Boo!

Thanks for my new outfit Grandma!  I love it.  The polka dot pants are fascinating!

Isn't She Lovely...

We have called in reinforcements in the ongoing battle of Baby versus Bottle.  Aunt Elaine has joined ranks and came over today for an attempt.  Everyone says mommy can rarely get baby to take a bottle since Mommy has the real thing and babies can smell it...or maybe it's fear they smell.  At any rate, we had some mild success.  Baby woke up after a 5 hour stretch and did no go ballistic when Elaine tried to feed her.  She ate about an ounce. Well, let's just say an ounce was missing from the bottle...whether or not it went in her belly or down her shirt is debatable.  But she didn't get mad at the bottle so we consider that progress.  Elaine is very patient and great with baby so if we keep it up, surely Sarah Beth will be bottle savvy in 3 weeks when Mommy has to (gulp) go back w-o-r-k.  Ugh, but let's not talk about such unpleasantries. 

After the Battle of Bottlesburg this morning, we had some excellent tummy time and of course the requisite Singing and Dancing Mommy Revue.  Today's selection was old school Motown.  I believe she loves Stevie Wonder...that's my girl!  Then the paparazzi accosted her...

I swear she has the cutest smile ever but I have yet to catch it.  As soon as I pull out the camera she gets quite serious.  I'll have to get sneaky and take some when Daddy gets home.  Daddy gets the BIGGEST smiles of course.  Never mind that Mommy toils away 24/7 to keep our little one fed, clean, happy and well-rested.  Daddy shows up and it's like the second coming of Elvis.  What gives, baby?

Speaking of pictures...I added a link to the left side of the blog page to our shutterfly site.  I'll load photos to that site and grandparents and other interested parties can order wallet size to poster size pics of our little Cover Girl.  Ain't the internet great?

Sarah Beth's New Friend

Sarah Beth had her first playdate last night.  How exciting!  Our friends Linda and Clay came over for dinner with their sweet little girl Kate.  Kate is 6 months old, cute as a button and all personality. 

Here's Miss Kate - isn't she a doll?

Sarah Beth couldn't quite figure out who this other baby was...

Kate was very happy to meet Sarah Beth, however.

And she thought Sarah Beth's shoes were just fabulous!

Hopefully they'll be best of friends!

Dress Up

Grandma's here.  That means we are playing dress-up.

Check out my socks...

And this silly flower thing. How do I look?

Kurt's at a Sleepover

Sarah Beth getting sassy with Grandma

Another fabulous day with babycakes here.  Grandma is visiting this weekend to get her baby fix but also because Kurt is spending the night away from home as a chaperone at a church retreat for the 8th grade confirmation candidates.  Let me repeat that: Kurt is spending the night as a chaperone at church for 8th graders.  Yes if this isn't the final nail in the coffin of his rock n' roll lifestyle, then I don't know what is.  I kid.  If you know Kurt, you'll know the real challenge for him will be staying awake past midnight.  I hope he's having a good time right now and the kids aren't too hard on him.  We haven't had much experience with kids that age since we were kids that age, with the possible exception of my 12 year old niece.  But she has the maturity and sophistication of a 25 year old most of the time so she doesn't really count.   This all came about because we just joined our church recently, and they asked us if we would be interested in helping with the confirmation class this year.  So, in addition to the overnight retreat, we'll be helping out every Sunday evening for the next few months.  I'm a little nervous since, having grown up Catholic, I'm not exactly well versed in Bible study or the Presbyterian religion, but hey, I can wing it.  Kurt at least has some Presbyterianism (is that a word?) under his belt from his youth, so hopefully we'll be good role models.  Kind of embarassing that I have to cram ahead of time to learn the bible verses that we'll focus on each week.  I guess I'll be learning a lot myself in this class. 
So I anxiously await word from my chaperoning husband - can't wait to hear the details of his sleepover.  He better not fall asleep first or they'll put shaving cream in his hand and tickle his nose...sploosh.

One more pic...

Just took this one.  Had to share...love love love her!

