a little bit of change

So, I have been re-vamping our blog a little bit because I discovered that you can actually get your blog printed into a book! I am super excited to find out about this! I still plan on making Maya her own scrapbooks, but don't feel as much pressure to make a separate scrapbook for us...that is the thought at this moment in time anyways...a little sneak peak of what we did last week...more to come on this fun trip to the beach!

A busy week in the life of an 11 week old

Papa came to visit while in town for some more orientation for his new job. It is so awesome that his new company is based out of South San Francisco! We get to see him more and he gets to see how quickly Maya is growing up! She is more content these days, just happy to be held by anyone who is willing to give her some loves! She received a mini purse from my aunt Darla! It would be perfect to put a little pacifier inside, that is if she actually liked her pacifier....

She loves to sit on the couch like a big girl, and when she does she kicks and kicks her little legs. She must have places to go and people to see! Her vision must be improving because she totally engages the tv now...she gets entranced by all the colors and the quick movements! I have been thinking that maybe we should get some of those baby einstein videos for her to watch. But sometimes I think those videos are overrated....

Grammy and Papa gave Maya her own little Tiny Bear's Bible as a dedication present. J and I gave our little niece Kenady the same bible as her baptism present last August. It is the cutest thing I have seen...it is soft and fluffy on the outside and the bible stories inside all rhyme. We have started reading to her and she loves looking at the different pages in her books. It will be so much fun when she gets older, because I am sure it will become one of her favorites since it is so soft and cuddly!

Her fine motor control in her hands is getting better and better as each day passes. We will put things in her hands and she actually holds onto them now! She hasn't quite figured out that they are actually in her hands, but it is neat to see her holding things now. I am starting to realize that she may become a thumb-sucker since she very purposefully has her hands in her mouth ALL THE TIME!

Baths these days are SO much fun! She LOVES it! She just smiles and smiles. Pretty soon she is going to be bigger than her little bathtub, that didn't look so little when she was just a wee newborn. And her swing is one of MY personal favorites. She can really entertain herself for some time now! She loves to look up at the mirror and the butterflies moving around above her. She just recently discovered activity tray and she just kicks and plays. She tries to sit forward because she is strong like that! Then, eventually she wears herself out and after about a five minute fussy period she puts herself to sleep. When she sleeps in her swing she tries to lay her head forward, so we always end up putting a blanket in front her between her and the activity bar. She usually falls asleep in the afternoon for a good 2 hour nap, which is the longest she naps for during the day. Otherwise, she normally takes quick cat naps lasting anywhere from 20-45 minutes. I would say altogether she is a pretty happy baby. J gave her the "high maintenance" label about a month ago...but I tend to disagree. She knows what she likes: to be held, nursed and entertained. What baby doesn't?!?! We still have on average 2 outfit changes in a day because she is just so good at "cleaning out the pipes." I have never used so much SHOUT! in my life!

She just recently started doing this thing where she puts her hands behind her head and it is the most adorable thing ever! We got home from a walk, and we always lay her down on the ottoman to take off her warm clothes, hat, mitties, etc and she was just relaxing with her hands behind her head...so I had to capture her cuteness. Let me just say that this week alone I had over 200 photos! Her life is definitely well documented! There is just something about being a parent and watching a part of you grow into a little person, with their own personality that you just can't get enough. When I post I always think to myself..."go easy on the number of pictures this time" but it is so hard! Each little expression is different and I want to share them ALL! She loves her hands so much that she started sharing them with us! She will reach for our faces and we try to "eat" her hands like she does and she just watches and smiles.

She definitely knows our faces and our voices and will watch either of us from afar. If one of us leaves the room and comes back in and starts talking, she will stop whatever she is doing and look to find us! It is pretty precious. We still haven't given up on trying to introduce the pacifier. And J learned this neat trick...her little thumb fits perfectly insde the pacifier....so one night we devised this plan of putting her thumb inside it so when she put her hands up to her mouth, she would get the pacifier instead....well you can see how well that worked! She is one smart cookie! So it is still a no-go for now. Whew...finally caught up! She turned 3 months as I was compiling this blog...oh where has the time gone?

Hands, fingers, toes and an 80's outfit @ 10 weeks

This girl is LOVING her hands! She still refuses to take a pacifier and prefers her little salty digits instead. She will put all four fingers in her mouth until she gags herself......and then she does it again! We also discovered our love of bonnets! She just looks so darn cute and delicate in them, and they serve a purpose as well...so it is win-win!

We scored on some new clothes from cousin Kenady when we were back to Iowa, and in the box we found tiny little sandals! they showcase her tiny little tootsies perfectly. Every once in awhile I remind J to take some pictures of my girl and I (usually only when I have gotten myself ready for the day) :)

This girl is getting more control every single day. She loves to sit up like a big girl in her bumbo seat (don't worry we never leave her alone in it). She has also been modeling some of the clothes I wore when I was an infant. My mom definitely made sure I was a stylin little girl as well! It is so fun to see her in something I wore when I was her size....isn't life truly a miracle? The fact that we all start out as tiny single cells that multiply and replicate into a tiny human being. As my mom said to me, "you grew lungs inside of you Jenna!" It truly is an amazing experience to watch your baby grow, knowing that life itself is a miracle! God is so GOOD!

So, all of my recent posts I have not done any editing to my pictures. It is an added step that I haven't taken the time to do. I am feeling more and more confident with my photography skills (even if I have to custom set the white balance every single time). I have a blank white sheet of paper in almost every room in our tiny apartment!

This week on our walk to Golden Gate we saw something really interesting! You see, Golden Gate houses many many different attractions like: a flower conservatory, the De Young museum, a Japanese Tea Garden/House, and a Science Center (just to name a few). Apparently they were hosting something interesting this week...EXTREME MAMMALS!

Lastly, a picture capturing "our little burrito" fast asleep. And, yes that is our bed....caught red-handed on that one. She is still sleeping in the bassinet portion of her pack-n-play in our room for the first stretch of her sleep usually from 11 pm-6 or 7 am (if I am lucky). But, since I have never been known to be an early riser I bring her to bed and nurse her there just to "rest my eyes" for a little bit longer. Then I usually sneak out and pump after she is fast asleep with a full tummy. I have started to build a supply since that dreaded day is approaching.

P.S. Her hair is starting to finally grow in in the front! looking back at her baby pics, she did end up losing quite a bit of hair after birth, but it is fun to see that it is starting to grow back in! Despite my attempts of avoiding the "baby bald spot" in the back, she definitely has one. I am not sure how she managed to get one because I try to be really good about changing her position...but one thing we noticed is that when we put her to be at night she likes to move her head side-to-side to nestle herself into a comfortable position for the remainder of the night. So, if it takes her getting a little bald spot to allow her to sleep for 7-8 hour stretches I can't complain!

a Kenady look-a-like