Best Gift Ever.

Back in the Saddle

My three month maternity leave is quickly coming to an end. What a wonderful fall this has been! Everyone has told me to soak up this time, because I will never have just one baby again. And soak I have. Sappy and sentimental thoughts about my daughter to come in her three month update post in a couple days...

...in the meantime, my thoughts have turned to work and what opportunities I will pursue once the holidays are over.

Wanted to share my first post-baby freelance client - Habitat for Hope. An amazing organization run by wonderful people with huge hearts...I am beyond thrilled to join them in spreading their message of hope.

Ever since my time at Caris, I have been compelled by the fact that image is everything (regardless of whether we want that to be the case, it's true), and there are so many non-profits who deserve to have a great image, but are limited by resources on many levels.

Can't wait to share more about my experience with Habitat for Hope and the folks down in Memphis...really looking forward to working with them!

Big and Bigger

Something must have been in the water around this time last year...families in three of four houses in a row on our street had baby girls within two weeks of each other! It has been so much fun getting to know the other moms better, and great to have people to take walks with, have play dates with and compare notes!

Jacqueline and Charlotte came over one afternoon last week. We enjoyed the company very much. The girls are already very curious about each other.

Hard to tell from the picture, but both of them were going to town sucking their hands at the same time. It was so cute.

Oops! That didn't work so well!

That's better.

Maggie was very skeptical about this whole holding hands thing, but humored us, anyways.

BFF's

Rollin, rollin, rollin!

I can't even get the camera out fast enough once I put her on her stomach. Oh boy...here we go...

Auntie Rachel

I was delighted to introduce Maggie to Rachel this weekend. It was a wonderful weekend, complete with shopping, movies, A White Christmas, hot chocolate and of course, lots and lots of cuddles and coos.

Thanksgiving...why did this take me so long??

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family...even with a slight set back of pink eye the day before. It was made even better by the fact we did not have to travel, due to my parents' recent relocation to Glen Ellyn! The only thing missing was my sister and her new husband.

Wonder of the Season

Maggie's already in awe of the magic and beauty of Christmas!

Thankful isn't quite the right word...

I have about 100 of these same pictures on my phone.


They probably don't look like anything special to anyone else, but it's one of my favorite views of the baby, down in my arms.

Last night as I was rocking Maggie after the 4th time of getting out of bed within an hour (not complaining, just setting the scene), I looked down at her. It was so dark and so quiet and a picture could never really capture the moment I had with her right then...there is just something absolutely inexplicable about holding this tiny little person in your arms. And when she goes from squirming and wriggling and tensing to suddenly relaxed and peaceful and snuggled so perfectly in the crook of your arm, all of the sudden you forget that it's midnight and you've been out of bed 4 times and you just think that you could sit in that rocker all night and hold her. It made me think back to our first few weeks together...to the days when we would literally spend all day on the couch because I didn't want to stop holding her.

They may look like wasted pictures on my phone, but I know that someday when she's 5...then 12...then 17...I'll look back at them and remember those perfect moments that I had holding her in my arms.

...I'm not sure what the right word is...but I know the feeling exactly.

It's a Wrap!

The Moby wrap is by far both mine and Maggie's favorite carrier. I borrowed one from a friend a few weeks ago, and it's only about a million times better than my sling. Now, thanks to craigslist, I now have my own! Yesterday I decided to test Maggie's reaction to the vacuum. No response. I ended up cleaning and rearranging my whole living room while the Magster slept in the wrap. No, I was not paid for this endorsement.

Baby vs. Grinch - Two Months

Can you believe how much she's changed in one month?

Two Months-ish

Can someone please clarify for me how to determine my daughter's age? Is it at the 4 week mark, or is it determined by her birth date? Either way, this post is a bit late. And depending on how you determine age, she is either 9 weeks and 3 days or 2 months and 5 days. Take your pick.

I cannot get over how much Maggie has changed in the last month. It's amazing. Every day, every week, she is a different baby. I can't wait to see what she will do one day to the next.

In the past month she's:
- Taken her first TWO roadtrips - to Memphis and to Cleveland
- Graduated to the next diaper size
- Started following things with her eyes
- Smiling more and more and more
- Added more play/exercise to her daily routine
- Developed a double chin, cheeks and thigh and wrist rolls
- Outgrown some of her newborn clothes, and is fitting better into her 0-3 month ones
- Slept through the night

Her eyes continue to get darker and darker...I think she's headed for brown, or my hazel. She was 10 lbs, 4 oz at the doctor this week (35th percentile), and is in the 66th percentile for height!

I'm looking forward to celebrating her first big holidays in the next month...what a special time!

Nap Heaven

Karate Kid

Little Maggie-San. This girl loves to kick!

Thanks, Great Grandma Alice!!

Baby Jeans

Baby jeans have to be the cutest apparel item EVER. And we are so happy to finally be (almost) fitting into ours! Yep - 8 weeks on Saturday and 0-3 month clothes are at last an option. (although I am a bit sad to start saying goodbye to the teeny tiny newborn clothes...)

Think They'll Miss Us?

Well, Maggie at least. :)

Make New Friends, but Keep the Old...

I met up with a dear childhood friend today. We literally have not seen each other in about 14 years! My, how much had changed since then! I wish I had a picture to post of what we looked like in 4th grade, but unfortunately my mom's house is full of boxes right now...
Me, Maggie, Ellie, Amy and Maddie (Ellie couldn't keep her eyes off the baby, and Maddie couldn't sit still...so cute!)

Quiddich

Last night I learned a new game. And I trounced my teachers soundly.

So Happy (Both of them!)

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

Everything is more fun at Grandpa and Grammy Muggs' house!

Best Part of My Day

Come On Down to Clevelandtown Everyone

Due to a heavy week of traveling for Gary, Mags and I are hanging out in Cleveland for the week.
With Grandpa.

Three generations of Sunday afternoon nappers.

Playing Train to Mexico.

Maggie is already an expert!

Just Hangin Out

Starting to Smile

My new brother-in-law called it! And she did it perfectly on cue for her first photo with Ellery.

Happy Halloween!

The original vision was a lamb, but after seeing it, my sister sent me a picture of the movie poster for Where the Wild Things Are, and now that's all I can see. I must say, a "wild thing" is probably more appropriate than a "lamb."

M&C - Two Peas in a Pod

One Pea is just a little bigger than the other. :)