Sleeping Beauty

While visiting Erika in Nebraska, I rifled through a stack of snapshots of Ben and saw a ton of him sleeping. Ah, a sleeping baby - what a sweet sight. Then, it suddenly occurred to me - I hardly have any pictures of Mira asleep! I don't know why...I guess I'm too busy staring at her sweet, beautiful face to remember to get the camera! Now I snap pictures of her sleeping every chance I get!

Grocery shopping is a great time for a quick snooze. (She's already got all the groceries she needs!)

Look Mom - no paci!! (I love how she has her little leg tucked up under the other, and she looks so long!)

Mommy's arms....the perfect place for a nice long nap. (Until I blind her with the flash of a camera! j/k - she didn't stir a bit!)

My second favorite spot: Mommy & Daddy's bed!! Ah...sateen sheets, a soft pillow, my paci, and a burp cloth to snuggle...this is nirvana! (YES, I realize we're creating a monster!)

Accessorize!

My Aunt Con got me this hat in Guatamala - Aunt Kara helped me style it, so that I look super-fly!

My hair is long enough and thick enough to hold a bow! This is so silly...I look CRAZY!

As if the bow wasn't bad enough...CoCo put this poofy headband on me! Now I look like I'm ready to head to the BINGO parlor!!

A Jumpin' Good Time!

Grandma Sheila got Mira a Jumparoo, Daddy assembled it, and Mira loved it!! I know she's going to enjoy it more and more every time she gets in. She was a little overwhelmed at first by all the sights and sounds, but she still had a great time! Notice that at less than 4 months old, she's able to hold her head and body up all by herself (we didn't have to pad it at all)!! Here's just a short clip of her first try:

Lincoln Capitol

We were pretty impressed with the capitol building there in Lincoln...here are a few examples of the beautiful details:

Tile mosaic floors...Kenny took a picture of the turtle for my mom.

Great door...Kenny took this one for Kara who "collects" doors.

Ceiling...I artworked this one a bit, obviously.

Another beautiful ceiling.

One more ceiling...lot of great ceilings in this place!

My New Friend Ben

We just got back from a long (but too short) weekend with Erika, Michael, and Benjamin up in Lincoln, Nebraska where it is VERY cold and VERY windy.

We had such a good time visiting and catching up. We hadn't seen Erika and Michael in over 3 years (at their wedding), and this was our first time to meet Ben! He's such a cutie and such a big boy - he's sitting up all by himself! I can't believe Mira's going to be that big someday (and soon!). *sniff*

We got lots of great photos and video while there. Ben and Mira had fun playing together; they fought over toys, Mira sat up in her new "Bumbo" chair (a gift from Uncle Michael & Aunt Erika) alongside Ben, and Ben entertained Mira by bouncing like a wild man in his "jumparoo." They made each other smile a few times! =)

Mira and Ben argue over a toy! How cute! I'm sure their spats will be more dramatic the next time we visit - they'll probably both be toddlers! Yikes! ;)

Ben's eyeing that cup, but Mira stealthily moves it further away...

Mira tells Ben, "If you take all the toys, I will eat your hand! Ha Ha!!" But, Benjamin doesn't seem to mind this punishment.

Mira gives us her "serious" face while posing with "Standing Bear" at the Lincoln Capitol building.

Ben gets a bath then cuddles with Mommy...ah, what a life! Isn't he adorable?!

More Giggles!!

Daddy makes Mira laugh big by throwin' her around a little...he got slobbered in the act!

Happy Mardi Gras!!!!

It's all about the beads!!!

More great video of Mira! Reasie and Mira were practicing tummy time. The ending is a little shaky, but good nonetheless! Enjoy!

A few pictures...

Daddy surprised us and showed up at Gymboree with Mason's daddy, Matthew - how nice!!! We love Gymboree...we LOVE Daddy...Daddy at Gymboree - Wowzers!!! What a great day!

