Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas Eve




It is quite hard to believe that Christmas is almost here again. I am been super bad about updating the blog so maybe 2011 resolution will be to keep up with it. I have never been one to keep New Year's resolutions, so here's to 2011.

So the Lo Down from the past several weeks.

1. Probably our families most exciting news is that our very own Papi was ordained to the Sub-diaconate last week (12/19). A sub-deacon assists the priests and deacons during Liturgy (or Mass for all your Latin folks - we love you too, we just prefer the Greek form of the word). Lee will have more responsibilities around our little mission church. But even more exciting is that this puts him on the path to ordination to the diaconate some time next year - God willing. E and I skipped out on the 10-hours drive there and back so I have not seen any pics yet but they are coming.

2. Speaking of pics! The infamous pumpkin pic is here.



I already have big plans for a Christmas pic but its not Christmas quite yet so I will leave you in anticipation.

3. Speaking of all things Christmas. We did Christmas cards this year! The beebster was of course the pic on the card. Lee and I debating about when to send them out because we did not want them going out too early and if we waiting until the Christmas season (12/25 to 1/6-ish) most people have already taken the Christmas out of their homes so we mailed them about a week before Christmas. Last year we kept our tree up until Lent started! If you did not get one that means I don't have your address.

4. Other important news from the Mount. While Lee was in Ohio for his ordination, E and I were responsible for tree shopping. It is now a three year tradition to get a tree the last Sunday before Christmas at the NC Farmer's Market. Usually you can get a steal and this year was no different. I got a 13-14ft tree for $40! I think I could have gotten a better deal if Lee was there but whatever. My little brother --- well let's see, my younger brother who is taller than I got a cute little tree too and so did my parents! It was quite an adventure. E did not really care - she was just cold. When I got home one of my brother-in-laws and nephews came over and got the tree off the car, got it in the stand, in the house and straight the first time around! It was quite impressive! So many thanks to them. Normally Lee probably would have vetoed this tree because it is so so big but I think he likes it more because he did not have to get it in the house. Pics of that will come.

5. Okay so this is what everyone really wants. Bibita news!

a. We went the doctor not too long ago - 15 lbs is the latest! E was a superchamp getting her shots. She did not even cry until the second and third ones.

b. E's teethies are getting bigger - and sharper for that matter. I have been chomped down upon multiple times. She also is rolling over like a mad-woman. She can get across the room in a couple rolls and is pretty darn proud of it.

c. E has stayed at Grammy and Grandpa Joe's as well as Jibbe's all by herself for a night. No problems just follow the night-nights routine and she is golden - I say that now, hopefully it should continue. It is weird leaving her and knowing that we won't see her for at least 12 hours. I try not to worry but I do. When Lee and I get back she does not seem to fazed by our arrival - which is kinda a bummer. Well she is getting good practice.

d. E has hung out with her little Lamaze boyfriend B. B is three says younger than E and it is so nice to catch up with another mom while the bibis drool and looks at each other! He are some pics.






Happy last day of Advent.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Updates



Okay soooo sad that I have not posted anything recently so let's hit the highlights.

1. The Bibita and I survived our week with the Papi. Lee went out to CA to visit a friend and do more work for his deacon class. Side note, he will get ordained/installed a subdeacon 12.19.10 which is very exciting! Anyways, I did a detailed cleaning of the house and E was a super sport. She was thrilled to see her Papi come home.

2. New foods. E has been really into food. Fruits, veggies, a slight bit of ham and turkey, and rice cereal. Now rice cereal is quite bland and I think E got a clue and decided the same thing... so she started screaming at it. Last night I thought she would like it jazzed up a bit. Lee was making chili so I skimmed off a few spoonfuls and mixed it with the rice cereal. I tried it did not seem too spicy and E ate it down. Well what goes down might come back up and it certainly did around 11 pm right when Lee and I were getting ready for bed. E was not upset about this first sickly experience but she was super pitiful. Lee noted that this would certainly not be the last time we were changing sheets at midnight. So lesson learned, no chili for a while.

