Is she gonna...? BAM! She did!

Happy Holidays everybody! Hailey will turn 4 months old on Christmas Eve! Its hard to believe it has been four months already! Although... I was just looking at her hospital pictures and I can't believe how much she has changed! She's gone from a wrinkly, puffy- eyed, little newborn to an adorable, smiley, drooly little girl.

She had another doctor's appointment yesterday and she is doing great! There was a bit of concern at first that she wasn't growing enough....until they re-measured her height. Apparently between the first and second measurement, she gained an inch in a half (she is 24.5 inches now)! Talk about a growth spurt!

Our nurse practitioner (who looked and sounded so much like our good friend Louise it was startling) was asking us about Hailey's development - particularly about 'baby push-ups' and rolling over. Well...Hailey hates being on her stomach. Our darling daughter is not a fan of tummy time - we do it, she just hates it. When we try it, push-ups seem to consist of her arching her back then bonking her head on the blanket (it's soft - I swear!).

Yesterday, at the doctor's visit, Louise.2 showed us how to prop her arms underneath her so she can help support herself and - voila - tummy time with no crying!

As soon as the nurse left the room, we tried it ourselves. Nathan propped her arms underneath her and let go. She lifted herself up into the perfect baby push-up (it helped that there was a mirror in front of her - she loves to look at herself). A minute later she was balancing on her side when all of a sudden she swung her leg over and BAM! She rolled over for the first time! We were so excited that we called the Louise clone and the nurse back into the room to share our news.

Then, of course, to celebrate... poor Hailey received 4 immunization shots in the legs and two Daffy Duck Band-aids.

She may just decide that rolling over is not worth it.

This is her first real 'She did it!' milestone (smiling and cooing come on so gradually that they don't have the same excitement factor). The wonderful part is, that she wasn't in daycare when she did it... she was with us and we were both there watching! I got to see a milestone first-hand and not hear about it from someone else (a big 'working mom' fear for me)!

Even better was the look on Nathan's face when she did it... complete excitement, astonishment and joy - the pure essence of a new dad.

Who says 4 months old is too young to give out her own Christmas gifts?

Obviously, our 2006 has given us a great deal to be thankful for. Prior to getting pregnant, we had been trying for 4 years with no luck. I was beginning to doubt that I even had the ability anymore. Life is miraculous, and surprising - so look forward to every minute. I know I can't wait to see what 2007 has in store for us!

Have a safe and Happy Holiday!

Enjoying the Season

Let me just say that I love Christmas, I really do. I love the Christmas lights on the neighborhood houses, the smell of pine in my living room, paper and bows...even the nip of cold air in the morning (I get over the cold air thing by January 2nd).

However, the past couple of years, my holiday spirit has dwindled. When we got our puppy, Harley, we didn't put up a tree because we didn't know how he would respond to it - a tad rambunctious that dog. Last year, I conveniently used the same reasoning - plus I was tired from being pregnant (bonus excuse!). And, although we got the remarkable chance to inform our family of the pregnancy on Christmas morning, the season came and went without me really feeling the holiday spirit.

The Christmases of the past few years have been...blank. A sigh of relief when the shopping and wrapping was finished was the best I could muster. As a result, I have felt a little cheated, a little jaded, a little....empty.

This year however, I have the urge to make everything perfect for Hailey's first Christmas. We bought a tree at a local farm (which cost way, way too much money for living in a place surrounded by pine forests) and decorated it this weekend. Granted...it took twice as long to decorate while trying to tend to a baby, but I think that makes me appreciate it twice as much.

Things feel different this year. I am awake to Christmas in a way I haven't been in a long time. I want to bake cookies, make snowmen, send cards and shop until I find everyone on my list that one special gift.

For years, Christmas has been a time for me to look back on traditions, the past and how things used to be during this season - how I excited I used to get, how anxious for the day. Now, with Hailey still too young to understand, Christmas is full of possibilities again, full of gifts and events that will someday be treasured memories.

Last night while Hubby was feeding Hailey, I got to watch them by the soft glow of our hastily decorated tree. Before my parents caved in to the pressure of an artificial tree, it was a tradition in my household that my mother would proclaim 'This year's tree to be one of the prettiest we have ever had!' Last night, I thought the same thing - 'This is the prettiest tree we have ever had.' I think the best decorations are not what is on the tree, but who is around it.

I hope everyone has a safe, happy and revitalized Holiday!

p.s. - Harley only ate one branch off the tree (so far)!

Picture This...

I promise that there are other aspects of my life worthy of writing about besides Hailey, but for right now, let me speak of attempting to photograph the very young.

Personally, I don't seem to have a problem taking pictures of her - thank God for digital cameras! I take about 30 pictures to get that one really excellent image. I keep all 30 - but only print the one or two good ones. Someday, when she is older, she'll be able to look through a scrapbook of really great pictures of herself. When she brings home her first serious boyfriend, we will be able to show him that slide show disk of literally hundreds more of the most embarassing photos ever captured on.....uh......well whatever digital images are captured on.

Back in the days of old, I used to get so disappointed when that eagerly anticipated roll of film was developed and all I got were grainy dark blobs (for $9 a roll). Now, pictures that are: out of focus - you can sharpen....too dark - lighten them up or just hit 'Delete' altogether. Even better...I can crop out the messy kitchen in her first bath photos.

We have taken her in to get her pictures taken professionally twice. Once at 1 month old to get some family portraits and just last week to get her first photo Christmas card (I have always wanted the iconic photo Christmas card ). The first photo session was wonderful - great photographer everything went well. Or... maybe since she was only a month we didn't expect much from her. This last time, we expected cover model material - o.k.... I expected cover model material....after all this is THE photocard!!!

Beautiful new red dress....check

Big Smile....check

Sitting up....not so much

She's only 3 months old, and while I didn't expect her to sit up on her own, she can sit up if you prop her up. Apparently, that is only at home on the couch. We propped her up at the studio and she arched her back and slid back down. They took a picture of her on her back looking at the ceiling - come on people...that would look silly on my Christmas card. I tried propping her up from behind the screen - she slid right out of my hands. It didn't help that the dress I bought for her (0-3 months) was way to big - even though she is on the high side of that size.

Us: Prop her up.... pull the wrinkles from her dress...smile at our accomplishment

Hailey: slide...re-wrinkle the dress...smile at her accomplishment

The photographer was ready to pack it in when hubby suggested draping a blanket over his arm so her could cradle her. BINGO! We got great smiles! Christmas was saved - at least the part of Christmas that you mail was saved.

For those of you who are getting Christmas card from me - if it looks like she is sitting in a chair, I suppose she is. My little christmas princess is sitting on the 'Throne of Daddy'