Highly Entertaining....

takes my breath away....

When Maya Grace was twelve days old, we were fortunate enough to have the most amazing photo shoot with the crazy-talented Sarah Kristiansen of Sweet Jane Photography. Sarah traveled all the way from Rhode Island to spend FOUR HOURS at our home, taking incredible snapshots of our new baby girl. She was creative and patient and professional and funny and set us completely at ease. I couldn't imagine a more perfect way to commemorate the arrival of our sweet little babe...

 

 

When Sarah emailed me the proofs from the session, I was beyond excited. I clicked the link in the email and watched a slideshow of all the images, accompanied by a sweet medly of baby-ish tunes.

I completely lost all control of my emotions and cried (and cried and cried). Somehow, through her connection with the camera, Sarah captured the pure essence and innocence of my baby. Every sweet little feature, down to the littlest bits and pieces, were documented in the most amazing photographs I have ever seen. It took my breath away.

I wish I could share every image with you, and make you feel the intense emotion they stir up inside of me. I wish you could all feel the joy and pride and awe that consumes me each time I look through the pictures. I wish you could all know the pure love it makes swirl around in my heart.

 

Dearest Sarah,

I cannot thank you enough for the amazing gift you have given our family. You have made time stand still for me, and every time I look at these pictures I am right back in our living room, holding my tiny babe in my arms. I can see her and feel her and smell her exactly as she was that day... and as she grows older and bigger and changes right before my eyes, I will ALWAYS have these images to take me back to those moments of newness and wonder. You have no idea what that means to me.

Miss Sarah, you have been there for me as a friend through some very tough times, with a sweet word of encouragement from far away. Your understanding and compassion and willingness to give of yourself is one of the greatest gifts I've ever received. Sharing your talent behind the lens of a camera and documenting the begining of a new chapter in our lives will forever be held in my heart as one of the most amazing and selfless acts of kindness I've known.

Thank you, Sarah, for this tiny treasure. You are lovely and genuine and a perfect example of what the world needs more of. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Love, Melissa
 
  
 

this post is brought to you by the number 8

Eight weeks already? Really?

yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!

That's my beautiful girl, shakin' her fists for the camera :) Seriously, can you even handle the cuteness??!!

blurry picture of wiggly baby... LOOK AT THOSE LEG ROLLS!!

 ... we like to kick, and stick out our tongue :p

hello. i'm cute. how are you?

We really have the best time with this little Boosie. Yes, another nickname, deal with it ;)

She is happy and full of bright eyed smiles. She likes to be held facing away from you, watching the world go by. She loves her activity gym (especially Red Bird). She likes reading books with her daddy. She LOVES bath time. She's also a big fan of snuggling and looking out the window.

Did I mention she'd absolutely adorable? Oh, I did? Gotcha.

I can't believe how big she is already. I can't believe how fun she is. She's a good napper and a good sleeper. She's also pretty great at being dramatic and complaining. I have NO idea where she gets those qualities from.... 

I return to work tonight, and am hoping I will be able to make it through the evening without tears. This will be the first real time I've been away from my girl for any significant length of time. She'll be safe and sound at home with people who will love on her and take good care of her while her mama is away...

... and her mama will RUSH HOME to scoop her Little Boosie into her arms and smell her baby smell and kiss her chubby neck and fall asleep together on the couch.

I can't imagine a better way to end a day.

... but really, eight weeks already?????

gobble gobble :)

Happy Thanksgiving from our Little Turkey! 

heads up!

Just stopping by the good ol' blog to give my readers a heads up that my ETSY SHOP will be having a special BLACK FRIDAY SALE!! If you make a purchase from my *bzzy* shop on Friday, November 27th, you'll be rewarded by getting 10% off your order, plus FREE SHIPPING!!

Not only will you be supporting an independent crafter (and busy mom!), but you'll be giving someone the gift of a handmade-something-special :)

Pass the good news on to all your friends and don't forget to get your shop-on!!

the one where i kill you with sleepy sweetness :)

 
Seriously, with the cuteness..... I can't even stand it.

Look at that sleepy smile. Look at those chubby hands. I could really just stare at this beautiful little creature for hours :)

While we were snuggling at 2:48 am, a few thoughts popped into my mind.

#1. I wish there was a way to bottle the smell of freshly washed baby parts. Specifically: the scent of Johnson's Baby Shampoo'ed hair. I spent the entire evening with my nose burried in her hair after her bath.

#2. There is NOTHING worse than a gassy baby. You know they are in pain, and  despite your best efforts to soothe them, there just isn't any amount of cuddling, humming, or walking around the house that will help :(

#3. Ginormous diaper explosions are 100% acceptable, and even welcome after hours of attempts to calm and pacify a fussy babe.

#4. Thank God for Dreft stain remover (reference item #3).

