innocence

Her face seems to say, "I'm going to sit right here and play with the toys you gave me." Not two minutes later she wiggled, scooted, and crawled her way over to empty the bags on to the floor.  Who knew pulling out diapers, receipts and shoes was so fun? 

Stella Rocks

And so it begins.  Look who's on her hands & knees.

Getting Through The Night

 

Between travel, a seasonal cold or two, Stella's eating habits, and mostly a big soft spot for this little face, we created a nightmare.   We were getting up at least once a night to pop her pacifier back in and at 5:00 for a little snack.  Only sometimes would she go back to sleep after that snack.  The preference is to climb all over us in bed.  Trust me, I'm a MUCH better mother when I'm rested.

 

So we decided to let Stella cry it out.  Jason and I are covering our ears with pillows and trying to keep our heart rates down.
Night 1-- cried from 3:40-4:30 and woke up cheerful at 7:00. 
Night 2-- fussed twice for 10 minutes and woke up chatting at 6:30.
Jason's been a little groggy at work, I take a morning nap, and our neighbors probably despise us.  Although I hesitate to declare victory after two nights, it seems to be working.

In The Genes?

 

Jason has crazy bed head....and it can't be tamed with a comb and water.  It requires a full shampooing.  It seems that, among other things, Stella has inherited her father's hair.  See the resemblance? 

This post really only warrants one picture of Stella.  But I just could not choose. 

happy tuesday.

monday mornings

stella's napping.   i should take one too.  after all, day light savings (which used to be one of my favorite days of the entire year) and a cold have rocked our schedules.  i was up steaming the congested little duckie in the bathroom at 4:30 this morning.  as i sat rocking her on the edge of the tub, i thought, "well this is fair, i'm sure my mom did this for us."  then years later we moved to house with a steam shower so when we were congested, a little brown chair was plopped in the shower for us.

this morning, i can hear sleet falling from the sky and i have to run a few errands.  errands make city living exhausting.  first i plan the order of my stops.  definitely michael's first because felt and glue are lighter than food.  then i figure out exactly which groceries i need which determines which market i go to (and which transportation to take) and how i should travel stella (stroller or carrier).  ah, see?  tiring. 

i can't be too down on nyc.  yesterday the marathoners ran their 22nd mile by our apartment.  did i post the same thing last november?  probably.  they are inspiring.  i only got this one shot of the leading women (it was chilly and stella was sick).  the american with the high socks went on to take 2nd place in her first marathon ever.  see?  inspiring. 

i hope it isn't sleeting where ever you are and that babies in your lives are taking 2+ hour naps.

happy monday

We LOVE Going to the Doctor

We went for Stella's 7 month check-up this morning.  Are you surprised that she had a 7 month appointment?  Yeah, well, so were some of my friends at playgroup.  Apparently after 6 months, most doctors ask you come back every three months (9, 12, 15, etc) and then the regular check ups slow down even more.  Hmmm.  I figured either...

A. my insurance company (and us) was getting swindled 

or 

B. I have an extremely attentive pediatrician 

I was leaning towards B.  Turns out the answer is C-none of the above (or, in other words, the mother wasn't listening).  

So Stella was weighed, measured, examined, and injected a little ahead of schedule.  Dr. Larson saw her upper teeth starting to push through (which might explain why she fussed for an hour last night!) and admired her muscle development.  I continue to be in awe of how tall she is.  How tall, and how perfect.  Yesterday, I could have had 100 Stellas.

 Current Stats 

19 1/2 lbs (88%)
29 inches (99%)

Stella wore The Puff out yesterday.  It was almost cold enough.  It almost fit in the stroller.  I was in heaven.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

I can't imagine not wanting to see Stella in her costume.  My original visions involved somewhat clever, homemade costumes for the whole family.  But then, time flew by (see post below).  Luckily GG had the foresight to pick up an adorable costume.

Trying it on with GG.  Love her peeking over her shoulder and that pudgy cheek.

Naturally she ingested several leaves.

 Her friend, Eliana, was also a duck.  Same tights.  Fuzzier body.  Both adorable.

 We went to the park after taking a few pictures.  Stella took a few trips down the mini-slide and was pooped.  She was down for a nap less than 15 minutes after this picture was taken.