the back yard. It made me envision birthday parties of the future!

17 weeks, 5 days: Good morning!

She is usually pretty excited to see me in the morning, and today was no exception. I think she was playing in her crib for nearly 10 minutes before I went in there.

Today we go get our four-month checkup and shots. I hate to ruin her good mood, but it has to be done!

Four Months Old

Dear Devyn,

As you turn four months old, here are a few things I want to remember about you at this age:

• You have dimples in your elbows.
• You love it when I sing the alphabet song, "Baby Beluga" or "Too Marvelous for Words."
• We watch Friends together most afternoons. (I know. I KNOW.)
• You've gotten so much more active, just in the last couple of weeks, grabbing for your toys and swinging them around while you crow at the top of your lungs.
• Your first laugh made me cry with joy.
• Many times when you smile at people, you'll grin a huge, toothless grin, then turn away and hide your face in my shoulder. It's almost as though you're playing at being shy or coy and it's the most adorable thing ever.
• When you're first waking up, you bury your face in my shoulder and sigh. I love it.

You are growing so incredibly fast. Today you weigh 11 pounds, 8 ounces, up from 6 pounds 6 ounces when you were born, and at the doctor last week, they told us you were 24.5 inches long—two whole feet! You rolled over for the first time this month (from your tummy to your back)—then you seemed to forget how for a few weeks—then you started rolling over again like you'd never stopped. You seem to actually like tummy time now; I think it's because it doesn't tire you out as much to hold your head up for long periods, because you're getting stronger and stronger.

You also drool like it's your job. We've had to start putting bibs on you just so you don't soak through your clothes every day. And you LOVE those bibs! You grin like mad when I put one on you and immediately bring it up to your mouth to chew on it.

Just about everything goes straight to your mouth these days. You've gotten really adept at putting your toys in your mouth, and you tend to get frustrated if something won't go to your mouth—like the toys suspended above your play gym.

We've got a pretty good daily and weekly routine down now, which, in my short experience, means it should be changing at any moment! You sleep about six hours at a time at night and then wake up to eat before sleeping another three or four hours, eating again, then sleeping another two. That's not so bad, all things considered, and your dad and I appreciate it. It's taking less time to put you to bed, too. In the beginning, we needed to bounce you for at least 15 minutes after you fell asleep to make sure you would stay asleep when we put you down; now it takes only five minutes, maybe 10, to make sure you are sound asleep.

We go to the new mom's group every Monday to hear the speakers, chat with other moms, and get you weighed. On Tuesdays we go to the farm to pick up our box of veggies, and on Wednesdays and Fridays we go to an area park somewhere and meet up with the stroller club so I can get some exercise.

You also had your first non-family-member babysitter this month! My friend Stephanie came over to watch you for a few hours while I went to interview for a job as a dining tour guide. Apparently, you gave her a bit of a hard time; fortunately, she's not holding it against you! Next weekend we're throwing a party in your honor so all our friends can come meet you. And then, the weekend after that, your Grandma and Grandpa Renner are going to come visit for Labor Day and baby sit so that we can have a night out for our anniversary. Hopefully Gran and Pop will also be able to come visit you this fall.

In the wider world this month, the stock market has been going up and down like a yo-yo after Standard and Poors downgraded the U.S. credit rating and people are worried about national debt, both here and in Europe. The 2012 presidential campaign also got underway with the first "straw poll" in Iowa for the Republicans; Michelle Bachman won. Also, the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in Washington DC opened this week, and will be dedicated this weekend on the anniversary of his "I Have A Dream" speech.

My darling Devyn, I can't even begin to put into words how amazing it is to have you in my life. I "officially" went back to work this month, writing from home for Yellow Scene and doing some projects on the side for other companies. Before you came along, I was worried that I wouldn't take well to being a stay-at-home mom; I worried that I would get bored or depressed because I wasn't out working, busy doing something outside the house, interacting with other grown ups.

I couldn't have been more wrong. In the first place, you are anything but boring! You keep me on my toes every single day. I never want to "get away" from you, and I miss you every time I am away from you. There is always plenty of work to be done around the house (sometimes it gets done, sometimes not so much!). And when I do need adult interaction, it isn't hard to find; going to our mom/baby groups has been wonderfully helpful, and because of your amazing father, I've still been able to see my friends, go to my writing group, and do all the grown up things I want to do to help keep me balanced and happy to be home with you.

You really are the center of my life, in ways I could never have imagined before you got here. I know (from experience now!) that you won't be able to truly understand this until you have your own kids, but I'm going to keep trying to show you how happy you make me every day.

All my love,
~Mommy

17 weeks old: LOL!

Devyn laughed today.

It made me a lot more emotional than I expected.

16 weeks, 4 days: Scoot

I think I mentioned before that Devyn had learned how to scoot. It's only a matter of time before I find her half way across the room, I think!

In other news, we are headed to the doctor this afternoon because Dev has been pulling on her left ear. She doesn't have any other symptoms, but everyone tells me that ear infections can move fast, so I'm not taking any chances.

Comments

Now that commenting should be open to everyone, I also wanted to let you know that eventually, I intend to turn this blog into a book for Devyn, detailing her first year (and maybe beyond) and that comments will definitely be a part of that book.

So, if you'd ever like to write a comment and address it to Devyn, please feel free! She will get to read them eventually.

15 weeks, 5 days: Frustration

I moved Devyn's play gym downstairs this week so she would have more to play with while I work at the computer, but today she is EXTREMELY frustrated that, while she can grab the elephant with the rings and swing it around with ease, she cannot get that darned elephant to her mouth.

Back to the Future: Dallas Posts

Hey there! Just wanted to let everyone know that I have *finally* blogged our trip to Dallas. I backdated the posts so everything will be in the right order, but here are links to the posts—or you can just scroll down to read and then click "older posts."

Enjoy!


Part 1, Grandparents

Part 2, Swimming!

Part 3, Family

15 weeks, 3 days: "And the little one said, 'Roll over!'"

15 weeks, 3 days: That Sqwish is Delish!

The Sqwish is Devyn's favorite toy at the moment, followed at a close second by Sophie the Giraffe.

P.S. Everyone should be able to comment now, I hope!

14 weeks, 6 days: Gorgeous Girl

DSC06639, a photo by LacyLu42 on Flickr.

Sometimes, I just get a good one, don't I?

14 weeks, 5 days: Goo

14 weeks, 3 days: Ready to Roll

Devyn is so close to being able to roll over! She can get her shoulders turned to the side, but she hasn't figured out what to do with her hips yet.

Other things she is doing now:

• She can bring both her hands together and then bring them or an object she's holding to her face.
• She can reach for objects.
• She can sit in her bumbo.
• She is starting to make consonant sounds.
• She can make raspberry sounds.

So proud of my little dumpling!