Mirabelle's first (of many) Mudbug's game. She enjoyed the noise and the people watching. She was quite content through the whole game!

Mira got her picture with Clawd, Lil' Bugger, and the Dodge Ram at the hockey game.

Practicing holding a bottle all by herself...well, really, it's mostly propped up on her oversized mittens. ;) We had to stay bundled up at the Mudbug's game!

Here's some more video of Mira giggling away!

Mira found her feet!!!!!

Mira found her feet!! This was the first time her feet caught her eye and it got her going pretty good. There were some great belly laughs! She has also found her hands, which was the big thing about a week and a half ago. She keeps on making great developmental leaps; it is amazing to watch! It's amazing how proud you get over just small stuff, i.e. her finding her feet. :) Enjoy the video!!

We are off to go take Mira to her first Mudbugs game. The Montgomerys will also be joining us (I think Mason is going to sport his crawfish costume; can we say Jumbo-tron!).

2 Month Well Baby

The doctor's visit went well. We really liked our new pediatrician, Dr. Margaret Crittell. The staff was great, too. All were friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, and patient. They are moving into a new facility soon, so that will be a bonus!

Mira weighed in at 12 pounds and measured 22 3/4 inches in length. We didn't ask for the percentile, but it's probaly the same as before...

Mira only had to get 2 shots rather than the 4 that we were anticipating. They recently switched to the vaccine that combines three of the shots in one. She also had one oral vaccine - a sweet substance that she seemed to enjoy! :) So, that's 5 vaccines in all!!

After worrying myself sick all week, I actually did very well when the actual shots took place. It went fairly quickly, and I was so relieved that we were getting only 2 instead of 4 that I didn't even cry! I just scooped Mira up as soon as that last band aid went on and focused on convincing her that it was over. ;) She really didn't even cry that much - not nearly as much as I was expecting. So, I got myself all worked up, and in the end, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

She goes back at 4 months (in March), and that's when we will talk about starting "real" food!!! I'm stoked!!!

Tonight is the big night - Mira's first babysitter while Kenny & I go out with Uncle Kenny & Aunt CoCo!! I'm super excited about the concert and having a little break from feedings and diaper changes. On the other hand, I am very anxious, and I know I will miss her terribly!! I'm pretty sure I'll have to fight myself not to want to leave the concert early! Katy will probably get a couple of texts throughout the evening... ;)

Well, I have a lot to do, so this entry will be a short one...

The dental work is done...for now. I have to go back Monday morning because the temporary crowns are not fitting so well, and my bite is off quite a bit. Since I'm supposed to avoid chewing on the side with the crowns (not to mention it hurts to bite on that side even if I could), that leaves me unable to chew at all!! It's hard to really understand how frustrating it is not to be able to chew your food! A liquid diet is just NOT satisfying!!! Most of the pain is in my jaw - stretching my mouth open further than it should for 2 1/2 hours did a number on my jaw muscles. A couple of times, they used a Children's Small wedge thing to keep my jaws stretched open...apparently, I have a small mouth...no fun for me or the dentist.

I hope, after Monday morning, things will be much better - I just want to be able to chew again! Then, I go back on Friday, so the dentist can check that everything is healing okay (where they extracted my wisdom teeth). And, then, I go back three weeks later to get my permanent crowns put in place. That's when it should all be done for good!!!

Kenny has been amazing, of course - taking care of me and Mira both. I'm so glad he was able to stay home with us on Friday. I ended up getting nauseas yesterday and today - not sure what caused it, but it was a good thing Kenny was there to take Mira!

Mira continues to amaze us with all her new talents...she has found her hands. She stares real hard at one then puts it in her mouth, then takes it out and stares at it some more. She nearly goes cross-eyed when she does it, but it's pretty awesome still!

She has reached the stage where she wants to put everything in her mouth. Of course, she can't quite get them in there when she wants to everytime, but you can see she's trying and gnaws away when she's successful. I'm still convinced she's working on teeth...tons of drooling & she's gnawing rather than sucking on my fingers...