It's that time of year again...

http://www.festivalinthepark.org/

Yay!  Festival in the Park starts today!  I love festivals.  And this one is at my favorite place in Charlotte, Freedom Park, which makes it even better.  There are great artists that come here to sell their wares - we've found cool pottery and jewelry here, and the photographers and artists always have great framed artwork.  It's the same stuff you'd find at a snooty art gallery but way cheaper and all the money goes right to the artist. If you're in Charlotte this weekend, don't miss it!  We're going to go at some point if we can figure out the logistics.  I can't imagine pushing a stroller through the crowds so we'll have to strap on the Baby Bjorn and see how that goes.  If you haven't seen a Baby Bjorn, it looks like a straight jacket with a baby lashed to your chest.  I've tried it once and maybe I'm too small for it but I had straps hanging down everywhere.  Kurt looks a little more stylish wearing it.  We'll see how baby enjoys it.  I'm guessing not so much but you never know.  She's usually fairly accomodating.

Before I go tend to my baby, I had to post a picture of the cute baby gift my Aunt Susan sent from CA...

Cute little trio of pink flowerpots filled with flowery hairband clips and socks for baby...too cute.  There is no denying that this is my Mom's sister because the flowery accessories and socks are made by the same company that made the purple cabbage hat my Mom bought her weeks ago.  How funny. 

And finally, here's a shot of our baby playing with her mirror.  She looooves looking at herself in the mirror and even looking at pictures of herself.  She thinks she's awfully cute.  Can't say we disagree!

Children Will Listen

It's interesting how being a mom changes everything - even songs you've heard dozens of times before have new meaning.  Today we were listening to my Pandora "show tunes" station as I was performing my daily Broadway Revue for Sarah Beth.  If you're ever having a bad day, come peek in my kitchen window around 1-3 PM and you can catch the show.  Quite entertaining, singing, dancing, etc.  I'm sure I look like a total idiot but it keeps her happy so it's worth it.  Picture it: grown woman singing the Annie soundtrack complete with choreography.  Classic. (By the way, if you haven't experienced Pandora and you're a music lover - check it out.  It's the coolest thing ever. http://www.pandora.com/)

Anyway, on comes "Children Will Listen" from the musical Into the Woods.  I've heard this song plenty of times; I own the broadway recording as a matter of fact.  As I started singing along for sweet Sarah Beth, I got all choked up and started sobbing like, well, a baby, absorbing the meaning of the song.  I picked her up and squeezed her tight and she let me have my moment.  Of course I immediately bought the Streisand version from iTunes so I could repeat my emotional breakdown on demand.  (I know, Streisand may not be "cool" or whatever but the lady can really sing.)  It's a beautiful song and reminded my of the awesome responsibility we have to raise this child.  She comes into this world absolutely pristine and perfect in every way.  How do we not screw her up?  My nightly prayer goes something like "Please Lord give us the wisdom and patience and strength to do what's best for her and help us to become more deserving of this incredible gift."  I have never meant a prayer in a more heartfelt way.  We have so much to be thankful for.  Just yesterday we had two incredible things happen.  More on that later.  For now, here are the lyrics to the Sondheim song.  Now go out and buy the song on iTunes so you can cry along with me...

Children Will Listen
How do you say to your child in the night
Nothing is all black but then nothing is all white?
How do you say it will all be alright
When you know that it mightn’t be true?
What do you do?
Careful the things you say,
Children will listen.
Careful the things you do,
Children will see.
And learn.
Children may not obey,
But children will listen.
Children will look to you
For which way to turn,
To learn what to be.
Careful before you say,
Listen to me.
Children will listen.
Careful the wish you make,
Wishes are children.
Careful the path they take,
Wishes come true,
Not free.
Careful the spell you cast,
Not just on children.
Sometimes the spell may last
Past what you can see
And turn against you...
Careful the tale you tell.
That is the spell.
Children will listen...
How can you say to a child who’s in flight,
Don’t slip away and I won’t hold so tight?
What can you say that no matter how slight won’t be misunderstood?
What do you leave to your child when you’re dead
Only what ever you put in its head
Things that your mother and father had said
Which were left to them too.
Careful what you say, children will listen
Careful you do it too, children will see and learn.
Guide them but step away,
Children will glisten.
Temper with what is true
And children will turn,
If just to be free.
Careful before you say,
Listen to me.
Children will listen...
Children will listen!
Children, children will listen