3. Turkey day. Thanksgiving was a blast and was quite action packed. Lee was helping prepare food Wednesday so E had the day off from work and hung out with her Papi and cooked. Thursday we headed to the Pines for Thanksgiving with my family. My twin uncles were there which always makes everything twice as fun! Great to catch up with aunts/uncles/cousins/friends. Then drove back to the Mount that night for the second day of Thanksgiving with Lee's family. E has 5 cousins on this side of the fam so she was showing off her rolling over skills and was having lots of cousin time. Overall rating... good food, good times, cannot wait until next year. Well we pretty much do the same thing over again for Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, Lee and I hit up Target and got ourselves some stockings. The Bibita got a bity stocking - it is super cute. I am actually working on cross-stitching her a stocking but that won't be ready this year. How about all those Christmas decorations? We won't get our tree until the Sunday before Christmas and it will not get trimmed/dressed (maybe I am confusing these words with Thanksgiving turkeys) until Christmas Eve. Advent people, Advent!!! We are also super excited about St. Nicholas coming to our house next Sunday night. His feast day is 12.6 so we will leave our shoes out and see what he has in store. Next year will be so much more fun because E will actually have a clue what is going on, but Lee and I are excited about it.

4. Teeth! So it appears E is teething her first toothy!!! Kinda makes me sad because I think that once babies start to have teeth they are officially toddlers! Not ready for a toddler but the Bibita is getting so big! We have our 6 month appt tomorrow....

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Six Months

Here's to the last 6 months that has been so amazing...


Fresh baby!


Out at Erin and Tom's wedding

Yes I did not go to Mary's wedding my doctor told me I couldn't!


E getting baptized


First splash in the pool

Battle wounds from the doctor

Papi reading to the beebster

Post bath!


Being so big with the Papi!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Times are Changing

Whoa this blog post is way past overdue. When my hubs asks for a blog update you know its bad. So let me try and recap for the past hmmm... two weeks. Okay.... where to start. A few Wednesdays ago E and I went to the Nursing Mothers of Wilson meeting (seriously so glad we had the beebster in Wilson even though it is not the closest hospital.) E got to catch up with some of her friends (my friends from Lamaze class etc). It is crazy the different stages that the babies are at! One of her friends is already crawling?!?! I am so glad Lee and I have not had to gate off our entire house to accomodate a bibis on the move. Oh and all the beebsters were dressed to the nines because it was Halloween. E of course sported the pumpkin costume (pics to come I promise)! One little guy was dressed as a lion - which was fabulous!

So on rolled the weekend. Lee was MIA because the bishop was 'in town' (slash on the other side of the state but that counts when he is traveling from Ohio). So E and I ventured to Raleigh-world to hang out with Grammy and Grandpa Joe for the weekend. They just got back from a quick trip to Europe so E made out with this super cute tobbogin which was very useful the next day. Mom and I carted Miss E to the farmers market for a pumpkin, flowers, veggies and an awesome find - salsa and chips? Yes the NC farmers market has some amazing salsa - I don't think it lasted more than a day or two at the house. So after the freezing cold morning E and Grammy hung out at the house while Dad and I went on our run before the run in the afternoon. It was crazy. We ran 10 miles. That was the fastest I had ran in my .5 marathon training and the furthest my Dad had run! ***More to come on the significance of this later.

To round off the weekend, E and I saw some friends from church Sunday morning, crashed at her cousins house for lunch and topped it off with a engagement/wedding shower for some of my dear Chapel Hill friends in the afternoon. As it was Halloween, E was required to wear the pumpkin costume at all times and she was a super big hit!

Now to relate back to the title. So E has always been a super hungry Bibita! But the milk just was not satisfying her so she has started eating fruits and veggies! It is kinda strange to me because she still seems too little but she seems to really like food. Still debating on the grind your own versus canned food but this is new for me too!!!

So her Papito got back into town late late Sunday and we hit the ground running for the week. Oh something hugely important happened 10/31... E rolled over by her self. 100%. It was so amazingly awesome! She was on her mat and I was unloading the cars and she was wedged in between some of her toys and I just knew she was going to roll. I did not say anything just watched her struggle for a few minutes and then let her bask in her amazingness before picking her up and giving her a huge squeeze! My little beebster!!! She has not really done it again and does not seem like she really wants to... standing up is much better.