#5. Life is crazy good. :) :) :)

6 weeks

Good morning, world! It's nice to see you today :)

Maya Grace turned 6 weeks old yesterday. Celebrated by singing "Happy Birthday" with her mama in the morning then takinga  quick nap. She went to {Colorful Creations} to visit her Auntie Jenn and drop off some important things for her mom. She also got to meet Joyce and Helene while she was there, which was a great surprise!

Maya kept her mom company at her postpartum office visit (which went well until the actual exam time, when Miss Maya decided to scream her brains out while mama was half naked on the exam table... niceeeeeeeeeeee). There was also a trip to the grocery store before heading home to cook dinner, which also resulted in intense screaming right as mama was at the check out, trying to dig out her coupons and debit card while simultaneously answering ridiculous questions about the screaming baby to the lady at the register.

Dear Cashier Lady,

Yes, the baby is six weeks old. Yes, she has a full head of hair. Yes, she is beautiful. Yes, I have another child. Yes, I'm feeling good (except for the poor screaming baby on my shoulder). Yes, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU COULD SHUT UP AND JUST LET ME PAY FOR MY GROCERIES SO I CAN GET THIS POOR TIRED BABY THE HELL OUT OF THIS STORE!!!

Love, Mother of Poor Tired Baby Who Doesn't Want To Stand Here Answering Your Questions.

Miss Maya was very gassy during the evening hours, not really being able to settle down for quite a while :( When it was finally time for bed, mama was VERY happy to spend some quiet time in our rocking chair, snuggling and singing and relaxing. The little beanie-baby wasn't a fan of being put into her cradle with such a sore belly, so mama gave in and allowed the first stretch of sleep to take place in bed with mom and dad. WHAT A FABULOUS IDEA. After all the excitement (and screaming) of the day, it was pretty much the best thing in the world to sleep with a warm little baby right next to you (and I'm sure the baby thought it was quite cozy next to a warm and squishy mama). Four fitful hours of sleep later, and it was time for a diaper change and to fill the belly. A little bit of rocking and burping, then into the cradle she went for another 3 hours of sleep (after 45 minutes of grunting and gurgling and trying to get her hands into her mouth).

What a long day :)

**fist bump** to all the blog readers!!
 
 

e.t.s.y.

Our little girlfriend has become quite the fan of the 20-minute-nap, making it difficult for me to get much accomplished around the house. Combine the lack of a solid nap time with the fact that I average approximately 6 hours of sleep per night, and you get one tired mama.

When Miss Maya Grace chooses to nap, I have been trying to get a little bit of rest as well.While I don't actually sleep when she does, I do spend some down time on the couch with my crochet hook. I have been able to create a pretty decent pattern for an aviator-style crocheted hat that is oh-so-cute, and I've whipped up over a dozen of them so far :)

 
They are crocheted using either 100% cotton, or a 50-50 cotton/acrylic blend yarn. They have a great subtle texture and are soft and just stretchy enough to fit little heads perfectly. Not only are they practical for keeping little heads nice and warm, but they are adorable as photography props as well!

I'm working on getting these babies uploaded to my Etsy shop (whenever Maya decides is a good time to nap for more than 20 minutes, that is).

There are a couple of other crafty girls in my circle of friends who have fantastic Etsy shops that I have been stalking lately...

Tessa opened her shop just a short time ago and has been quite successful so far! I totally need a felt cozy for my Starbucks cup (hello, Caramel Apple Spice!), and the Thanksgiving placecards are flippin' adorable :)

 

Then there is Miss Breanne, who recently re-stocked her shop with the cutest flower accessories!

(adorable baby NOT included with your order!)

Lesa is a "regular" at Colorful Creations who is a breast cancer survivor and all-around amazing lady. Her shop is filled with "inspiring artwear" and other papercrafts. Proceeds from her etsy shop go towards maintaing her website, Little Life Preservers, through which she sends greeting cards to ladies undergoing breast cancer treatments. Check out one of her cool necklaces:

 

 ... and a few other shops that I have had great experiences with:

krakracraft : I purchased some of her "wee birdies" and a few of her ridiculously cute stuffed animal friends. They.are.unbelievably.sweet. Service was exceptional, too!

jellybeans : Maya Grace has several of of her prints hanging above the changing table. The quality is fabulous and they make me smile when Miss Papaya and I are having quality diaper-changing time ;)

thnkdfrent : I bought some crochet paterns from her a while back, and she was kind enough to re-send a pattern that I had lost. Great attention to detail in her patterns, and fabulous service.

Make sure to check out these lovely ladies' shops...  after you check out mine, of course ;) This is the perfect time of year to get your Holiday-shop on, and supporting independent artists is a great way to spread Holiday cheer!

I am hoping that lots of you are Etsy shoppers... I would LOVE for you to share a link to one of your favorite shops with me!

