Last week was entirely too long without my little munchkin. Liana spent the week with her Grammy in New Hampshire, while I was left only with pictures and her toys at home. I was well aware that I’d miss my peanut every second she was away, but I was not quite prepared for this. Without a babbling baby alarm clock, a dirty butt to wipe, a hungry mouth to aim an airplane spoon into, and a ‘tiny foot’ to tickle, I wasn’t quite sure how to spend my newly found “freedom.” Naturally, I pined over photos and anything that reminded me of her. I found myself giggling in otherwise silence remembering something that she had done the week prior. Oh, how I missed that little one!

Mommy Guilt

I thought about how much I missed her every single day. Ashton and I got some much needed time together and went out several nights after work since we literally never get the chance. There were a few evenings we arrived home after work and I immediately changed into comfy clothes and plopped on the bed to relax and I thought how nice it was to do just that: relax. On a normal day, we come home and entertain Liana for a half hour before making and feeding her dinner while we eat dinner and then getting her ready for bed. It was refreshing to be able to sink into the bed of our air conditioned room and not have to move a muscle. Except to grab a blanket within five minutes because I actually despise air conditioning for the most part.

But then... the guilt set in. I'm a mother. I am supposed to want to take care of my child. The moment my baby came into this world, I was no longer supposed to be selfish. A good mother will put the needs of her child before her own. But there I was, glad to be freed of that responsibility. How could I be so selfish? I'm still struggling with the fine line of taking care of myself and taking care of Liana. A lot of the time I want to completely immerse myself into her world. I want to play with her all day, teach her new things, make memories with her, and document those memories so she can look back on them in the future. Where does that leave me? Who am I if not in her world? I have had to learn that I am not only 'Liana's mum'. There is much more to me that being a mother (although that is the biggest and most important part!). To keep my sanity, I have to be able to relax once in a while--as hard as it is to do so. And I have to do things that are just for me once in a while, too (...like shopping!). Fighting my way through the guilt, I've come to the conclusion that it is okay to be relieved that mommy responsibilities are put on hold when I trust that Liana is under good care by someone else, whether it be her Grammy or her daycare or a babysitter for a few hours. I'm trying to let go of the guilt because I need the enjoyment of being without my sidekick every now and then. I keep telling myself that it is good for the both of us to be a part.



Upon being reunited with my little lion cub at the end of the week, I immediately had gotten the sense that she was somehow smarter. She grew in just the eight days that we were a part. I've started putting more trust in her and letting her show me that she understands what is going on. This morning just as a test, when she picked up a clothing tag from my bedroom floor I asked, "Liana, can you put that in the trash?" To my surprise she walked out of the room and stood in front of the bathroom door and looked back at me. I got up and opened the door and watched as she waddled in and very daintily placed the tag in the bottom of the trashcan. Later, I heard her smacking her lips as I was almost to the bottom of my cup of chocolate milk. As we made eye contact, she reached out for the cup. This is pushing it a little too far, I thought. But I decided to give it a shot anyway and handed her the cup. With only a tiny dribble down her chin, she knocked back the rest of the chocolate milk like she had been drinking out of a normal cup for months! Well done, Liana!


**The photos were taken at the Freetown State Forest wading pool.

I receive regular emails from several pregnancy/baby websites (BabyCenter, the bump, Mom Bloggers Club, etc) and lately I have been seeing about a MILLION different views regarding infant sleep training. I realized I haven't really covered a lot regarding how well Liana sleeps and the journey it took to get us here.

Now, I know that Ashton and I have had it pretty damn easy with regards to getting Liana to sleep through the night, but I just wanted to share our journey and the little tips that have worked for us along the way, beginning the day she came home from the hospital.