Baby vs. Bottle - The Saga Continues

In the struggle of Baby versus Bottle, the baby is still winning, but the bottle is making headway.  The other night, we snuck a bottle in her mouth after starting her on the boob and she sucked down a whole ounce with gusto before passing out milk drunk.  She got down another 1/2 ounce before the night was over.  Dr. Brown's bottle is the one we're tried that trick with.  I clearly explained to her that it is the same glorious milk that she gets out of the tap, but she's not convinced.  See...she looks all innocent and sweet, but underneath that cute baby exterior is a will of steel. Little stinker.  Oh and she thinks it's hilarious when you try the bottle, mocking you with her smiles and laughter as milk pours down her chin. After a few minutes though she gets irritated and tells you what she really thinks of the whole bottle idea.

We think the biggest challenge is getting it heated to the proper temperature and then keep it warm enough.  It is truly an art to get the bottle warmed up to a temperature of her liking before she gets too hungry.  Once she goes ballistic there's no hope of satisfying her via artificial means - baby DEFCON level 1 requires the real deal. 

For yesterday's battle, I was armed with the Firstyears Breastflow bottle.  Looks just like the real thing - it's even squishy and warm when it fills with milk.  You cannot fool this kid, however.  She took a 1/2 ounce or so; again I think she swallowed it purely by accident, or another possibility is it could have all dribbled out of her mouth and soaked in her shirt. 

I'm preparing for today's encounter right now, warming up the Breastflow with fresh milk .  I can hear her stirring.  My heart is beating a little faster...who will be victorious today?  Say a prayer for me!

That baby is STILL here

Poor Savannah.  She's so depressed.  She used to be Daddy's baby.  She was the one sitting on his lap, getting all his love and attention.  Nowadays, that baby is stealing all of the spotlight. 

Daddy tries to give Savannah all the love she deserves, but she knows she is no longer number one baby around here. She's learning to share her Daddy but it's tough.

Soon enough, Sarah Beth will be big enough to play with Savannah and chase her around.  They will be best of friends.  For now though, she's just taking up space on her daddy's lap as far as Savannah is concerned.

Even Savannah must admit, that baby is awful cute!

Piano Lessons

We're starting early.  With all the wasted musical talent in our little family, surely Sarah Beth will be a natural, and she will not squander it away to become a boring banker when she grows up.  She has nice long fingers already.  See how focused she is?

We'll have to wait on the guitar lessons until she gets a little bigger.  Maybe start her on the ukelele.  She's definitely got good lungs - perhaps she'll be a singer/songwriter.  Neither of us are the most graceful dancers so I'm thinking she won't make it in one of those girl groups like Spice Girls where she has to perform a lot of choreographed moves, but you never know.  She does like to kick her feet up.  Our little Baby Spice.

One thing's for certain, we will not be entering her in any pageants.  "Toddlers and Tiaras" is the scariest thing on television.  Kurt keeps talking about spray tanning her and getting her a 'flipper' so she'll have a nice pearly white smile for the judges, but I don't think that's appropriate, especially at such a young age.  Neither are the stripper dance moves those poor little children are taught.  The only things missing are a pole, dim lighting, and some dollar bills and it would be identical to Tiffany's Caberet.  Disgusting.  In my favorite episode, (yes I know I shouldn't watch it but it's like a train wreck - I can't stop myself) they introduce a tiny little girl and say "Sally is 4 years old and loves coloring and watching television.  When she grows up she wants to marry a rich man."  Seriously???  Her mother, the pageant officials, and TLC executives should be shot.  I guess that makes sense though.  Little Sally lives in a double-wide and has no savings for college since they spend thousands on pageant dresses every year so she better marry a rich man when she grows up; otherwise, she's going to be a waitress at Hooters like the rest of her family.  I'm sure there are pageants that boost kids self-esteem or whatever, but these so-called "glitz" pageants are just plain creepy.

