100 days, 50 things

1. I love how you crinkle your nose when you smile.
2. I love how you skeptically raise one eyebrow.
3. I love how you raise both eyebrows in surprise.
4. I love the dimples on the backs of your chubby hands.
5. I love how you cross your ankles right over left, just like your dad.
6. I love when you stick out your extra-long tongue (which you must have gotten from your Aunt Sis).
7. I love how no matter how tightly you're swaddled and velcroed, you still manage to worm your way out.
8. I love that little sigh.
9. I love the look on your face when I sneeze or laugh out loud.
10. I love how you fuss at the purple octopus because he will not let go of his toys.
11. I love your long monkey toes.
12. I love those little elf ears.
13. I love how you smile at me and you when I hold you and look in the mirror.
14. I love your middle-aged-man's hairline.
15.I love the surprised and pleased look on your face when we put you in your bath.
16. I love how you roll onto your side and think that you're stuck.
17. I love how you smile when I pour water over your head.
18. I love the four nice fingernails that emerged when your gnarly ones fell off.
19. I love how noisy you are--squealing, grunting, sucking, laughing, chatting.
20. I love how you burrow your face in my neck.
21. I love how you smile at me when I strap you into your carseat as if you're excited about whatever adventure lies ahead.
22. I love how you look at the books I read to you, like you're really paying attention.
23. I love how you grab onto my hand when I feed you.
24. I love waking you up in the morning.
25. I love peeking at you while you're sleeping and seeing that perfect, peaceful look on your face.
26. I love how you want to play as soon as you wake up in the morning--not eat, but play!
27. I love how you don't even flinch when Coqui licks your feet.
28. I love how you look around at everything when we carry you facing out in the Bjorn.
29. I love how you look over my shoulder out the window when I rock you in the chair in your room.
30. I love how fuzzy your hair is after it's been washed.
31. I love how you're always in motion when you're awake.
32. I love your big, dark eyes.
33. I love how your face lights up and you smile at people when they smile at you.
34. I love how you watch me get ready in the morning when I prop you up in our big bed.
35. I love how your eyes follow Coqui when he walks around you.
36. I love how you watch older children play.
37. I love that pouty lip when you're sad.
38. I love how you perk up and look around for your dad when you hear his voice.
39. I love your huge grin when I hold you up to stand on my lap.
40. I love looking at you in the mirror in the car and how you look back at me.
41. I love how you kick your legs up and over to the side when you want to roll over.
42. I love how you start off lying in one direction on the play mat and in a few minutes you've scooted all the way around.
43. I love when I pick you up in the afternoon how you look at me for a second very seriously, then break into a huge, heart-melting smile.
44. I love how you curl into a little fetal ball when I bring you into bed to sleep next to me.
45. I love how you sleep in your crib with your arms spread wide like you're trying to touch the sides.
46. I love your wonderful soft skin.
47. I love how happy you look when I strip off all your clothes and let you be naked baby.
48. I love how you call us when we leave you alone to play and you realize we're gone.
49. I love your delicious smell.
50. I love, love, love that you are my child. You make me so happy.

First neighborhood cookout

At the last minute, Sweet LJ and I decided to host a Memorial weekend neighborhood cookout. We called around on Saturday and invited some current and former neighbors over for Sunday afternoon. In the end, we had 11 adults and 8 children. It's tricky having a party when you have a baby, but we pulled it off. It was a fun, slightly wild time. As usual, I planned to take lots of photos, but as soon as people started arriving, I switched to hostess mode and forgot about the camera. Here is one before everyone got there:

Cats like cookouts, too.

Then and now

3 months, 1 week, 2 days old

3 weeks old

Bumbo!

I got on a waiting list for a Bumbo at a second-hand children's store, because I refused to pay full price for a piece of molded foam. Anyway, I was only on the list for a week! On Friday I got a call that there was a Bumbo available. We picked it up on Saturday before the festival. When we got home from the festival and after I'd sanitized the Bumbo, Mary Lawton took it for a test drive.

She likes it.

