It's The Arms

That's what we are waiting for, when it comes to Gwen crawling.  She has the legwork down pat, but she hasn't figured out that, to get it going, she has to move her arms!  Now, she is doing this ADORABLE thing, where she gets up on all fours and then pushes her legs straight, causing her cute tush to pop up in the air.

She just wants to GO!

It is the cutest thing in the world.  Although, I don't think she would agree.

Working so hard.



We spent this cold and dreary day inside, watching our boys in Pinstripes!  Before having a baby, I NEVER understood WHY people brought their infants/toddlers to MLB games, and even though I don't think we will bring her anytime soon, I get it now.  Just watching it on TV with Gwen, made me want to be there WITH her.  You just want to share everything with her, and the Yankees are a tradition in our little family (and extended), so you want her to be a part of it.  Some day our family will be there with Gwen, probably more excited than her, and it will be the start of something new.  I can't wait!  Until then, we will stay warm and cozy on our couch watching Jeter (can you tell who my favorite player is? hehe) and the Yanks try for Championship #28.

I know not everyone is a Yankee Fan, although you should be, lol, so Good Luck to you and your teams... unless they are playing the Yankees! ;)

xoxo.

P.S.  Isn't March supposed to go out like a lamb?!?!  UGH, we need warmth!

Wordless Wednesday - Daddy's Girl

I saw this on a bunch of other blogs, and thought it was a great idea.  No words, just pictures... a nice weekly addition.

:)

xoxo.



So True...

This quote caught my eye, and I couldn't believe how right it was.  Thought I would share:

A baby will make love stronger,

 days shorter, nights longer,

 bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier,

 the past forgotten

 and the future worth living for.

-Anonymous

I couldn't agree more!

xoxo.

One Cool Chick

If I may say so myself, my daughter is one cool chickadee!

While out and about Friday morning, I saw this adorable pair of sunglasses... and HAD to buy them.  Gwen loves them, she even left them on inside, lol.  Anything for style, right?

I love her hand position here, like "Yeah, I know how good I look!"  :)



Can't stand it!



Hope that you had a great weekend, and that Monday was easy on you.

xoxo.

It's The Little Things...

     I think that it is so funny how the TINIEST little things that a baby does, provides us, adults, with so much entertainment, happiness, and pride.  Things like, rolling over, sitting up, laughing, smiling, putting their feet in their mouths, anything really.  This morning, Jason and I were having one of those moments...

     While Jason was getting ready for work, Gwen and I were hanging out in bed, and he began playing with Gwen, tickling, making raspberries, etc.  All of a sudden, as he says to her "I'm gonna get you!" she stuck her tongue out at him!  It was HYSTERICAL!  Now, I am sure that it had to do with teething and she wasn't deliberately being fresh to her Daddy, lol, but it was just perfect timing. 

OBVIOUSLY, we HAD to get it on film.  Here are my cuties...

Now, tell me that didn't make you smile?

What a perfect way to start our morning.  :)~

xoxo.



Poop-A-Doop

Yep, you read right... POOP-A-DOOP.  Lol!  This is just ONE of the crazy names that we come up with to call Gwen.  And BOY are there more!  I've been thinking of all the pet names that we call our little lady, and thought maybe it would be fun to share...

1. Peanut
2. Pumpkin and/or Pumpkin Pie
3. Poop
4. Poop-A-Doop
5. Poopie Pie (I know, it doesn't SOUND cute... but it really IS!!!)
6. Munchkin
7. Gwen-Bo-Ben (Daddy came up with that one)
8. Mama
9. Mama Pants (What is wrong with us, seriously?!?! lol)
10. Mama Pan-ta-leones (Yes, it is our own Spanish version of pants... haha, we are so weird!)
11. Sista
12. Sista Pants (We seem to like this "Pants" Add on)
13. Sista Pan-ta-leones (And we say it in an "Announcer" voice, lol)
12. Doop
13. Doop-A-Loop
14. Doopie Doopers
15. Doopie Pie (Ok, I guess we like the "Pie" Add on too)
16. Princess (That's what my Dad called me too)
17. Babycakes
18. Honey (Mostly used by Daddy)
19. Honey Pants (SEE, we really like the "Pants" thing)

...ughhh there are so many more, I actually think we just make stuff up on the spot.  But, who cares right?  I'm sure that you all have been called or call someone a pet name... something about it just makes you feel good.  We just love making her smile that beautiful smile. 

Maybe we should start calling her Gwen, so she doesn't get confused :)

Adios, Lovey Doveys ;)

xoxo.

Crawling With Frustration

...Actually, if she WAS crawling, there would be NO frustration! Lol.  My poor little cutie is so eager to get on the move, and it is making her more mad by the day that she can't.  She has all of the mechanics down, just hasn't figured out how to put it all together.  I am not kidding, this is a daily occurrence... She rolls from her back to her stomach, props herself up on all fours, rocks back and forth, sees something in front of her that she wants (ok, so it is strategically placed by mommy, hehe), goes to reach for it, falls on her tummy... starts crying.  Grrrrr. 

