New camera pics!

I've been thoroughly enjoying playing with my new camera this week. Just thought I'd share some of my faves, including some playtime with her crazy but oh-so-cute cousins, hangin' out in shoes (my heart melts for babies in shoes), and 1 of the 2 swimsuits we have to return because she's already too big for them before summer has even started (both are size 6-12M, I bought them in February...so sad!) Happy weekend!!

4's.

Four.

The number of months my beautiful girl has been stealing our hearts.

Her current diaper size. I'm going to repeat this for you: Brooke is wearing size 4 diapers! The same size her 21-month-old cousin wears. Seriously, child? Size 3's are supposed to go up to 28 lbs, which is all well and good if your child isn't Stretch Armstrong. They should put length on the package in addition to weight. Brooke is just too long for 3's; they don't cover enough up the back, causing far too many poo-splosions lately. So yeah, 4's. They don't make diapers bigger than a 7 (did you know they make 7's? Holy crap!) Before Brooke, I would have thought "Geez, if your child is big enough to need a size 7, they're clearly old enough to be potty-trained." I'm going to bite my tongue now.

The number of times we were up last night. Yikes, this lady is killin' me. If you've ever doubted the "4 month wakeful" myth, I assure you it's not a myth. I am up and down all night long. I try to give her a pacifier and get her to just go back to sleep, but that usually only soothes her for about an hour. She's just so darn hungry all the time! It's exhausting for both of us.

The number of bites it takes to get one spoonful of cereal in her mouth. Here's how it goes: insert spoon, wipe 3/4 of cereal off her chin when she spits it out, insert spoon, wipe 1/2 of that off her chin, insert spoon.... She's very hit-and-miss with the cereal these days; sometimes she gobbles it up, even trying to dive into the bowl, and other times (let's be honest, most of the time) she wants nothing to do with it. We'll keep trying - she's bound to get used to the texture eventually, right?

The number of days I've been in love with my brand new camera (a Mother's Day gift from Miss Brooke). Pictures should be ridiculously clearer on the blog from now on. (Have I mentioned how much I love this thing? L.O.V.E.)

Oh, and Brooke has something she'd like to say:

Happiest Mother's Day.

Our very first Mother's Day has been an incredible one. And I say "our" because I wouldn't be celebrating this day without my incredible husband or my beautiful Brooke. This will always be the happiest of all my Mother's Days to come because it is the first. My sweet baby girl has showered me with gorgeous smiles, silly laughs, and so much love today. She and her Daddy have made me feel like one very blessed Mommy. They have told me today that they are lucky to have me; it is clear to me that I am the lucky one. So very lucky.

24 hrs of Lessons.

As a parent, there are new things to learn every single day. Here are some of the lessons I've learned in just the last 24 hours:

~ A sick baby is a crabby baby. And a crabby baby is no fun. I want my sweet, smiling baby back.

~ As soon as you mention in your blog that your child's fever has disappeared and she's bouncing back, she'll throw up in her sleep and require a total strip down of both her and her bed at 3 a.m.

~ Just because your 4-month-old can sit up on her own at home does not mean she's ready to sit up in the grocery cart by herself. (I ended up having to hold her with one hand the whole time, so it took me an hour to get $30 worth of groceries.)

~ Always keep an eye on socks. Otherwise you'll end up retracing your steps (like going back in the grocery store and weaving through people in your checkout line, for instance) in an attempt to find it.

~ Inevitably, your child will have the most epic poop of her life on a day when you're both sick and you just did a load of baby laundry. EPIC, folks. An 8-wiper and bath-worthy. (In our house, we measure the greatness of the dirty diaper by how many wipes it takes to clean her. Like "Oh, this was a gross one; a 3-wiper." Today's 8-wiper is a Reeder house record. And that was before we just went to the bathtub.)

~ If you make the mistake of thinking to yourself "Ok, she's been napping for 30 minutes. I hope she naps a while longer so I can finish the laundry," she will instantly wake up. Like within seconds. Telepathic babies up in here.

~ Pathetic, crabby, sick babies are cuddly and just want Mommy to hold them while they sleep. And Mommy, though still sick and overwhelmingly exhausted herself, will happily oblige. No better feeling on earth than chubby arms wrapped around your neck and the sound of rapid warm breaths in your ear.

Sick again.

The Reeders have had a rough week so far, but things are starting to look up.

The fever Miss Brooke has had for 3 days has finally broken. She has been running a low fever, around 99.8, since Monday morning. We aren't sure what to thank for it: possibly Friday's vaccines, possibly teething, and possibly the mammoth dose of Infant Tylenol that we gave Brooke after her vaccines that has since been recalled by the manufacturer for unknown bacteria and the possibility of "tiny particles" being in it. Um yeah, thanks Tylenol. (p.s. Shouldn't they be more specific as to what type of "tiny particles" we're talking about here? Are we talking dust, dirt, tiny bits of glass perhaps? Seriously...)