One Week Old

1. From day one, let your baby nap/sleep whenever s/he wants to.

I learned very early on that it isn't in mine or my baby's best interest to hold her off from sleep or trying to wake her too soon. Doing either of these can easily cause a cranky baby and can sometimes affect her feeding schedule, which also puts pressure on her sleeping schedule. It's a terrible cycle that I went through for a few days and never again did I try distracting her from sleep!! A well rested baby is a happy baby!

Seven Weeks Old

2. Turn all the lights out when putting your baby down to sleep at night.

From day one when putting Liana down to sleep at night I put her in a quiet dark room. Actually, for her first six weeks we practiced co-sleeping, so we both went in a quiet dark room and didn't turn on any lights until it was time to wake up for the day. This helped her get a sense of night and day and she learned when she should get ready for a longer sleep. When she naps during the day, I don't go out of my way to keep things quiet or turning out any lights.

Thirteen Weeks Old

3. Your baby's "sleeping" location should be different from his/her "napping" location--at least at first.

For the first six weeks when we were co-sleeping, we actually slept on a futon in the living room so we wouldn't wake up Ashton several times a night since he works early in the morning. But we always laid down the same way together and she eventually moved to her bassinet at night. During the day I let her nap wherever she wants (in her carrier, in the car, stroller, our bed, the couch, my arms, etc). Now that she is becoming mobile, I do often place her in her bassinet.

Seventeen Weeks Old

4. Follow a consistent routine before bed each night.

Liana was super easy with this. I know many parents have to do bathtime, a feeding, read a book, etc, but Liana usually takes an evening nap (about 30 mins) and then wakes for a slightly larger bottle (1 oz more than she takes during the day), then she is out for the night. Literally. She sleeps about 10 hours before waking up at all. But we make sure she does this EVERY night. For some reason if she misses her 30 min nap or doesn't take her full bottle she will either be cranky before bed or she'll wake up earlier in the morning.

Twenty One Weeks Old

5. Don't talk or play with your baby or turn on any lights during night feeds.

Exactly this. I never tried having social time or play time with Liana in the middle of the night. I also avoid harsh lighting (obviously enough to be able to feed her), and often times wouldn't change her diaper in the middle of the night either. I wanted her to understand we are only awake because she is hungry and as soon as I finished feeding her (whether she had nodded off or not) I would put her back down to bed. There were only a handful of times in the beginning when she got whiny and protested sleep in the middle of the night, but by two months, she got the hang of it and has yet to be cranky after a night feed.

Twenty Four Weeks Old

6. Don't wake your baby unless you really need to (removing from car seat, medical reason, etc).

Like I stated earlier, a well rested baby is a happy baby. Waking her early only causes moodiness, which can often affect the rest of her day. She is harder to soothe and becomes more clingy if I wake her from a nap too soon. For the few times that I have to wake her up, I do so slowly and cautiously. I play with her hands and feet until she becomes aware I am touching her, and I start talking to her in a low soothing voice when she starts opening her eyes. I find she is in a much better mood when she is calmly woken up as opposed to suddenly woken up.

Twenty Six Weeks Old

7. Make sure your baby naps during the day.

Naps during the day are so important for babies. The amount of sleep that babies get affect their mood, their feedings, their sociability, and their development (among other things). I often hear parents saying that they limit the amount of time their baby naps because they want him/her to sleep longer at night. Many times their plan actually works against them because babies need several naps for brain development and without them, they are incapable of sleeping longer periods at a time. Liana still naps about four times a day, but she only needs 30 mins to an hour and a half to re-energize herself, then she still sleeps 8-10 hours through the night (without waking).

Twenty Eight Weeks Old

8. Do what works for YOU and YOUR BABY. Don't force it.

Honestly, don't listen to other people when they tell you how to "train" your infant and when to let them 'cry it out' or not to feed them in the middle of the night. If you feel uncomfortable letting your baby cry alone in their crib in the dark for fifteen minutes, DON'T DO IT. If you are sensing your baby is hungry in the night and isn't just waking for another reason, FEED HER. So many parents live by the 'cry it out' method and will let their child cry until they fall asleep. I personally can't do that. Others will say not to feed them in the middle of the night because the baby will be spoiled and learn that he will always get what he wants and will take a long time to sleep through the night properly. People may give you advice, and that is great, but only try it if you are comfortable and you feel that it is what is best for your family. If one method doesn't seem to be working, try another. Don't force your baby into a routine that she is going to spend the next few years fighting you on.


