4 Months

Sienna,
You turned 4 months on Christmas Eve. You were such a joy to everyone this Christmas and we feel so lucky to have you as our baby. I think your favorite time of day is when you sleep. You must take after your dad with this trait. You need to get your 10 hours of sleep in every night. We know we are incredibly lucky that you have inherited this trait and count our blessings all the time. (I'm knocking on wood!!)

This month you have fully mastered putting anything and everything in our mouth. You can reach and grab for just about any object - including mom's glass of OJ which we both ended up wearing. You have much improved at tummy time but it's definitely not your favorite. You were rolling over from tummy to back for a few days but have recently stopped. I guess that is old news now. We are working on sitting up and you can do it pretty well with lots of props.

We got the official measurements from the doc this month. You haven't changed a lot since 3 months.

Height 24.5 inches - 61%
Weight 14 lbs 8 oz - 71%

Nap time fun

What mom gets to do while the babe sleeps. I love Christmas break week!

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Reflections

Throughout this past week I couldn't help thinking about last year at this time. I was newly pregnant and feeling pretty crappy. Only a handful of people knew and the rest we tried to hide it from during all of the Holiday events. I remember early Christmas morning getting the call from Rick after he had opened our present that told him of our news. It was so fun to think and dream about what our baby was going to be like the following year and how different every Christmas from here on out was going to be.

And this year she was here! Even though she's way too young to understand what is going on, Christmas still had a more magical feel about it. She could share the excitement everyone was feeling through her smiles and giggles. We tried hard to have her help open presents. She would occasionally get a hold of some of the paper and help rip it off. Grandma found some shiny paper that really caught her eye. Playing with the packages were almost as fun as the actual gift.


As fun as this Christmas was I couldn't help thinking ahead to next year and all of the fun things that are to come. Sienna will be running all over saying words here and there. Baby girl Park will be [possibly] crawling around. The craziness will be ten fold but I can't wait!

Merry Christmas...belated!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or whatever it is that you celebrate. I started this post a couple days ago but never got around to finishing it. Christmas was great! It was so fun to have a little one around, but that also made it very exhausting. I am so so thankful to have this week off so I can recover from all of the celebrating. (Do I sound old or what?) More of all the celebrations to come!

We have a roller!

It all started with this:



Nothing like some good face to face tummy time to motivate my darling. In the blink of an eye it was this:



Sienna had her first rollover! Thinking it might be a fluke we set her back up and away she went. 3 times in a row. How fun that it was at cooking club [post to come later] and we got to share the moment with our friends. She has never liked her tummy time and now she has figured out a way to get out of it. Too smart already.

I caught her a couple times on video today.

Christmas Party Time

Christmas week has begun! Sienna has her first Christmas party today at daycare and I have our annual basket auction party at work. We were supposed to wear our best holiday gear. I, unfortunately, don't really have any but of course Sienna does. She's much more fun to buy for than myself. Really what's cuter than little Santas on your feet?

Mmmmmmm

Does anyone have another hand I can borrow? I think I can fit one more in.

Snow Storms

Everyone has been talking of the big snow storm. I didn't take any pictures of all the snow for all you out of towners, but imagine A LOT of snow, and a lot of wind. The news said Shakopee had the highest amount at 21 inches. My weekend was supposed to consist of lots of cookie baking but all of my plans were canceled due to the storm. I did venture out for a little bit Sat morning. Sienna and I headed to Cran's for kids cookie decorating and lunch. The drive home was a little bit scary as the visibility was really poor. I was very glad we didn't go any further than the 6 miles to her house.

Mallory decorating her cookies.


Ellie and her cookies.


Sienna watching the girls.

Can you see the difference?

Compare early September...


...to early December. She's growing so much!

New Sounds

Sienna has learned a new trick! Tongues are so fun.

Pretty Lights

One more to check off the list

I think we are finally done - for awhile at least. Hosting Thanksgiving gave Justin and I the motivation to finish the basement! We put the brick on the fireplace, got the doors and railings stained and hung.

Before


After


Before


After


I think the next big step is the bookcases next to the fireplace. And those we have to wait for Ron (dropping more hints hehe) Finally we can relax and enjoy.

Love surprise days at home

I was just getting ready to leave for work today and Bahbita called to tell us she was sick. Woo Hoo!! Day at my home with my babes!