Okay moving on for real now... Flash forward to the next weekend. The Raleigh .5 marathon... So Dad and I got up early Sunday AM 11/7 for this little deal. It was not completely horrible because of daylight savings time but really it was about 35 degrees outside. Oddly enough we ran into my friend RoHo... soon to be RoRo... before the race because she and her stepmom were running - random what are the chances of that??? Okay so Dad and I had a system because he had the watch and was setting the pace. RoHo and I had to go to the bathroom as all women have to go at the most inconvenient times and bam the race starts! (It was not really our fault people at the porta-potties take way too long... they need to have 1 minute and under line, 3 minutes and under and over 5 minutes) ANYWAYS... so my dad is gone and I don't have pacesetter or watch! So I frantically look around and stop every so often to try and find him. Finally about 3 miles into the race I catch up to him. Seriously such a relief! We finished in about 2:18 - five minutes before the first place marathon finisher finishes! That was about 10 minutes slower than I ran it 3 years ago. I know what you are thinking - you just had a baby. Well I had a baby 6 months ago and for all the preggos out there the last five pounds is the hardest to lose. Next time around I really hope I don't gain as much weight because even a .5 marathon cannot help me get it all the weight off!!! So I must start devising a new plan for getting these last lbs off... suggestions are welcome!

To cap off the day Lee cooked Chicken Picata for my parents birthdays (which are within a week of each other) and his famous roasted potatoes. Both of which were a huge hit! Daylight savings time seems to be messing with the Bibitas head though. She has been getting up in the 5 o'clock hour and wanting to take a nap an hour early. Hopefully this vicious cycle will be broken soon...

Monday, October 25, 2010

Morning Time Snuggles

This weekend was not as super crazy as past weekends have been. E was right on schedule and woke up around 6 am Saturday morning. As I blindly made the move to her crib and moved into our room I was dreading being up so early. After E had her fill she went back to sleep. We had a big family snuggle for two hours. It was so nice. Lee had to go to work - did I mention things are soooo busy around Swimworld! He worked until about 1 and then came home and cooked for four hours. My hubs is an amazing cook and anyone who has tried his food can attest to that fact. Chili and some Italian meat sauce were in the works. E loved watching her Papi make food!

Sunday it was off to Raleigh-world for church. We got an awesome surprise by some really great friends of ours. They were in our wedding and they along with their five kids were in town for Liturgy so it was so nice to see them and catch up. Maria is obviously a kid expert so she asked me if I was drinking coffee again (when I was preggo the smell of coffee made my stomach turn). I told her only on Sundays because I had a not so great experience with drinking coffee and E not taking a nap - on Sundays she is usually okay. Well, E must have heard us talking about it because yesterday she slept for maybe 1 hr - her usually is about 3-4 hours of total nap time. Needless to say I will not be drinking coffee again anytime soon. She is such a crabby-patty when she does not nap!

Also, Maria let me borrow her BecoBaby carrier which I think I have mentioned before - is a huge lifesaver. If I did not have this one on loaner I would definitely go buy one and spend 120 on it and not think twice.

To close out the not-so busy weekend we took E to pick out a pumpkin. I think we got a really good deal on it too. It is quite large and was only $12!!! We also took some pics of E in her amazing costume that I have been blogging about. It is pretty ridiculous and she will probably think that we are such crazy parents when we get older but whatever! I'll try and post some pis of that soon...

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Epic Naps, say what?!?!???

So E has been having a crazy nap schedule the last couple days. Seriously in the afternoons she has been napping for 2.5-3 hours. Awesome, especially at BR Global. I am still kind of in shock about it. Today at Swimworld she went down around 3:30 and we had to basically wake her up so that we could go home at 5;30???

If see what not sleeping in the fabulous pack and plays that I keep at work, E would be in the Beco Baby Carrier that I borrowed from a friend. That carrier is a super lifesaver. The carrier is great because E can be contained at work (and not in daycare...) and she can either sleep or just be happy. And happy Bibis means happy Mama!