She has really fallen in love with her toys now. She cracks up when we make them kiss her or let her kick or rattle them.

She's also started enjoying "Peek A Boo"!! She likes it best when you cover and uncover her face, but she gets a kick out of you hiding/showing your face, too.

She's turned into quite the talker...she coos and gurgles a ton! We have lots of great conversations. ;)

We have our 2 month Well Baby visit this Wednesday. We are seeing a new doctor this time; hopefully, we will be happier with her than with the previous doctor. I don't think she could be worse! She comes highly recommended.

Mira gets 4 shots this time, so I'm sure to bawl my eyes out. Apparently, one of the shots is a real zinger, and the medicine really stings. My stomach gets upset just thinking about it... :( I have a lot of questions this round, and I'm anxious to see how much Mira has grown, so I'm looking forward to the visit (other than the shots). I think she will weigh in at over 12 pounds!

Well, Kenny and Mira are both in bed, so I think I better get there, too! She's been sleeping 6 1/2 to 7 hours the past few nights, so we've tried to get in bed as soon as she goes down, so we can make the most of it. Tonight, I'll get shorted, since I've stayed up blogging!

So, today Mira and I went to Gymboree (had a blast!) and then went by the dentist to get my paperwork done and pick up my prescription for the medicine I will take to "relax" me before the tons of work I'll be getting. I've checked with the dentist and the pediatrician to be sure none of the meds will interfere with nursing. I've stocked up on expressed milk, so Kenny will be able to feed Mira until I'm feeling up to it. Hopefully, sooner rather than later!!

I'm a bit anxious about the procedures. Scared it will hurt, of course, but mostly worried about the recuperating period. I'm afraid my face will be swollen and sore for three days! Here's hoping for a speedy recovery!!

Next week, Kenny and I are going out to a concert with my brother, Kenny and sis-in-law Nicole. Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, and Darius Rucker are going to be in town; it should be a great show! I'm excited about getting out with the grown-ups and having Mira be taken care of for a few hours by a well-trusted friend. So, Katy will be Mira's first baby sitter!

Officially, Cousin Avi "baby sat" Mira first in the hospital when she was less than a day old! ;)

I'll do another update after the dental work!

First Plane Ride Goes Smoothly...Gymboree is a Blast!!

We had the unfortunate business of a last-minute trip to Ohio for Kenny's grandmother's funeral this past weekend. However, it was nice to see the family, as usual, and Mira did great for her first (of many) flights.

She slept most of each leg of the trip (four flights total). The last flight from DFW back to Shreveport was the most dodgey, but I managed to change a dirty diaper super-fast and then nursed her until she fell asleep for the rest of the flight.

I was so proud of how well she handled the stresses of such a whirl-wind trip...hours in her carseat, being jostled awake in order to get through security, freezing temperatures, and tons of different people to meet! She took it all in total stride and smiled a ton!

Her smiles (and even laughter) are getting more and more frequent, and we're able to elicit these sweet responses more and more - as opposed to them being mostly random.

She's also content to watch her mobile or sit in her bouncy seat for a bit longer periods of time which gives me a little more time to get things done.

We're looking forward to getting back on some sort of schedule now that the holidays have passed and we should be sitting tight at home for some time now.

Life is grand! =)

Casey & I took Mason & Mira to our first Gymboree class! It wa so much fun! Mira and I got off to a rocky start - running late and arriving hungry after only an hour since her last feeding! But, the class is very casual and totally okay with feeding, nursing, changing, etc. whenever you need to. So, we finished up a bottle as class started and then joined in on the fun!

They enjoyed tons of songs with motions and games to help balance, visual tracking, language development, and strength. We've been doing a lot of the activities here at home and can't wait to go back next week!

Our next big adventure is Jan. 16th when I'll have a ton of dental work done and be sort of out of commission (especially as far as nursing goes) for at least the rest of the day, if not longer. I'm stocking up on expressed milk...