Does your baby sleep through the night? What is your nightly routine? How long did it take to establish?









*Disclaimer: I am not in any way stating that these tips will work for all parents and all babies. I am not saying any of these are medically or psychologically advised in any way. These are the tips and tricks that worked best for my family, and may need to be reevaluated to suit your family's needs.

 
Liana had her six month birthday last week! Her growth and development have been absolutely incredible. Baby girl is sporting her two front bottom teeth like it's no ones business, and a THIRD tooth just broke through as well! (Am I the only one who finds it weird that she has three bottom teeth but no top teeth?) We've been experimenting with solid foods and so far she seems to enjoy avocado, peas, strawberries, and apples. I gave her a black bean once as well and she gobbled that right up. This weekend I decided to give her some veggie rice rusks and she took to them in seconds. Although it was her first food that she had to "chew" to eat, she put it in her mouth and bit it straight away! She hasn't liked banana the first 3-4 times she tried it, but we're going to try again before ruling it out.


Liana is has been sitting up completely unassisted for several weeks now and occasionally lifts herself up to her hands and knees for a few seconds, but has yet to get the hang of crawling. In fact, when she tries really hard, she only moves herself backwards. A few times she has gripped the floor and pulled herself forward (with the rest of her body lying flat on the floor) to move. She still sleeps well through the night and occasionally tells herself a story and puts herself to sleep at night if we lay her down when she shows signs of being tired. She's reacts to her feet, spine and back of her neck being tickled. She smiles and kicks when she sees Ashton or I walk into the room. Her overall mood is generally very happy and bouncy. She laughs, kicks, squeals and blows bubbles all day long. She is obsessed with all technology and anything that lights up. Her Taggie Puppy is her new favorite toy when I add in the sound effects.


I have been waiting to post this update until Liana had her six month appointment with her pediatrician so I can include her weight and other info. Little one is now a whopping 16.3 pounds! I checked out her growth chart and she is right on the 50th percentile with her weight, slightly under the average with her length (25 1/4 inches) and slightly over average with her head circumference (16 inches). So I've been joking saying she is a shorty with a big head!


After playing with Liana for a few moments (having her stand up holding her hands and observing the way she grasps objects), our pediatrician said not to be surprised if Liana starts grabbing furniture to pull herself up onto her feet and developing her "pincer" grasp (picking things up with just her fingers instead of her whole hand) very soon. My little sprout is just growing up so fast!!

I always thought I'd be writing about something much more glamorous for my 100th blog post, but well, this is the real Mummy life.

We have a queen size bed with two huge fluffy comforters on it and Liana was lying on her back near the head of the bed, surrounded by three pillows. I went downstairs (only a half flight, literally six stairs) to grab my glass of water I forgot on the counter.

Then I heard it. The "crash" from upstairs. I was worried, but not that it was her. I left my cell phone and camera on the bed as well and I thought she had gotten a hold of one and thrown it. Well, I was wrong.

I flew upstairs (forgetting my glass of water again) to find Liana laying on the floor at the foot of the bed just staring up at me, smiling. She was playing with the baby pumpkins she had painted last week and was rolling and throwing them around. So that was the noise I heard.

I am still completely baffled at how she managed to make it to the foot of the bed, roll off onto three pumpkins on the floor, and not have hurt herself. ???

I picked her up and did quite the Mummy inspection, feeling her head and undressing her to check for bruises or scrapes. She was giving me the serious face like, "Mum, what the hell are you doing? I just want to play with the pumpkins."