3 months

Sienna, I will probably say this every month: you are becoming such a fun baby. Not that you weren't before but each day it's more and more fun. You are finding your voice and it keeps becoming stronger and louder. Anyone that gives you enough attention will be rewarded with a big open mouth grin and if they are lucky you'll chat them up. Your Dad, Bahbita, and I have all heard Hi and Looooove You! Such an advanced kid. :) Your hands are your favorite thing to chew on but you're starting to master putting other toys in your mouth. Your Bumbo is a favorite place to pass time and swings are your nap location of choice. You still aren't a huge fan of tummy time but it's getting better. You are trying hard to roll over but your bottom arm won't budge. Soon enough!

The unofficial current measurements (taken by Dad):
24 inches
14 to 14.5 lbs - our scale isn't more accurate than that.

So much bigger than at 2 months!



mmmm I love my Sophie!


Tummy time

Bust

A few weeks ago I was out for a K cubed night (Kristen, Kristie, & Kristen (me) girls night) and was given a piece of advice that with kids you'll make all these plans, have great intentions, and more often than not it won't go the way you think. I found that to be too true this weekend. I kept having a feeling that Sienna was going to get sick. She'd had a couple weeks at daycare and was bound to at least get a cold or something. I was close. Instead it was me getting sick...and then I was nice enough to spread it to Sienna and Justin. I won't go into too many details. Let's just say a stomach bug hit me while we were out tree shopping Friday afternoon, Sienna had it mildly on Saturday and Justin woke up miserable on Sunday. Oh such fun. Not exactly the weekend I was looking forward to. It wasn't a total bust. Thanksgiving day we all enjoyed and I did get my Black Friday shopping in. AND the most important part of the weekend was a hit...SANTA!!

I know I am biased but I can't get over how cute she looks. :) Santa was a little creepy to me but great with all the kids. He sure can get them to smile!

So much to look forward to

I probably say this every year but Thanksgiving weekend is my favorite weekend of the year. Here's what I am looking forward to.


Football and a big meal, oh and lots of family. Does it get any better? Justin and I are hosting this year for the first time with my family. Can't wait!


You know it. Still going out and fighting the crazies on Friday. Cari and I get such good shopping done then. I still refuse to do the 3/4am thing. That's a little too crazy for me...


We are cutting down the xmas tree and hanging up our decorations. Such a great way to kickoff the holiday season.


Sienna gets to meet Santa for the first time! Everyone hope for big smiley pictures and not a screaming baby.


An added bonus of this years weekend is we get to see Harry Potter on Sunday. Babysitter is all lined up and we are ready!

That's my weekend. Now I gotta get through the next 2 days of work. Hope everyone else has a great weekend and has safe travels. Watch out for the ice and snow!

(pictures compliments of Google images)

Fail

Today Cari, Mom, Grammy, Sienna, and I went to Alberville and had a big day of shopping. 4:30 or so Sienna has been fed, diaper changed, and is telling me she's had enough and it's time to go home. (She was such a trooper all day too!) Trying to be an efficient mom, I run out to the car to get her loaded before Grammy has finished her final shopping. Since it was such a cold day I threw my purse on the front seat and turned on the car so it'd be toasty for the babe. Slammed my door shut and go to open the back door...locked. Go to open the driver door...locked. Oh no...(that's not exactly what I said but it was close)

Freezing cold, crying baby, car on with the key locked inside = fail.

Thank god for AAA. A little over an hour later I was back in my car, which I will say was very toasty warm. At least it happened before I put Sienna in. I still have no idea how it got locked. My elbow or something must've hit the button on the door to lock all the doors.

So glad to get home.

Back To Reality

It has been quite a week. A lot of ups and downs for sure. As most of you know I returned to work on Monday. Ever since she was a few weeks old, I was very anxious about that day, and that moment I was going to have to say goodbye. Luckily Justin was doing daycare drop off, so I could say my goodbyes at home. I knew it was going to be hard and just as I expected it was. Maybe even a little worse than I had thought. I cried, and a lot. Most of the way into work in fact. I had to call Justin to pump me up into going into the office building. The morning is really a blur. I know we went to Starbucks but I don't remember one sip of how my gingerbread latte tasted. I just remember feeling like I wanted to throw up and couldn't think any thoughts of Sienna or the tears would start again. Somehow I made it through the morning and by afternoon I was starting to feel better. The day flew by and before I knew it I was back in my car heading to pick her up. When I got there she wouldn't take her eyes off me and starting cooing right away. It felt so good. Bahbita (our daycare woman) told me all about her day and even had a present for her. It was so sweet.

Sienna at her first morning of daycare.


I spent the whole night playing and cuddling with her. Tuesday morning came and it was still hard to leave but for some reason I felt a lot better about it. I actually enjoyed my day at work and thought this is definitely the right thing for both of us.