In other news, E is babbling a lot more. I keep on Mamamamamamamamamamama and Papapapapapapapap in the hopes that E will pick up on it but I don't know if she's really listening. Also, E is trying to be so big. She was tring so hard to rollover so much... soon very very soon!!!!! I cannot believe that E is getting to be so super huge....

Sunday, October 17, 2010

That's a wrap

I cannot believe it is Sunday night again! Weekends fly with the Bibita around. She had a great weekend! We went to the Hill (that would be Chapel Hill / UNC / Carolina / where I graduated from) Saturday afternoon and Lee walked her around campus while I took photos of Robin and Ed (they are engaged and we are going to NOLA for their wedding in December!) Then she was a supertrooper while we caught up with more college friends for dinner at CPK. If you do not have a CA Pizza Kitchen in your area or have not patronized one, I highly recommend them!

While at the mall we made it to Pottery Barn Kids - I LOVE their baby stuff - to pick up the pumpkin costume. I am even more excited about it now that my hands are on it. We have a photo opt date next weekend. Hopefully we can find a pumpkin patch and the weather cooperates.

This week should be a thrill because I am pretty sure that E is coming down with a cold. Fingers crossed she is not but I am a realist. Lee is headed to the NC Fair but I think we will pass because E needs to get a little bigger so she can appreciate the smells and bells of the fair.

Happy Monday (almost)

Friday, October 15, 2010

Time with Papa

E loves spending time with her Daddio! Things at Swimworld have been crazy!!! so Lee has not had as much time as he would like to. Miss Elizabeth loves to be tossed in the air (not too high) by her Papi. Lee sort of gets her ready for this really cute music to lead up the flight. E is so cute because she recognizes the music and she gets super excited and she starts to get a huge smile on her face and then waits for lift off. She has started to think about giggling which is so cute! Any day now E should be rolling over but we are still waiting patiently!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Hungry, Hungry Bibis!

This week we have had super hungry baby issues. E is quite impatient in general and she is even more impatient when it comes to her food. She can thank me for her impatience issues so I think I am becoming more patient with the bibita's impatience. There are several things that I/we use to assist the bibita in her eating. So all you mommas and baby shower goers out there listen up:

1. My Brestfriend - This is very similar to a Boppy Pillow except a lot better - just ask the other Nursing Mothers of Wilson. I must admit the first place I heard about this was on 19 Kids and Counting - this woman knows about good baby stuff. My Brestfriend is much firmer than the Boppy and it clasps together whereas the Boppy does not go all the way around. Also, E slept in the My Brestfriend when she was super little. Kinda makes me sad because she definitely does not fit in it now.

2. Medela Pump Instyle - This is a lifesaver because I can pump and go places and other people can feed the beebster.

3. BreastFlow Bottles - E has loved these bottles since we gave them to her when she was about a month old. Some babies are super picking about their bottles but these have been good for E and she seems to go between me and bottle without a problem.

In other news things around Swimworld have been great! It is the middle of October and things have not slowed down. It would be nice to take a break this weekend but I think there will be some catching up with a number of friends. Having a baby has: 1. made vacations a lot less like vacations and much more exhausting, but totally more enjoyable and 2. made me have less time for staying in touch with friends - which is very important to me.

Here's to parenthood!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

From BHI with love

We just got back from a fun family filled weekend on Bald Head Island! Bald Head is such an amazing place because it is gorgeous and there are no cars - only golf carts. Lee and I were slightly reluctant to take Miss E because one cousin was sick earlier in the week but S was all better and we are so glad we made the trek.

We raced down from the Mount to BHI because everyone has to take a ferry over to the island and it only runs every hour. We rolled into the station at 3:44 and made the ferry with the rest of the crew. E loved laughing with her cousins and riding on the carts. She also got to spend some good quality time with her Papi while Mama did some other fun and exciting things.

Friday I ran a couple laps around the island because my Dad and I are running in the Raleigh Half-Marathon in about a month - I figured that would be a good way to trim all the baby weight. When I got home I realized that I had actually run about 13 miles! Awesome!!! (A half marathon is 13.1 miles) Then Saturday while Lee was home with the two babies (E and S) everyone went to the beach! The weather could not have been better. The boys played football and I buried AR in the sand as a mermaid.