She doesn't seem hurt at all, but she sure is getting some extra cuddles and treats today (I gave her a strawberry earlier and later on she will be getting some peas and then apples).

My baby is secretly mobile, yikes!

 
I feel like a broke record when I write these updates, repeating how I can't believe how much time has passed and how big Liana is getting. Mothers always say "they grow so fast" and "these are the days you'll miss when they're older." And I know exactly what they mean. I see mums bring their newborns into my work and I think, "I remember when Liana was that small" and I miss it. I loved how tiny and fragile she seemed. I loved watching her sleep and kissing her face all smooshed up against my chest. I loved her tiny newborn clothes and waiting for her first smile.


I would never want to rewind or slow down time, though. Babies grow so rapidly and are constantly learning new things. Liana literally keeps me on the edge of my seat with what to expect next. I've seen her first smile, her first laugh, her first time rolling over, standing up on her feet, cooing, reaching for objects she wants, and resting her hands on her feet to attempt to sit up on her own.


Next will come actually sitting up on her own, responding to cause and effect games (like peek-a-boo), getting her first taste of solid food, developing an understanding of associations, sleeping in her own room, etc. I can't wait to experience her "firsts" with her and watch her little personality blossom.


Currently we are working on getting her to sit up on her own. Liana still does tummy time to strengthen muscles (by having to lift her head/neck/shoulders), improve coordination (by grabbing for toys in front of her), and promote mobility (by trying to get objects out of her reach or turn toward a noise). I also give her plenty of time to practice actually sitting. I will help her by holding her hands for balance, putting a pillow behind her (which she usually tries pulling her self away from so she can sit up even more), or resting her hands on her feet while she sits leaning forward (i have a clip of this for her next video!).


I love trying to show her new things, but I'm trying to be patient and let her figure certain things out on her own. I am starting to offer her more toys so she can choose what she wants to explore and play with. She always looks so thoughtful and I can tell when she is really trying to figure something out because her eyebrows will scrunch together and she won't lose focus unless I literally pull her away. She focuses a lot when she plays with the toys on her new exersaucer.


After sitting up on her own, I think our next feat will be letting her sleep in her own room (eek!---sad mummy day) and letting her taste real food! Those will probably be between 5-6 months though. But I am so excited!

Check out a clip of Liana's laughing fit this week:

Yesterday I was all prepared for my mom to come down and visit for the day and Liana and I sat outside to await her arrival. She made quite the entrance, driving her birthday present up the driveway: a yellow and black Mustang convertible! And not only that but she also brought Desiree with her. Liana had the biggest smiles ready for her Grammy and Auntie.


I gave them a tour of our new home (I think I mentioned already that we recently moved again) and there was a lot of chatting and catching up. As our bellies grew hungry I prepared us some of the double cheese vegan lasagna that I made on Wednesday night for Ashton's birthday. I was so excited they both loved it and wanted the recipe!
We decided to get out of the house and go to Dighton Rock Park in Berkley for a walk. I hadn't been there before and didn't know what to expect, but it turned out alright. It seemed like a good spot to have a picnic and the water scene was beautiful, but the paths were a bit overgrown and unkempt. We attempted one of the paths, but Liana was having a tough time handling the hike in her stroller. We visited the museum and signed our names and where we were from in the guest book. There were entries dating back to July 2006!


After Liana had her afternoon lunch, we packed up and headed home to meet up with Ashton, who arrived home from work right around the same time we did. We chatted some more and made peanut butter and homemade jelly sandwiches. Yum!
I was having so much fun watching Liana with her Grammy and Auntie, it was sad watching them go. And soon after they left, Ashton went out to a friend's house, so Ani and I were hanging out just the two of us for the rest of the night. To put an unexpected closure to a perfect day, Liana let me hear her laugh for the very first time! I was playing around with her while she was sitting in her bouncer, and out of nowhere she started laughing. I was so surprised and excited. I absolutely wanted to capture the moment, but my phone and camera were upstairs. Luckily I had my computer on the counter so I opened Photobooth and tilted the screen down toward the floor so the webcam could peak at Liana. I managed to catch just the end of her laughing, but it is still super cute. I immediately uploaded the short video to YouTube so I could share the amazing moment.