NOT that I am rushing her.  I would love for her to be this little forever.  BUT, I hate hearing and seeing her look so defeated.  (I know, this is only the first of many times in her life that I will have to endure this, but it is not fun).  She wants it SO BADLY. 

Her she is during one of her tries...

Patience baby girl, it'll happen... and I'll do anything I can to help :)

Hoping your day is less frustrating!

xoxo.

Stats

I've been reading a few other Mom's Blogs, and they all have this little update on them.  So, I decided to jump on the bandwagon...

Gwen, you are 6 months old...

and this is what you are up to...

Weight - 18 lbs

Height - 26.5 inches

Diapers - Size 2, but as soon as we finish this package we are moving on to Size 3... it's getting a little tight in those trousers... lol.

Clothes - 6 months, some brands 6-9 months, and you still have tons of them in your closet!!!!!

Food - Still taking formula, single grain whole wheat rice (but we are switching over to oatmeal after this box), carrots, squash.  And we have the green light to go on to green veggies and fruits.  Yay! 

Sleep - I would equate this category with my "Stretch Mark" category in the pregnancy updates... I don't want to "jinx" us.  But, you are sleeping in your own bed, bedtime is between 7-8pm and you usually wake up between 5-6am.  You are so good to us. :)

Naps - You nap a few times a day... some are very short (30 min.) and sometimes you sleep for 2 hours. 

Teeth - You have 2 so far.  But, you are still teething like crazy!  You will chew on anything you can...

-You are sitting up by yourself, although not without a pillow behind you.  (Your Mommy is too paranoid)

-You are SOOOO eager to get crawling.  You can get up on all fours, and rock back and forth, but don't yet have the coordination to go.  Soon, my little mover, soon.

-You DO have the ability to push yourself backwards... but that only frustrates you more because it puts more distance between you and the object that you want.  It IS cute though :)

-You LOVE your feet... and putting them in your mouth (it's ok, it is a milestone, haha).  But, who's kidding who, Mommy and Daddy could eat those tootsies too!

-You love to "talk," and it melts our hearts every time.

-Your 6 month doctor's visit was today, Wednesday March 23, 2011.  Dr. A says that everything looks great, and that you are perfect... But like we said, We already knew that!!!

Mommy and Daddy love you so, so much.

Hope you all like this new addition.

xoxo.

Lisa Leonard Giveaway

Today, Lisa Leonard is giving away a hand stamped heart banner.  Too cute.  I am hoping to win one for Gwen's room.

http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/

A New Year, A Different Monitor

     Occasionally, I look back through my old blog posts, just to see how different life was, as we were preparing and awaiting Gwen's arrival.  During my reminiscing, I came across a post from last St. Patrick's Day... it was the day of my first sonogram! I was so excited that day, I almost forgot that it was a national drinking holiday, LOL! 

     It was the day that my pregnancy really became REAL, if that makes sense... I mean, of course it was real, but finally seeing that little bean of a baby made it so much more concrete.  As exciting as those days were, they don't even hold a candle to what our days are like now. 

Here is our peanut on the monitor last year...

And, here she is tonight...

...This year is WAY better :)

~ON A SIDE NOTE~

This morning, a Facebook friend shared a blog with me called "Another Day Stronger," written by a woman who lost her beautiful 4-month old baby girl, Maddie, one month ago today.  I have been reading her blog all day, crying and feeling my heart break for her.  I couldn't imagine what Kellie (blogger's name) and her husband, James, are going through.  She is an amazing, strong, and courageous woman, especially for continuing her blog despite her loss. 

I told Gwen about Maddie today, even though that may sound crazy, I wanted her to know about this precious little angel.  Well, Kellie asked that, in memory of Maddie's one month passing, that we (all her blog followers) "take your babies to the park and have a great time... take lots of pictures, kiss them, love on them and tell them about our princess Maddie" and then share... for Maddie.   

So we did!  And what a perfect day it was for the park... here are our pics :)

It was a great day.

I've never thought that I have taken any minute with Gwen for granted, but after reading Kellie's story, my eyes are open even wider.  Gwen fell asleep on my shoulder tonight, a VERY rare occurance, and it made me cry.  I couldn't believe I was so lucky, and it was so hard for me to put her down...

I love you Gwen, actually I know that I can speak for Daddy too, WE love you, more than you will ever know...

Love each day like it is your last...

...sending tons and tons of love your way.

xoxo.

A Half of A Year

     .....WHERE did the time go?!?!  Today, our little peanut is 6 months old!  We really can't believe it!  I've been looking through my (millions) of pictures, especially at those from the first week of her life.  She was SO tiny!  And life was so different... from nursing, to sleepless nights, we were VERY nervous parents.  Ok, so we are still a bit nervous, but we think that we have settled into this "Mommy & Daddy" role pretty well.  (Let's just hope Gwen thinks the same.)