The weekend was certainly a big hit - the food was tasty, Rummy games were fun and we got to see the whole side of the Kibbe fam which was even better. We were sad to leave but we made it home and E is enjoying some time decompressing after the weekend with her five cousins! On to the laundry!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

BLOWOUT!!!!!!!

Well well well, E and went to work this week as usual. She was sporting the new fall clothes that Jibbe got her because it has gotten to be quite cool here during the day and especially at night. Today E had a super BLOWOUT of the year. Natalie and I were working as usual and E was doing the normal poo-face thing so I let her finish and then I went to change her diaper and Natalie's face said it all and then she said "OH NO IT'S DRIPPING!!!" Fortunately Natalie with her childrearing brilliance said we needed to put E on the newspapers as to not get everything everywhere in the office and that was ever so smart. We got E all cleaned up in no time and all the poo in the trash! I am so thankful that I can bring Miss E to work with me and I have such amazing co-workers (Ms Natalie in particular) who is so brilliant when it comes to sticky/stinky situations.

Let's see what else is going on. The cool weather is definitely making dressing the Bibita a bit more interesting especially at night. Some mornings she wakes up and she hands are little ice blocks and the house is only 69... we usually keep the house at 63 during the winter. So I have gotten a few tips from my brilliant sister-in-law; 1. layer the baby up in onesie then PJs and some sort of thing that is like a swaddling blanket accept bigger. I will have to do some investigating and 2. Get a space heater. Hopefully a combination of these options will keep the Bibis 1. warm, 2. happy, 3. ASLEEP - this morning she was up at 5:30 and I think it was because of her cold little hands.

Sometimes when I look at her in the crib sleeping like a good Bibita a just want to snuggle her up and give her a big squeeze. It is surprising how tempting that can be. Lee always reminds me that doing that would not be a good idea and I refrain but still the thought goes through my mind.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Whirlwind of a day

Well yesterday was a thrill of a day. First, a very special thanks from me and Elizabeth to my mom - Grammy - who made yesterday's adventures possible. So we had the spa / Big Green Egg sale at Swimworld. I hung around there with Lee and the Riviera folks until about noon while E and Grammy baked some delicious apple cake! Then I was off for my 2.5ish hour drive to the OBX to assist the wondersum Carrie with a super fun beach wedding. Well much to my dismiss my car did not start!!! Super Lee changed the battery and I ventured out 64 E with 15 minutes to spare! It was so great to finally shoot/assist at a wedding this year. It really reminds me how much I like photography. I was also very thankful that my battery died in the Mount and not on the OBX after the wedding!

I definitely missed the Bibita while I was gone and I called almost every hour to check on her and of course she was fine. There was an 8-month-old baby at the wedding who was super cute but it also reminded me why Miss E will be staying with Grandpa Joe and Grammy for our NOLA wedding weekend. Another thing I noticed is that E's volume is quite loud and I like to tell her she is being excessively loud - she can take an eardrum out if you don't feed her fast in enough.

Today is much more low key. As most Sundays do they consist of Church and football. I need to get out running again the 1/2 marathon is coming soon!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Four months and checking in... about 20 days late

Today E and I ventured out to the Doctor's office for her four month check up (she will be five months in nine days - that is crazy!). Everything is fabulous! She is right on target for weight and all that fun stuff. She was a super-sport when she got her two shots. Last time she got four and this time three vaccines were combined into one, which I was thankful for.

One question the nurse asked was if we put Elizabeth in the crib and let her fall asleep or if we rocked her to sleep. I replied, "She has been falling asleep in her crib for weeks." The nurse then said, "You know, you have a really smart momma." No I am not that smart I just read this amazing book my sister-in-law gave me about babies and their sleeping habits. Several things to remember:

1. Babies love to know what is happening next - thus a routine at night is crucial. We read two books- A Hide and Seek book then Buenas Noches Luna, E gets her evening snack (she is a big time grazer and sometimes I think that she thinks I am a water fountain), then we sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, then kisses goodnight, then crib. Sometimes she'll go down without a peep, other nights she'll cry for 5-10 minutes. She'll sleep for about 12 hours - I could not ask for a better bibita!