It's not good quality video, but it's her first ever laugh! Enjoy!

Hello again! I realize I have been quite MIA on here lately, but there was no way I would miss posting about Liana's past month! We've been super busy with moving (once again) and I am juggling being back at work and trying to get out of the house with Liana on my days off. I'm hoping to get into a better blogging routine soon, so I can post more often.


Growth! Liana is growing like a little weed! My little munchkin is probably nearly double her birth weight now. Most people look at her and comment on how tiny she is. I agree with them, but I know being her parent allows me to also see how big she is at the same time. She is smiling all the time now, even at strangers, which I am happy about! Our pediatrician mentioned (and I've read about) babies developing separation anxiety between 2-4 months, and one of the signs is selective smiling (reserving smiles only for mummy and daddy). Another sign is waking more at night and looking around to make sure her parents are close by, but Liana doesn't do this either. I think it's because she spends most of her waking time with us and there aren't really periods of time when we set her down and walk away.


Strength! For over a month now, Liana has been bearing her weight down on her feet like she is ready to stand. She obviously lacks the balance and coordination to stand up on her own, but by practicing while holding my hands she is building up strength in her legs. Our pediatrician and my baby emails say babies start bearing their weight down around 4 months and Liana has been doing it since before she was 2 months old! I'm not surprised though; the day she was born I had her laying on my chest and when she heard a noise she lifted her head off of me and turned her head to both sides before laying it back down and completely surprised the nurse! I also think Liana is really close to sitting up on her own. My baby emails say that on average babies sit up at around 4 months, so I think she is right on track. When I lay down and sit her on my belly with my legs behind her, she pulls herself forward to sit all the way up (instead of just laying back resting on my legs). She usually overshoots and pulls too much and ends up falling forward. I usually catch her with my hands and let her push her hands off of mine to sit up straight again, but she usually overshoots again, pushing too hard, and resting her back on my legs again. She knows how to push and pull herself forward and backward to get to where she wants, and as soon as she gains balance she will be able to sit on her own!! Another thing she does is when she is laying down and holding my hands, she grips my hands pretty hard and uses them to pull herself into a sitting position, and then bears down hard on her feet and with another giant pull she straightens out her legs and uses my hands to pull herself into a standing position! I'm going to see if I can get a video of her doing this so you know what I'm talking about. She is just so strong it honestly amazes me!


Changes! On numerous occasions I've caught Liana sleeping on her side. Previously, she would only sleep on her back. I got her to sleep on her tummy only once but I deliberately put her like that to see if she would like it. She's not a very picky sleeper though and sleeps through pretty much everything and can sleep anywhere. Which also brings me to her bassinet! I didn't think she was going to sleep in it, but since we moved I was adamant about getting her to use it. Her regular sleep schedule at night is from 10-6. This first two nights in her bassinet she went down between 9:30-10pm and woke up around 3am. We figured out it wasn't the bassinet though, it was because she was too cold! After adding another blanket (covering up to her belly button), she has slept through until 6-6:45! (Last night, for example, she slept from 9:30pm-6:45am). She also still enjoys her morning nap too. She eats right away when she wakes up between 6-6:45am and then naps until her next meal at 9-9:30am.


Development! Liana is working on developing hand/eye coordination. She hasn't successfully reached out, grabbed, and held onto anything yet, but yesterday she was pretty close. I always have my cell phone all up in her face since I use it to take pictures/videos of her and while the camera was on she reached out and grabbed the side of my phone and tried dragging it away, haha! I think I'm going to put more toys on the floor with her during tummy time and on the tray of her high chair so she can work on grabbing them. I also haven't heard Ani laugh yet! She is a whole bundle of smiles, showing off her gums at any chance she gets, but she hasn't even let out a giggle yet. I'm trying to wait patiently, but she is really testing me!!