Back to our sweet little protégé.  Seriously, I do hope she grows up to love the piano as much as I did when I was little.  My parents started me when I was six.  I took lessons until I went off to college and for the most part, loved every minute of it.  The gift of playing an instrument is one of the best things my parents could have given me as a child, because it's something that still brings me great enjoyment 30 years later.  I am sure the first time she sits down and cranks out "twinkle twinkle little star" on the same piano I grew up with, I will have tears of joy in my eyes.  She's already mastered middle C.  Just a few more notes and she'll be on her way!

Baby's Two Month Stats

We had a good report from Dr. Ryan today.  Sarah Beth is perfect.  Of course we knew that already!  She wowed the doctor with her tummy time skills and barely cried when they gave her 2 shots.  What a good girl.

Here are her stats:

Weight:  11 lbs 3.5 oz  (50th  %ile)

Height:   23 1/2 inches (90th %ile)

Head:    39 1/2 cm (75th %ile)

Our tall big-brained baby is right on target. She will be an athlete and a scholar.

We were practicing tummy time yesterday so I put down a pretty pink blanket on the floor for her and Moose immediately plopped himself down on it.  Apparently he wanted some tummy time too.

Here he is, looking not so tough on SB's blankie...

 

And here is our girl doing some tummy time propped up on her boppy.  Look at those eyes!

We continue to work on bottle feeding since Mommy will have to go back to work in a month.  We're on our third type of bottle.  She likes to chew on the nipple and lick it but hasn't exactly mastered sucking on it yet.  Any milk she gets down is accidental.   Poor girl, little does she know Mommy's boob won't be available on demand forever.  That makes me want to cry!  Although it would be nice to be able to make a trip to the mall sans baby to buy some new clothes.  Thanks to my new size E's I need some more appropriate work shirts.  I could squeeze 'em into my current wardrobe but it may cause a distraction in the workplace. 

Speaking of work, we are not into daycare yet.  I'm not panicking (yet) but I talked to the daycare director yesterday and it's not looking too promising that we'll be in before October 19.  Uh-oh.  We may have to bribe Grandma into coming down to take care of her until we can find a nanny temporarily.  The thought of leaving her with some strange person scares the crap out of us but unfortunately we gotta pay the bills.  I don't think that Grandma would mind too much but Grandpa might miss her after a while.  : )  I was really  hoping we'd have won the lottery by now so I wouldn't have to go back.  Dangit.

Other than her checkup, we had a pretty low-key week.  We did take a family trip to the mall so Mommy could buy some concealer to hide the dark circles under her eyes.  The lady at the make-up counter about did back flips when she caught a glimpse of our cute baby.  She almost touched her and I thought Kurt or I would have to beat her down, but luckily, Clinique lady restrained herself.  Why do people always feel the need to touch a baby?  Especially her little hands that she constantly puts in her mouth?  Ever heard of the flu, people?  Don't touch my baby!  Some may think we're a little obsessive but let's face it, the general public are not the most hygenic folks and while I know our little angel will at some point get a cold, we want to avoid her exposure to germs as much as we can while she's so little and defenseless.  If she were to get the flu I think I would croak.  So here's my public service announcement as we approach cold and flu season:  wash your hands thoroughly and often and get a flu shot.  We'll be first in line.  Even Daddy Kurt who doesn't like needles.  The sacrifices we make for our child. ; )

Crue Baby Whooohoooo!

Kurt's former bandmates and friends brought over a gift for Miss Sarah Beth...her very first Motley Crue t-shirt.  How hilarious is that?  I can't wait for the day when Kurt tells SB about his former rock n' roll lifestyle.  "Dad, you were in a rock band?  No way."    Here's the photo shoot:

Whoohoo Rock n' Roll Baby!

Practicing her sullen teenager look

And for Grandma...here's the little angel in her pink princess nightgown gazing up at her mobile. 

Amelies, Target, and Picnicking, Oh My!