And now we are at Thursday. I am glad to be back at work but it's very bittersweet. I still hate having to say goodbye. And I hate that she comes home smelling like someone else. I look at pictures of our days together and my eyes still well up. Justin said it the best - she is going to her extended family during the day and gets to come home to us at night. It's so true. I know Bahbita loves her already and takes such great care of her. We are so lucky to have found such a wonderful woman to watch our little girl.

Everyone told me it would get easier each day and it has. Thanks to everyone for their love and support this week. It has been much needed and appreciated. Now it's time to figure out this new life of mine and how to balance everything. It's going to take some time but before I know it we'll have it down pat. And until then I have my adorable daughter that makes up for anything else I am missing out on and late for! :)

Love it

It's been a really busy week. I'll hopefully get time to post more soon but for now enjoy this great song! (I love this show!) 2 beavers are better than 1...

Winter Wonderland

For all my fellow out of state family/friends/stalkers here's what I woke up to yesterday morning.





It continued to snow the rest of the day. We got somewhere around 8-10 inches of snow total. Nothing like a big first snow fall! Justin really wanted Sienna to feel snow on her face for the first time. She wasn't as excited about it as he was. Granted she was hungry so I don't think that helped. We'll have to try again next snow fall.

Basement Updates

I haven't shown any updated pics of our basement lately. It's a bit ghetto at the moment but it's actually useable and starting to get there. I am very excited about it! Most recently I finished staining the trim and Justin got it all nailed up. Oh and we also bought the couch.



As you can see we have an awesome tv stand and end tables made up of tv trays. :) The next to do is putting the rock up for the fireplace. It's all sitting downstairs we just need some time to do it! Once the rock is up the tv will be mounted above the fireplace. Ron has promised to build us bookcases/cupboards that will go on either side of it. My to do is to get more picture frames for our collage and finish filling the frames we have. Plus staining the remaining door and railings. We are so close!

Already Friday

How am I going to be able to leave these cute chubby cheeks next week?

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Happy Monday!

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New Tricks

Sienna loves to be standing up and looking around. After getting tired of holding her that way so much we decided to try putting her in her exersaucer. And she loved it!! She just barely reaches the ground when it's on the lowest setting and she's still a bit teetery but even so she can't get enough of it.



We also got her official measurements this week. She's short and stumpy according to the charts. :) 22 inches long which is the 25% and 12 lbs 1 oz which is the 75%.

Chopped!

I've been asking everyone lately if I should chop my hair off or not. I'm not sure why I even bothered because deep down the desire to get rid of it all was bubbling up. Plus the added fact of having to go back to work in 2 weeks (yikes!) and I needed a style that would take very few minutes to do. Saturday it all came off. Here's the new do.

Happy Halloween!

Rainy Days

Helping Mommy make Apple bread pudding.

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2 Months

Sienna turned 2 months on Sunday. Can you believe it? I don't think I can. She's measuring about 21.5 inches and weights about 11 lbs 10 ounces. She had a Dr's appointment last week, just to get her eye checked out (infected clogged tear duct no biggie) We have our official 2 month appointment next week. She's starting to get some of that adorable baby chub rolls, mostly in her cheeks and thighs. The Dr last week said something like, "Wow look at those cheeks! She sure doesn't miss any meals." It's true she doesn't. This was after the nurse went on and on about how she should be a baby model; while I beamed the whole time.

She's gotten so fun this past month. She is so smiley, especially in the morning when you sit and chat with her. You can always get a big one out if you touch her nose or her cheeks. Of course I'm still not getting many good ones on camera. She's also getting a lot chattier and she'll respond when you talk and pause. I swear she said "Hi" this morning to me too. :) She's been batting and kicking her toys and she's working on grabbing hold of them. She loves sticking her hands into her mouth and will occasionally suck her thumb. She has great neck control and LOVES to be standing up. I think this girl is going to be an early walker and might just bypass that whole crawling bit.

We did a little better on the photo shoot this month. I still had to do it by myself, so not too many good smiles ones. Next time! At least this time there was no screaming crying. We are headed in the right direction.

First Trip...Check!

I leave the house for 10 minutes and look what Grandpa did to my daughter


(ignore my pjs, yes I left the house in my pjs. Doughnuts were calling Amanda and I)


Other than this, the weekend went really well. Sienna did great in the car. She only woke up when we stopped moving. She slept great at night too - better than me I think. It's amazing how many noises babies make while they sleep. I don't know how people sleep in the same room with them. Maybe you get used to it.

Here's Sammy, Amanda, & Travis on baptism day.


Tried to get another good pic of the cousins. My daughter is always the crying one. This is my fav. Izzy was trying to comfort "Baby Sienna"