**Please excuse the continuously grainy and washed out pictures. I am still using my cell phone for photos! :( **

This week has been.... let's just say, "horrendous". And there's still half of the week left. I'm not one to post negativity on my blog, but I suppose I'll tell it like it is.

I've had planned for several weeks that this Monday was to be my first day back at work and I spent a lot of time in my head preparing myself. We picked out a day care and took a little tour and everything was to be all set on that end. I knew I'd be upset when I left Liana for the first time, especially her being in someone else's care. I had to keep reassuring myself that these people are trained professionals and that nothing was going to happen to her. But I was still working myself up with pre-separation anxiety. I wondered if Liana was feeling the same way.

Monday came and Ashton went off to work in the morning as usual. Due to some (partially) unforeseen circumstances, Liana, however, did not go to day care. I brought her to work with me around noon and Ashton took a half day from work and met up with me to pick up Liana. Things were not going as planned. I hate to admit I was slightly relieved knowing that Liana would be home with her daddy while I was at work. Of course three hours into my shift I took a break and still called home to check up on her. I missed her so much. She will be in day care soon and I know I'll miss her even more. I just hope she doesn't get separation anxiety from me too badly. :(

Also while "unenjoying" my first day back at work, something else completely unexpected happened to me. How do I put this lightly...? My first set of ... monthly lady problems ... since I got pregnant decided to peek in on me and see how I was doing. I tried to tell her I was delighted by her ten month absence and that she could continue her vacation for a little longer, but she insisted on staying. Maybe some of you have experienced this, but for those women who haven't and men that never will, let me tell you about one thing in life that can cause more pain than childbirth. I had read about and heard from a friend that your first menstrual cycle after giving birth can be a little shocking and pretty awful. I was so naive thinking "how bad can it be?" THE WORST. The heaviest and most painful I have ever experienced! I was literally bending over in pain. It was embarrassing enough to have this happen at work, but then I had to pretend like it wasn't happening. I had a terrible night of sleep due to the cramps and the next morning I couldn't wait to take a hot shower (hot showers have always helped with my cramps, I think this is why I wanted the tub when I was in labor!). I woke up and I think Ashton was a little disturbed by my state and quickly offered to go out and get me any kind of medicine. Yes, please! So now I know what to expect (and to dread) next time. And so do any of you planning for your first child. Don't do it!! No, I am kidding, I would definitely do it again to be blessed with such a beautiful baby. But honestly, I felt like my body was being sneaky for ten months making me think I was getting off scot-free, and then got a good laugh when it threw this on my plate my first day back at work. Ha. Ha. (Note the sarcasm.)

Later on Tuesday I was feeling a little better due to the meds, but then something ELSE happened on my way to work. I think it was an allergic reaction to the pollen or maybe something got in my eye, but whatever it was made the bottom of my left eye swell up like a balloon! I had about an hour drive to work and I could only half see out of my left eye. Day number two back to work wasn't looking any better than day number one. Long story short, the swelling didn't start going down until half way through the day and wasn't completely gone until the next morning. I spent yet another day being embarrassed because several new employees started working while I was on leave and I had to meet them looking like I got stung in the face by a bee. I had to tell everyone I talked to right away that I was allergic to the pollen or something so they didn't think my eye always looked like that! Eww. Needless to say I spent most of the day avoiding eye contact with co-workers and failing to avoid customers.

