4 months

First of all, how did that happen!?!?!

Our little Neva is now 4 months old! And she is thriving! We took her in for her well child check-up today and she weighed in at 12 lbs. 14 oz. - up 5 lbs. 7 oz. from her birth weight! And she is 25 inches long, up 4 from birth!! Luckily for her, she's built like her Dad...tall and skinny!!

I swear she gets more and more fun every single day! She has really started laughing, which is unbelievable! Tonight as I was trying to put her to bed, she just wanted to talk and laugh. How can you not give in to that? She babbled and giggled back and forth with me for a good 5 minutes. Melts my heart.

She is really enjoying her activity mats. She likes to see what's going on abover her and also LOVES to be on her tummy and check out the stuff on the mat. She also likes to play with the toys hanging from her papisan chairs and has really started batting at them, grabbing them and talking to them.

She has also rolled a few more times, which is really cool for us to watch! She is also kicking her legs like crazy and likes to practice standing. She is such a strong girl! She also likes to push WAY up on her arms when on her tummy...stong, strong!

She is just amazing, I tell you. If you haven't met her yet, get your buns over here and kiss these big ol' cheeks!


And this is just cute...Neva skyping with her Aunt Mandy and Cousin Elliott


And lastly, Baby Neva amongst the Christmas craziness

Ready for Change

I am beginning to dislike this time of year. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas...and this year was even better than ever!!! However, it seems I feel this way on an almost yearly basis. Antsy for change, antsy beyond belief. So, come on 2011...let's see what you've got! I'm ready for you!

On another note...Christmas this year was fantastic! Miss Neva didn't necessarily participate in the festivities, but buying presents for her and opening them with her made our day a lot more fun! She loved checking out each of her new toys, especially the ones the light up and make noise!

She has started all kinds of new tricks. She rolled over from her tummy to her back, pushing buttons on her toys and she has been giggling. She started the giggling awhile ago, but would only do it in her sleep. Now we get some giggles when she's awake! Especially when we blow raspberries on her tummy. She is also anticipating things more...she knows that when we say, "1-2-3" something fun will most likely take place immediately after and she grins from ear to ear! She also knows that when we say "up, up, up" we're going to practice sitting up and again, the biggest smile ever.

She totally rocks! And we are so in love!

One Year Ago (and a few days...)

December 16 marks the anniversary of the day I found out I was having a baby. Crazy how one short year can change your life forever.

Perhaps I'm feeling a bit sentimental because it's the holidays and I miss being with my family more than usual at this time of year, but this has been one of the best years of my life. Being pregnant was one of the most amazing times of my life. Bringing Neva into the world was by far the most impressive thing I have ever done. Having almost all of our family to come out to visit over the past 3.5 months has been unbelievable.

But then? Then, they leave. And my heart hurts. And it hurts more after every departure. During this time of year when we're supposed to be all happy and jolly, my heart feels very heavy. Luckily, we still have a few more visitors before the end of the year, but then it will slow down. And my heart will be all achy again.

This sad feeling has increased greatly with the arrival of Neva. It sure would be nice if she could see all of her grandparents, whenever we wanted. It would be tons of fun for her to be able to play with her cousins on a weekly basis, rather than a quarterly basis.

And the weird thing is, before Neva was born, it wasn't so bad. Don't get me wrong, I missed my family everday. But nothing like this! Having a child definitley makes you realize how important and amazing family truly is.

The difference a year makes.

Happy holidays to all of you!!! And much, much love!

3 months

I now have a 3 month old. I cannot believe Neva has been in our lives for 3 months already. It feels like just yesterday that she arrived!

Neva is doing all kinds of things these days! She has found her thumb and loves to suck on it! She also thinks her hands are two of the coolest things she has ever seen. She can sit for quite awhile in her Bumbo chair, which is very cool. Also very exhausting for a little girl! She has started to blow bubbles and blow raspberries with her mouth!

Neva also continues to be very vocal...all girl, this one! She will make sounds and loves to have them repeated back to her. She will also try to imitate what we say to her, if it's in her vocabulary! And this goes on for several minutes...so cool!

One of her most endearing qualities, in my opinion, is holding things with her sweet little hands. This usually consists of a finger or my shirt while she's eating. However, there are some nights when driving home from Ronda's where a pacifier just doesn't cut it and the only way she is calm, is if she's holding my hand. It is so sweet...and almost brings me to tears every time it happens!

We love this little girl so much...and it just keeps getting better everyday!

Thank You

Seems only fitting that one should talk about the things they are grateful for as Thanksgiving quickly approaches, so here goes.

I'm thankful for:

Being married to the most amazing man, who treats me like a queen.

Having a healthy, thriving, beautiful baby girl who melts my heart everyday.

Being surrounded by loving friends, near and far.

Having the BEST family a girl could ask for, all whom I miss dearly EVERYDAY.

Being healthy and happy.

Having a job, especially in this economy...and a job that I enjoy.

My gratitude seems to grow immensely everyday. Being a parent is an extremely humbling job and makes me much more appreciative of the people in my life. So, thank you, each and every one of you for how you have touched my life.

10 weeks

It's been 10 whole weeks since Miss Neva was born. I cannot believe she's already 2 months old, I also can't believe all that I've learned.

10 weeks ago...
I had no idea what true, unconditional love was.
I had no idea what it meant to be truly selfless.
Time didn't move as quickly.
I thought I was busy.
I thought I wanted a son.
I didn't know how much I could love someone.
I didn't cry as much.
I didn't smile as much.
I didn't worry as much.
I wasn't a mom.

Life sure has changed over the past 10 weeks...

4 days

1 week

2 weeks

3 weeks

4 weeks

5 weeks

6 weeks

7 weeks

8 weeks

9 weeks

10 weeks

Fall back

Oh the dreaded time change...I enjoy falling back much more than springing forward, but either way it goes, I am always completely thrown off. However, I just have to brag that little Neva slept from 10:30 last night to 6:30...and then went back to bed until almost 10:00. Must have had an effect on her little body, and we got to reap the benefits! And IT.WAS.AWESOME!

She had her 2 month check up on Friday. Weighed in at 10 pounds 0.3 ounces, 23.75 inches long. She's in the 25th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height. Wonder where she got that build!?!?! Lucky little lady! She also got a couple shots at this appointment...and I cried almost as much as she did. Hard stuff to watch them do that to your baby!!!

Neva and Eric got a little one on one time together today while I went to a friend's baby shower. She gave him a run for his money, but they did pretty well together! And I enjoyed being away for a few hours...can't believe this is the first time this has happened! Hoping she can be nice to her Dad so that I can get back to bellydancing sooner than later!!!

She continues to do amazing things...smiling, tracking objects, holding her head up when pulled to sitting. All right on track. And all quite amazing to me! I so love to watch her meet each developmental milestone...it is so cool!

Also??? We bought a new couch over the weekend!!! Our new one will be here on Tuesday and I am beyond excited!!! Another thing to mark of my 101 in 1001 list! Will post pics of us lounging on our sweet new sofa once it arrives.