Sunday night - sitting here watching the VMAs...boy there are some FUH-REAKS out there.  What is the deal with Lady Gaga someone please tell me!  Her latest outfit looks like she's being swallowed by an anemone.  I know I'm turning into a Mommy when I say things like "that Taylor Swift is such a nice girl - she doesn't curse or get herself in the tabloids." 

Weekend came and went too quickly as always.  We had our neighbors over for an impromptu dinner Friday night.  Most notable about Friday night was the fact that I wore my Pre-preganancy Jeans!  YES!!  Breastfeeding is amazing.  I was watching "The Doctors" the other day (yeah I know I need to get out of the house) and they had a special on boobs.  They said with breastfeeding you lose 20 calories per ounce of milk produced.  So based on the way baby eats, I'll be looking like Heidi Klum in no time.  Thanks hungry baby!

Saturday we took a trip to Amelies French Bakery.  We had some delicious jambon on baguette but Sarah Beth wasn't too into it so I had to eat standing up and bouncing her around.  We love Amelies and usually have a great dining experience there but much to our dismay, we tried to order a few baguettes to take home and they were out of baguettes until Monday...what the...?  They are a French Bakery.  They are open 24 hrs a day.  How can they be out?  Can't they just make more?  So overall not a great outing.  We didn't even get any dessert.  Not to turn anyone off from Amelies...their goods are flippin' delicious and totally worth the drive to Noda if you are in Charlotte. http://www.ameliesfrenchbakery.com/

Today we made it to church on TV.  We're lucky our church broadcasts the 11AM service on TV otherwise we'd have forgotten what the inside of the church looks like.  We can't quite time it right in the mornings to get there in person.  Frankly, watching church in our PJs while drinking coffee isn't the worst thing in the world.  Our big outing today was to Target! Whoohoo!  Baby's first Target excursion.  Can you believe I didn't take a picture of her in front of the big red bullseye?  What a missed opportunity.  Sarah Beth was delightful.  She fell asleep before we got through the diaper section.  They have the most hilarious baby halloween costumes...a Hot Dog!  Can you imagine how humiliating that would be in her rehearsal dinner slide show in 28 years?  Mom and Dad dressed me like a wiener...thanks.  After leaving the hot dog behind,  we grabbed some early dinner from Jason's Deli (not hot dogs) and had a picnic in the park followed by a mini photo session....

Happy Baby!

Lovin' her Daddy

Ready for her closeup...what a beautiful girl we have.

The End of the photo session...look at that frown!

She's so much fun!  Changing every day.  Her newest trick is blowing bubbles and she's making the cutest new noises.  Every day is an adventure with her and we are so happy to be a part of the ride.

9/11

Today is reminder to me to be thankful for my life and my wonderful family and friends.  There's a lot out there to complain about, the economy, unemployment, healthcare, etc etc but today I am grateful for all the blessings in my life.  Especially this little sweet angel of ours. 

Hug your family extra tight today!

Downtown Adventures

Today we had an exciting adventure in downtown (uptown) Charlotte.  We had lunch with the girls, Jen and Natalie, to discuss some work stuff and some baby stuff.  Then we met daddy and went to Chick's to say hi to Dee, the nice lady that works there and has been asking about our little one.  She was duly impressed.  Kurt got a chicken sandwich and then we sat out on the Green.  I am amazed that little miss sat through not one, but two lunch dates with no disasters.  I did go to the car and gave her a quick snack between lunches.  Grandma was there to help and I think I managed to breastfeed her without giving any construction workers a show.  By the way, what is up with the construction downtown??  I know I've only been out of it for 9 weeks or so but downtown was an obstacle course.  I thought the economy was in the toilet.  Who's paying for all this work? 

Here she is taking in the fresh air on the Green

Isn't Daddy handsome in his tie?

Right before she let us know our time was up

We also ran into our friend Linda in the parking lot.  Linda has a 5 month old and she was just getting back from breastfeeding her daughter Kate at the daycare.  Kate is not a fan of the bottle so Linda has to run over there during her lunch break.  We better get on the bottle feeding or that will be me in a few months...yikes.  Sarah Beth is not big on the bottle either.  Not that I blame her.  Nice warm squishy boob provides unlimited supply of milk at the perfect temperature and can double as a pillow or fun playtoy.  But if she wants to go to college she'll have to let me get back to work and pay some bills, baby.