 

**milestone**

... one that made me happy AND sad at the same time. Miss Maya Grace had her first bottle yesterday with her dad. We wanted to make sure that when it comes time for her mama to return to work ,she would take a bub without a problem. Well, it certainly was NO PROBLEM. She sucked down the whole two ounces, staring her dad directly in the eyes the whole time.

Me? I cried.

Yes, I said it. I cried when my daughter drank her first bottle. Of course I was happy knowing that should I be unable to attend to her hunger cries, she would be well fed from the reserves I've been stockpiling in the freezer. HOWEVER. This also means that my baby girl, with whom I have spent every minute day and night with for the past five weeks, will eventually be away from me. She will rely on someone else to feed and care for her when I return to work. She will play and snuggle and be crabby with and soothed by someone other than me.

I am thankful that she was so willing to accept the bottle, that she drank every last drop and was a happy babe about it. I will breathe easier knowing that she will not starve without me. 

But she is MY BABY. She NEEDS ME. I have come to NEED HER, too. Soon that will all change, and three days a week she will share her smiles and cries and drooly chin to someone else while I am away. **sigh**

Today is her five-week birthday.

She is growing SO quickly, I can't stand to think about it.

Before I know it, she will be riding a bike and packing a lunch box for the first day of school and arguing with her dad about the length of her skirt.

The joys of motherhood are also speckled with these pangs sadness over how quickly time passes. 

Heck, my first born child is in Junior High School, for crying out loud!

Here's to another Monday.... another week gone by in the blink of an eye. Here's to my baby girl doing big girl things, preparing to become even more of a big girl (whether her mama likes it or not...).
 

happy birthday to you

Maya Grace!!!

You are one month old today, and I just can't believe it. You had your one month check up today and we found out that you are a growing girl, indeed!!! You weigh 9 lbs. 12 oz, and you are 22 1/2 inches long. That means you have grown two whole inches and gained more than 2 1/2 pounds since your birth.

Woahhhhhhhhhh.

You also had a vaccination today, and were SUCH a good girl about it... you only cried for a minute.

Right now you are snuggled up on your mama's shoulder (as she blogs one-handed!), falling back asleep after filling your belly. You are making your squeaky little falling-asleep-noises, and it is seriously one of the best sounds in the world :)

You have had two FABULOUS nights of sleep in a row, putting in two four-hour stretches of sleep for your mama. You are the best!

To celebrate your birthday we will take a nice walk this afternoon, play with your activity gym, and have a bath tonight.

Thank you for giving me the chance to be your mama, and for reminding me what it means to be truly thankful.

4 weeks.

Has it really been four weeks already?

Is my beautiful baby girl already outgrowing her newborn diapers and clothes? 

Yes, I suppose it is true. She is getting big. SO big. She is developing an inquisitive eye. She wants to be a part of the world, to see what is going on around her. She has a voice (!). She loves snuggling her mama at night. She loves to scream her head off for her dad in the evening... poor guy! She LOVES being on her changing table, LOVES her bath, LOVES being nekkid ;) She easily melts the hearts of everyone who meets her. She smells SO delicious after a bath... and I *love* her baby breath.

And yesterday, she pooped all over the back seat of her Nan's car in the parking lot at BJ's. Niceeeeeee.

Her one-month check up is this week, and I can't wait to see how BIG she has grown. I will most likely cry when they weigh her... I can see and feel how big she has become, but knowing the growth is MEASURABLE and DOCUMENTED means she is already moving from newborn-hood to baby-hood. No longer is she wearing those cutie pie "NB" sized clothes. We are moving on to "0-3" clothes. Already. *ugh*

Every minute I spend with this little girl is a total treasure to me. Every snuggle, every gaze from her big eyes, every sleepy sigh... even the fussy moments fill me with so much love. Seeing her big brother taking so much responsibility for her - wanting to hold her and burp her and even help change diapers - makes me almost explode with momma-pride. Watching her dad try to soothe her fussy moments... trying SO HARD to figure out what it is she needs to calm the wails and tears... makes me love him so much more than I did the minute before. She really does give him a run for his money, but he is sincerely invested in trying to figure out what she needs from HIM to help her settle down. Good luck with that, daddy-o. She IS a girl, you know ;)

Right now the Miss Maya Papaya (fruit salad, cha cha cha) is snoozing in her cradle, making sleepy grunting baby sounds into the monitor. There is a little pink load of laundry in the dryer. There is a HUGE box of diapers and 10 BOXES OF WIPES waiting to be brought into the basement for storage (thanks, mom!) until we need them at her changing table. I'm sipping a cup of "Organic Mother's Milk Tea" in hopes of keeping the supply up with the demand. In an hour or so we will be playing with her activity mat on the living room floor, waiting for her brother and dad to come home for the evening. We will tag-team through the dinner hours, trade off snuggle time through the evening, and kiss her tiny head as we tuck her into her cradle at bed time.

This is life after 4 weeks with our little princess. Life is good.