2. Sleeping is a learned behavior. When babies are born they know how to suckle because they have to be able to eat. Some parents are get to see this on an ultrasound when baby is sucking his thumb but sleeping is different. There are periods or sleep waves so you have to teach the baby to catch the wave at the right time and fall asleep when they are tired. Not to be confused with being overtired when babies will fight sleep.

Okay enough of that! We had a great time at the sale today. Lee cooked on the Big Green Eggs and the food was really tasty.

Enjoy the weekend!


Photo from Amazon.com

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Pumpkins and Stockings

Today I received an email today from Pottery Barn Kids about there is free shipping on stockings! I cannot believe that people are already thinking about Christmas. I mean really I cannot even think past this weekend! I guess that what having a baby does to you. Speaking of festivities, Halloween is coming up and of course we are going to take some pics of Miss E! I am thinking pumpkins because Lee and I can take her to a pumpkin patch right at sunset and get some super cute photos! More to come on that... So we went to Wally-world on Saturday and much to my disappointment there were more costumes there for dogs (about 12) than infant (maybe 4). What does that say about society??? Belk's is also already out of pumpkin costumes but I'm sure I can get my hands on one some how between BabysRUs and Pottery Barn Kids (I LOVE their stuff). Here is a costumer from PBK that think I will be investing in quite soon.


In other news it has been raining like cats and dogs! That is good since we need the rain. Tomorrow and Saturday we are having a Riviera spa and Big Green Egg sale at Swimworld. We are super excited about that!

Photo taken from PotteryBarnKids.com

Oh the blog!!!

So it has been quite a while since I posted on the blog. It is definitely something I need to work on. Okay so here is the latest... the Bibita is 'SO BIG' and so cute. She is still not quite rolling over but soon - she is trying really hard and thinking about it self-inflicted tummy time. She is still coming to work with me which is so great. Another observation I have made about Miss E is that her volume is so amazingly LOUD - it is incredible. Ear ringing when the screams go through my ear drums are relatively normal. I love her sooo much, it is hard to believe that she is almost five months old!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Happy Father's Day!!!

Well I missed Mother's Day by about 10 hours but Lee got to officially celebrate his first Father's Day this year. He is such a great man with a strong character; I cannot wait to watch him and Elizabeth in the many years to come. My dad got to celebrate his first Father's Day as Grandpa Joe. He played Crazy Eyes with Elizabeth which was really hilarious and cute. I know I would not be where I am today without my dad (and mom). Hopefully Elizabeth will be saying the same thing in a few decades.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Five Weeks and counting

It is hard to believe that little Elizabeth has been around for five weeks. We went to the doctor on Tuesday and she is doing great! She is up to 9.5 lbs - which really does not surprise me because she eats pretty much all the time. She also got a shot - she was really mad but was so cute with the pink camo Band-aid they gave her. The doctor said she had great head control for her age. She can hold up her head really well when she wants to. Elizabeth is quite curious and very much enjoys being held and getting lots of attention. She smiles at people - especially in the morning. It is so fun to tell her "Good Morning" and she looks up at me and starts to grin.

That is opposite from what is happening now at 9:30 pm - she is screaming her little head off. She is really pitiful at night because she falls asleep eating and then cannot figure out where the food went. Elizabeth was born with an excellent set of lungs and she is not afraid to use them. Especially right when I am about to eat dinner. It seems that she can tell right when I am about to eat - she pipes up and scream-fest begins. Not that I am complaining - she is such a good baby during the day when we go to work.

Well things just got done in the dryer and Elizabet needs her Kiddopotamus. This thing is so much easier to wrap her up in than any swaddling blankets. There are three parts and two pieces of Velcro. It seems babies can be super distracted by their hands especially when they are trying to fall asleep so this has been a lifesaver. I have a t-shirt material one and my sister-in-law gave me a fleece on for the winter.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The Blog

So I have decided to start a blog so that I can:

1. keep track of things in our lives
2. have something to do when the baby is asleep
3. have an excuse to put pictures online

I am going to back post things as much as I can as well as stay up-to-date on what is happening now. Hopefully this will go well and not be an epic failure.