Wednesday came and it was time for another trip to see Liana's pediatrician. Baby girl is up to 10 lbs, 4oz! I have to mention that I should be given an award for often guessing her weight so accurately. Ashton guessed 11 lbs (he always thinks she's a fatty), and I guessed 10-4! I think to be exact she was 10-4.4. Today was the day I had to watch Liana get her first round of infant vaccines. I turned around and picked up my phone to distract myself as Ashton held Liana and the needles were being prepared. I think I actually tweeted about it at that moment... I turned back around just in time to see her getting the third injection and getting cute little band aids on them. Liana let out a cry and Ashton immediately scooped her up to console her. I had tears in my eyes and was afraid I'd start balling. But Liana was quite the little trooper! Literally only a few moments of tears and she was over it! She did amazingly and it made me feel so much better--no actual tears fell from my eyes either. Yay, no need for the embarrassment, haha.


Sorry for the blurry picture, she really is quite the squirmer! She had to drink one of the vaccines and the other three were in her legs, as you can see two band aids in the picture.

I really hope the second half of this week is better than the first. I'm guessing it will be since it involves a pay check and a wedding! :)

For this little photo shoot I decided on a soot sprite theme (to match her nursery). I only wish she was wearing a little Totoro hat to fit in! She started to get a bit fussy with me so we took a break and jumped in the shower and then she felt much better for the rest and even fell asleep toward the end. Seriously, I got the cutest pictures of her when she got sleepy. You'll see.


Little roo is six weeks old today! I honestly don't even know where the time is going. So much is changing so fast, sometimes I wake up and I'm like, "Wait, I gave birth? I was just pregnant yesterday!" And I so, so miss being pregnant. If I'm sad about anything right now, it's definitely the fact that my belly is flat again. :( There's no way to truly describe it, but I never felt more confident and alive than when I was pregnant. Not to mention, baby girl gave me practically flawless skin and no monthly visits from auntie! lol


Liana news! She can see quite a bit more now and is focusing on and tracking all kinds of moving objects and noises. She seems to really like her new Hello Kitty because of the noise it makes. She holds her head up all the time now and is still practicing rolling over. I'm pretty sure she recognizes her bottle because she gets slightly calmer when she sees it coming (sometimes she's a little too frantic to notice though!). I can't believe how smart she is getting!


Just as things were becoming fairly regular, munchkin has picked up a new sleeping pattern (go figure!). She still sleeps for a good six hour stretch every night, but it is gradually becoming later. What was once 9pm-3am, has now become 11pm-5am. Last night, however, she threw me a complete curveball and decided 7:45pm-2am was best. Whatever the time, I absolutely adore watching her sleep. I get very broken sleep as it is, but sometimes when I wake up to feed her and lay her back down, I still watch her for another half hour or so while she sleeps. I just can't help it!


I know I've been saying how much I love the Moby wrap and that we just purchased an Evenflo carrier, but I have discovered yet another method of babywearing: the sling! I have a Hotslings carrier that is probably the quickest one to use. It is slightly lacking in comfort (for both me and Liana) but it is by far the simplest one to use. Just throw it over your head and one arm and slip baby in between the fabric of the front. Since it isn't the comfiest to wear around, this one is best used when I'm sitting down. It's great for when Liana has just finished eating and is super tired but is fighting off sleep. I slip her in the sling and she nods off within minutes. Perfect!


As every new mum thinks, I have the most beautiful and intelligent little girl there is! She is changing so quickly and I don't want to miss a thing. So naturally, I take a billion pictures of her to the point where she gets pretty annoyed with me! Everything she does is so cute, I don't think I could get a bad picture of her. Along with the every day candid shots, I also enjoy setting up mini photo shoots with her. As long as I can think up new themes and poses (and can find the time when I go back to work), I want to continue with these once a month. How cute will it be to compile these monthly photo shoots for her first birthday?!


I hope you enjoyed this week's photos. I added these and the rest of the pictures from this photo shoot to her one month photo page accessible from the menu above (or you can click here to see them). Hopefully she lets me continue these on a regular basis!


Lastly, I will leave you with this mini clip of what could possibly be her first tiny smile!