As I mentioned, Grandma came to visit for a few days and brought the cutest halloween outfit for baby.  Ouida, my halloween-obsessed friend, you will be delighted.  We had a great time hanging with G-ma.  Went to Mexicafe again for dinner.  SB loves her some Mexicafe.  Pretty lights on the ceiling.  Ahhhh. 

SB did some serious sleeping yesterday.  Eating and sleeping.  I thought we were done for last night but she surprised us and slept from 2:20 - 9AM.  Sweet.  The night before that she slept 7 hours.  Now that I have foolishly typed this she will be up every hour for the rest of the week but I had to brag a little about my good little sleeper.  : )   If  my next post starts at 3am you'll know I jinxed myself.

Happy Baby Post for the Day

Well we didn't make it to church yesterday - nice thought but I was still in a semi-coma Sunday morning after Miss Party Girl stayed up 'til 2am.  We had our friends Mike and Natalie over for dinner Saturday and on Sunday spent a little time over at our friends the Bucks.  SB is quite the social butterfly.  She got to meet several of our neighbors today and all are in agreement that she is a beauty. 

Here's a pic of our happy little girl having some fun in her bouncy seat.  Have I mentioned that the bouncy seat is the best invention EVER?  If it weren't for this clever thing, Mommy would never get to eat lunch or take a potty break or god forbid drink hot coffee!

Moose is Going to College

My loyal companion Moose has had hip problems since he was a puppy.  Severe hip displaysia.  He had an operation years ago to remove the ball of one of his hip joints to relieve the pain, but lately his movement has been declining and he apparently injured his knee as a result of his unstable hips.  Saturday, Kurt took him down to the vet - hoping that maybe some anti-inflammatories and pain meds would do the trick.  No such luck.  After looking at his x-rays, the doctor recommended a double hip replacement.  Oh and this can only be done at NC STATE in Raleigh at the Vet College.  Yes that is as expensive as it sounds.  But what are we supposed to do, not get the surgery?  Moose and I have been through a lot and I certainly can't give up on him now.  The vet says except for his hips, he's a super-healthy dog and should live for many years.  This will give him a new lease on life.  So...Moosey is going to be a bionic dog and we are going to have a significant dip in our savings.  Surely Sarah Beth will get a scholarship and will not need a college fund, right?  All you non-dog owners will probably think we're crazy, but if you have a dog, you know that not doing the surgery is not even an option.  Look at this face:

Moose the Wonder Dog

We want both our pups to be around to play with Sarah Beth as she gets older.  They already like her...see how Savannah watches her closely? 

Savannah the Babysitter

I will say though, that they are not a fan of the noises that come out of her butt.  As soon as she lets one rip or expels anything into her diaper, both dogs jump up and run from the room.  I don't know if it's the sound or if they're offended by the odor, but seriously, both dogs have been guilty of clearing a room so they shouldn't act so uppity about it.

Tomorrow I call the doggie hospital to see what the deal is.  He'll have to do one at a time so it'll be a long road to 100% recovery.  It should be interesting having poor Moose hobbling around recuperating from surgery in addition to caring for baby.   Stay tuned for that saga!

Smile!

Baby and Daddy are sleeping on the couch so I'm stealing a few moments to load these shots from today.  Again taken with the iPhone.  Kurt says Apple Laptops are crap but they hit it out of the park with the iPhone. 

Baby is bored with the bouncy seat and swing so we have started propping SB up with the Boppy.  She likes to sit on the couch like a big girl with her Mommy.  She is very amused by Rock n Roll dog here, as you can see...

Wait for it....

Wait for it...

There it is! 

The smile that could melt anyone's heart...

 We did make it to the park quite a few times this week. I went today but man it was hot.  I was sweating and while SB slept the whole time, I felt like I was cooking her in that stroller.  We'll wait 'til the weather cools down again before we do any more power walking.   On deck for this weekend...catch up with friends, clean house, do some yardwork, and attempt to go to church on Sunday.  Say a prayer for us!