So Much To Be Thankful For

This was a wonderful week! I had Wed, Thu, Sat and Sun off of work. A much needed break from work, and even better - four full days at home with Lila! This was such a treat. It was wonderful to spend time playing with her, practicing to sit up, feeding Lila her first foods, cuddling her when her teething gums were hurting, making a couple of weeks worth of home made baby food (sweet potatoes, bananas and peas, oh my!), and taking my first legitimate "nap when the baby naps". It was also great to watch Lila interact with her cousins Liam and Tucker, dance with Aunt Jenny, and laugh at Great Grand Pap! Now, on Sunday night, I am feeling a little sorry for myself that I have to go back to work tomorrow morning, and send Lila back to daycare. But I should know better. First of all, Lila goes to a wonderful daycare, and she loves it and her teachers love her. Also, working is not optional for me, and we knew that when we started this whole parenthood thing. Someday, I hope it will be. I hope to have more time like this, and to continue making our family as self-sustainable as possible, and to actually have a clean house and homemade dinners each night. But right now, working is the price I pay to have Lila in our lives. And it is well worth it! So as I get started back to work, I will try to not to fall in to the diaper, feed, bathe, bed the baby, then diaper, feed, dress, take the baby to daycare the next day. I will try to spend some time sitting and playing, teaching, blowing raspberries, and enjoying sweet potatoes! And being thankful for having a job, and for all those small moments! Happy Thanksgiving!

To my 5 month old...

Dear Lila,

You are such a big girl! It has been another busy month, and I can't believe how much you have learned! The beginning of this month was a little rough with a couple of weeks of sleep regression. Joe and I tried not to pull our hair out, and reminded ourselves how lucky we had been for the previous 4 months. Luckily, it seemed to be a phase, and you are through it. You even seem to be napping a little better lately. On the weekends, you nap in your crib, and this past weekend you even put your self to sleep. I put you down sleepy buy awake, and you talked to yourself and fussed a little, then were asleep 15 minutes later. It was great! We are preparing to move you into your own room in about a month, after all our November visitors have come and gone. I think I might miss you sleeping next to me in your pack and play.
Also this month, you had your first Halloween. You dressed as a pumpkin, and had a parade at school which was hilarious. You were strapped into the front row of a six seater buggy, and you laughed your way through the one block parade lined with adoring parents. That night, we hit the neighborhood and walked around with some of your big kid friends for their first Trick or Treat, and also hung out at our block party. You slept through most of it, but were a trooper, particularly because it was raining!
The biggest news this month, is that you finally learned to roll over. We have been trying to give you lots of chances, but you hated being on your tummy so much, that we usually couldn't bear your screaming, and we helped you flip over. But then one evening (Nov. 2), I put you in your crib while I was running your bath, and I put you in on your tummy. When I returned, you were on your back smiling away! I made you do it three more times, so you would remember how to show Daddy, which you did first thing the next morning. Now there is no stopping you, you roll all over the place, reaching for toys and to look around at the people in the room.
This month will be so fun. We have Aunt Beth, Uncle AJ, Cousin Margaret, Aunt Mary, Grandma and Grandpa, Great Grandpa, Aunt Jen, Cousin Liam and Cousin Tucker coming to visit over the next few weekends. We also plan to try cereal, as we haven't had the time to try it yet! Can't wait to keep experiencing new things with you baby girl!