Anyway, so I think she's finally back on track. Mommy, on the other hand, is not. I finally broke down and went to the doctor on Monday after weeks of headaches and sinus issues. I'm now about 36 hrs into an antibiotic, so fingers crossed that it starts to work soon. I've said it before and I'll say it again: being sick and being Mommy do not coincide well. It's been a struggle to take care of my girl while tackling a killer cough, pounding headache, and complete exhaustion. Tonight, however, I'm starting to feel the tiniest bit better. Never underestimate the healing power of baby laughs, hot showers, and hug from husbands.

A few pictures of our sick little lady. She doesn't look all that pathetic, does she? Fever or not, she's always ready and willing to ham it up for the paparazzi.

4 Months!

Dear Brooke,

You're growing up so fast, big girl! Every day you learn how to do new things and get smarter and stronger. You make the silliest noises and faces that make Mommy and Daddy smile so big. You're a very curious girl, constantly reaching out for things to figure out what they are and how you can get them into your mouth. You concentrate very hard on objects that you're holding. We can see your little brain hard at work just trying to make sense of all of your surroundings. Just as you're changing, so are your preferences. Here are a few of the things you like and don't like this month:

Favorites

Sitting Up - Sitting up has provided you with a new view of the world and you're loving it. You get stronger every day, sitting up by yourself for longer periods of time. Your favorite thing to play with while you sit up is the stack of colored rings; it helps keep you balanced and, of course, you love to eat it.

Your "Company" - You love the "company" that sleeps in your bed with you at night ("company" is the term your cousin uses to describe her stuffed animals and dolls). You have 3 friends in your bed at night: your bunny, who has become your bestest good friend and you love to snuggle with; your teddy bear, the one that makes womb noises and who you reach for to play with in the mornings; and your light-up singing seahorse, whose lullabies put you to sleep every night. Each friend plays a critical role in helping comfort you in your crib.

The Remote Control - You have a funny fascination with the remote control. It's easy for you to hold it in your hands, light enough for you to get it to your mouth, and has bright buttons that you've already figured out how to press. You even turned the TV off last week!

Penguin - Your good buddy Penguin is your BFF. He is the perfect size for you to hug. His beak is without a doubt your favorite thing to chew on and it happens to be the perfect height for you to get it in your mouth. We have a feeling you two will be good buddies for a very long time.

Your Rocking Chair - Part of our bedtime routine is spending some cuddle time in the rocking chair in your nursery. We didn't use it very much when you were younger, but now we spend some serious time in it. You now know that when we get in that chair bedtime is moments away and it's time to relax. Mommy loves this time with you.

Not-So-Favorites

Being Hot - You do not like to be too hot. This is part of the reason you still don't like the carseat very much; you get pretty hot in it. It's not uncommon for you to be a sweaty mess when we take you out. We're not looking forward to a hot summer with a sticky baby. Get ready to take lots of cool baths!

Your Swing - You are no longer a fan of your swing. You've outgrown it physically (your feet stick out off the end) and mentally. The hanging bugs are too far for you to reach and aren't stimulating enough for you. You prefer to be on the floor where you can move around and kick those legs.

Separation from Mommy - You have developed a bad case of separation anxiety. Being away from Mommy makes you nervous and unsettled. It's not surprising, as we spend a lot of time together. But we're working on getting you used to being with other people. And the doctor suggested we play peek-a-boo with you, which you love, to teach you that just because you can't see us it doesn't mean we aren't with you.

Brooke, you make Mommy & Daddy so proud. You amaze us every day with what you can do. We can see a little bit of each of us in you. Nothing is more endearing than to hear someone say "Oh, she looks just like you." You have your Mommy's nose and eyes and your Daddy's cheeks and smile. You are perfect and precious, Big Lady, and we love you to pieces.

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

1st cereal = FAIL.

Brooke got to try rice cereal for the first time this morning. And it was a big fat failure. She was so disinterested; she kept her mouth closed tight. As you can see in the pictures, she did not find it too yummy. If she's anything like her mom, the consistency was just too much for her to get over! The husband got a little on his finger and made the mistake of licking it off; he now understands why she wasn't gobbling it up. Hilarious! Anyway, she couldn't have been very hungry because she had just eaten an hour before (the doctor recommended timing it this way.) So we gave up after about 15 minutes of absolutely no progress. Tonight we'll try again before a feeding when she's actually hungry and see how that goes. In the meantime, enjoy these pictures :)

The very first bite.

"Mommy is trying to shove some weird stuff in my mouth. She thinks making airplane noises will help. Mommy has finally lost it."

"Um, Mom & Dad, there's some gross stuff on my chin and you're not wiping it off. Hello?! Can you not see it?"