     With every day, every milestone, every problem and obstacle that occurs, I know that there is one thing that remains the same...  We love this beautiful (I may be biased) baby girl so much that it hurts.  And amazingly enough, even though we thought that we couldn't love her anymore than we already do, our love for her grows, doubles, triples, QUADRUPLES, every single day. 

     We are BEYOND looking forward to the warm weather, Gwen's first trip to the park, watching her Daddy play softball, her first boat ride, beach trip, fun on the boardwalk (she better enjoy it now, because after this weekend we have decided she is NEVER allowed there by herself as a teenager, haha!!!), and all the fun that Spring and Summer bring!  But, what is scary to think about is that within a blink of an eye her first birthday will be here! Ahh!!!  I'm just not going to allow myself to think that far ahead, for now. 

     Of course, here is her 6 month birthday photo... along with each month before it underneath... a trip down memory lane :)



1/2 Year Old!



5 Months Old



4 Months Old

3 Months Old

2 Months Old

1 Month Old



24 Hours Old



Enjoying every minute of her.

Tons of love to you.



Cranky Raspberries

Here's my proof, lol, that Gwen uses raspberries to express her crankiness.  She may not seem like she is fussy, but right after this was taken she threw a fit, and is now napping...

...hopefully she will wake up raspberry-free (at least for a bit).

Enjoying the quiet.  But, I like the noise so much more.

xoxo.

Life, Now.

     In less than a week, Gwen will be six months old... WOW.  I know that I say this often, but although it seems like she was just born yesterday, I feel like she has been in our lives for so much longer.   With this pretty big milestone just around the corner, I am sitting here reflecting on all that has happened, and couldn't imagine not being with her all day, every day. 

     Being a Mom has been the most fulfilling experience, and dare I say, job I have ever taken on.  I must admit that being a stay-at-home Mom was never my "dream," not that there is anything wrong with that, it just wasn't a path I saw myself heading down.  And although it was quite an adjustment, and a bit hard for me to accept the fact that I would no longer be bringing in an income, and that I would be getting paid in hug and kisses, it has been MORE than worth it.  Everyday brings something new that makes me think, "I can't imagine NOT being right here for this."  Yes, there are times that I pray for a break, or a day out, and then the day/moment comes, and I get teary-eyed that I am leaving her, miss her tremendously while I am gone, and am more than excited to see her when I get back.  Go figure, lol.

     Even though I am really "working" even more than when I had a "9-5" job, I want to thank Jason for giving me the opportunity to be "unemployed," lol, and with Gwen all the time.  I know that there are times that I don't give him enough credit, and vice versa, but I am so thankful for what our lives have become... and I love him so much for everything he does for our family.  I only hope that I make him proud to call me his wife, and Mommy to his precious little girl.

     I look forward to all the things that are ahead of us... but I have to run, my "boss" is calling me. ;)

Me & "The Boss"

 

xoxo.

Gwen's Blessed Day

This past Sunday was the day that we chose to have Gwen Baptised at St. Henry's right down the street.  It was an amazing day, and Gwen was SO well behaved... (I was so worried that the day would be too much for, or even us.)  But it turned out to be absolutely perfect, and everyone seemed to enjoy it also.

Getting to this point was such a daunting task, for so many reasons.  We have such a large family that planning started to seem like it was for a Wedding and not a Christening... lol.  AND, in true-to-us form, we changed the location of our party THREE times!!!  Ok, the first time was not our fault, but we are totally to blame for changing the venue one last time, only a week beforehand. Yes, we are completely aware of how crazy we are, but at least it all worked out for the best. 

It was so great to see ALL of our family together, the occasions are very seldom that we are all in one place, at one time.  Seeing everyone gather to celebrate Gwen makes all of the planning and stress worth it! 

Now on to planning Gwen's birthday party (YES, I am starting 6 months early, haha!)

Enjoy your day!

xoxo.

WHAT were we thinking?!?!

Dear Teeth,

I want my happy baby back... so, put a move on it!

Thanks,

Gwen's Mommy

Ok, so I know that it is a milestone and all... but why in the world were we excited about teeth?!?! This is NOT fun!  Lol. 

Now, obviously, I am kidding, for the most part, but, MAN I did not see this coming.  Just proves that you are never prepared enough.  Poor, poor, peanut.  I mean, if I'M having this little fun, I can only imagine what she is going through.  Of course, I am sure that I am exaggerating a bit, but when you have a really good baby who is not cranky unless she is tired, wet, or hungry, this really throws you off track.  I think it is harder for me to see her so uncomfortable than to deal with the crankiness itself.  I hope this passes soon...

Our love to you.