October 14, 2012 - Oh Happy Daze

Happy Two Months of Life!

Our sweet Charlotte is two months old on Thursday. Time is moving impossibly fast – It’s both exciting and heart breaking all at the same time. As thrilled as I am to see who she will grow to be as she achieves each new milestone I almost can’t bear to see her change anymore. I love who she is right now in this moment so much. But I am comforted with the fact that I have been able to take oodles of photos and video snippets of her over the past 2 months. I know I won’t always have that luxury (yay for maternity leave and for her being our first born!). Now, on to the official documentation of the past month!

At two months Charlotte..

Weighs …. who knows?! It is at least more than the 8 lbs. 4 oz. that she weighed at her 1 month appointment. We will know the details after her 2 month appointment in a few days – stay tuned!
Is starting to gain some ‘chunk’ and is filling out her newborn clothing really well.
Is still a snuggle bug and likes to nestle into your neck for a snooze.
Sometimes cries when she wakes up from her naps (as if she is scared and doesn’t know what’s going on… breaks my heart to see her little eyes well up with tears).
Is not yet loving tummy time. At her one month checkup the pediatrician noticed her head tilting to her right side and since then I’ve noticed that she doesn’t seem to want to turn her head to look to the right all the time – Commence exercises recommended by my PT friends who report that this is most likely due to the reflux.
Is not a peaceful eater. She grunts, she cries, she pinches and punches at mommy… it’s quite dramatic, to say the least, but probably relates to the reflux as well. I haven’t really tried yet but I don’t think I could discretely nurse her in public … there’s no hiding the flailing piranha under a nursing cover and with all the grunting people might think I’m smuggling a baby piglet under my shirt. We’ve gotten by so far with carefully timed nursing before we venture out of the house and with bottles of expressed milk.
Has actually completed several car rides without a single whimper, though the tearful car rides are still prevalent.
Really loves diaper changing time. I don’t know if it’s the time of day because she’s so alert, the pictures and mirror I have hanging on the wall over the dresser, or that we are helping her get out of a soggy diaper that she loathes… but whatever it is she loves to laugh and talk and wiggle about while we discuss the plan for the day and which adorable outfit she will show off.
Has really found her voice and already has an arsenal of sounds (which her speech therapist mommy is SO proud of) – she cries, laughs, squeals, coos and shouts and she definitely uses them differentially and with purpose – We love seeing her personality emerging.

Less than a month left of my maternity leave. Dagger.

Dishes and laundry can wait. I’m going to spend these next few weeks snuggling with my baby.

Priorities. I’m just sayin’.

October 7, 2012 - Oh Happy Daze

Anniversary photo + baby-less date

Things have been a little busy around here, what with the baby and all. Last year I decided to start a tradition of taking a photo of Chris and I each year to commemorate ‘us’ on our anniversary. I am excited to be able to look back one day on the many photos and see how we, as husband and wife, have evolved over the years.

Chris had a great idea to add Charlotte to this year’s photo; unfortunately her empty tummy had plans for sabotage. She was not a happy camper.

Weekdays are always pretty busy so we decided to wait until the weekend to celebrate our two married years together. My parents offered to watch Charlotte for us on Saturday. This was the first time that I had been away from Charlotte for longer than an hour (and I had only been away from her once before this for a doctors appointment) – boy was it difficult not to call every second.

Neither of us had been to the beach all summer (tragic, I know) and that is really all I wanted to do – Lay out in the sun! I can always tell when I haven’t had enough sunshine in my life. Chris and I didn’t even put on our bathing suits because we didn’t have much time so I’m sure we looked like tourists laying on the beach, looking at clouds and airplanes as they passed by, but it was glorious! There’s nothing like the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. After our beach date we grabbed some BBQ and then headed home. Nothing spectacular, but still a fun adventure.

Then I zipped back to my parents house to pick up Charlotte who had a blast at Papa and Honey’s farm. She didn’t miss me nearly as much as I missed her.

And I’m embarrassed to admit, being away from her really put me in an uptight, edgy mood – though I didn’t realize it until later. Do you ever have those days when you and your spouse just aren’t on the same page? I definitely wasn’t playing on Team Baker today, which is unfortunate, because this was our chance to really reconnect – our first time without Charlotte interrupting a meal, a conversation, sleep, etc. Though of course we don’t mind those little interruptions, I just know it’s important us to make time for, well, US!

Oh well, tomorrow is another day. Another chance to try again to be loving, joyful, a peacemaker, patient, kind, good, gentle, faithful, and exhibit self control when it comes to my relationship with my hubby. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Goooooooo Team Baker!

October 2, 2012 - Oh Happy Daze

Happy anniversary to us!

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband – I can’t believe that our perfect day was two years ago! I am so glad I made photography a priority when I was planning our wedding. I love looking at our pictures – they perfectly capture that day. If you’re looking for a fabulous photography team in Southeastern Virginia check out Andi Grant Photography.

Just so you can walk down memory lane with me…

Yay, ok thanks for re-visiting our wedding day with me. If you want to see more my mom blogged about it in detail here. I remember blogging about it as well, but I can’t for the life of me find the post! Maybe it was a dream?!

Think it’s too soon for a second honeymoon? Chris and I talk about how much we loved Kauai at least once a week (made possible by my generous in-laws). So much fun!

For our first anniversary (last year) we took a photo in front of the same ‘arch-thing’ from our wedding. My dad built it by the way… unbelievable! I wish there was some way to preserve it better but it is kind of giant. Not really any good place to keep it besides outside in my parents back, back, back yard. That’s why photos are so important!!!

We will have to wait until this weekend to take our “two” photo… you know, logistics have changed with toting a baby around and everything.

I can’t wait to see what God has in store for our family over the next years.

September 29, 2012 - Oh Happy Daze

Attempted ‘photo-shoot’ with cousins.

Last week my sister and I took our kiddos to the park (that sounds so strange….our kiddos…. gah, I HAVE A CHILD!). Anyway, we thought it would be fun to try and get a few photos of the cousins together. It was…. difficult, to say the least. Trying to convince a 5 year old, an almost three year old, and a newborn to maintain happy faces and keep them wrangled together in one spot when the glory of the playground swings were calling to them turned out to be pretty much impossible. We did manage to get a few cute ones… and if nothing else, documented ‘life’.