Ready for another festival

Festival season continues in the ATL, and on Saturday we went to the Decatur Arts Festival. Mary Lawton wore a darling spring dress, but immediately started drooling on it and wanted to chew on it. She has a serious oral fixation lately.

3 months, 1 week old

I normally make fun of arts festivals, but I actually bought two prints. One is a Pete the Cat print for Mary Lawton's room.

BOB

REI had BOBs on sale a few weeks ago, and since we didn't think we'd ever find a used one for sale, we decided to buy one. We had it delivered (for free!) to our local REI, where they assembled it (for free!) I love REI. Sweet LJ picked it up on May 13, and I was so excited when he brought it home. So excited. He laughed at my excitement.

I gazed upon it for a few days, then I couldn't stand it and strapped Mary Lawton in for a ride. We put her new shades on her, stuck some padding in the harness with her, and went out. She liked it ok, but I think she was a little nervous because there was so much room. Plus she's facing out, and I just read young babies prefer to stroll facing someone. Anyway, it was an adventure. I cannot WAIT to go running with her.

Also, the BOB didn't disappoint. It is so smooth and light. Love it.

Buddies

3 months old

Well, my darling sunshine baby is one quarter of a year old already. She is so sweet and fun and cute. She rolls over from tummy to back, likes to sit up with a little support, and really loves when I hold her so she can look over my shoulder. She still loves to be cradled, but only when she's sleepy. Otherwise, she wants to see the world.

She regularly laughs out loud, as well as fake coughs and fake cries. She thinks her dad is hilarious. She loves when she's lying on her back and someone looks at her upside-down. She enjoys watching her own feet and is more and more interested in Coqui. She will look at books and reach for then when we read to her. She loves anything with a face: people, stuffed toys, illustrations in books, reflections in mirrors.

Mary Lawton goes to sleep between 7 PM and 8 PM. We're not really strict with bedtime, because sometimes she's exhausted at 7 PM, and sometimes she wants to play until 8. She was sleeping great, from about 8 PM until 4 AM, then she would eat and go back to sleep until 7 AM. Well, two nights after starting daycare and 3 more nights after that, she woke up every 1.5-2 hours all night. It was a L-O-N-G four nights. I'm hoping this was a combination of daycare mixing her up and a 3-months growth spurt. Last night was much better--she woke up at 1:14 AM and 4 AM. We're crossing our fingers she can settle down again.

We love you, sweet bluebird!

Mother's Day!

I finally have the opportunity to be honored on Mother's Day! Sweet LJ asked me for gift ideas and told me that Mary Lawton had $38 to spend. (I'm not sure where she's getting her money, but anyway.) I made him a list from which to choose:

• Breakfast
• Time to go running
• An insulated cup
• Oil change
• BOB handlebar console to go with the BOB I bought myself for an early Mother's Day present
• Lots of kisses and cuddling
  

I had a fabulous Mother's Weekend. Sweet LJ and Sweet MLJ spoiled me rotten, and in the end, I got to go running and breakfast out on Saturday morning (I ran to the restaurant and met them there), a homeade breakfast Sunday morning, a car wash and gas fill-up in addition to the oil change, everything else on my list, and so much love and so many kisses I nearly fell out.

On Sunday Sweet LJ rode his bike to Stone Mountain, and Mary Lawton and I drove to meet him there. We hiked about halfway up the mountain. Mary Lawton fell asleep pretty quickly on the way up, woke up at the turnaround, and then fell asleep going down.

Something else cool that happened that weekend is that while running, I found $3 on the street. Yay--free money! That afternoon I went to visit my friend Jane, a master gardener, who was volunteering at a Keep DeKalb Beautiful event to promote composting, etc. They were selling raffle tickets to win a rain barrel. The raffle tickets were $3, so I bought one with my found $3. I got a call last week that I won the rain barrel! We already have one, and I'm hoping we can connect the two to really harvest some rain.

Thanks, family, for the wonderful weekend. I'm so happy to be a mom.

The rollover

Nic, she's wearing her Spring Chicken onesie--her favorite.

Another milestone!

Mary Lawton has been dying to roll over lately. She rolls from her back to her side, and when she's on her tummy she just struggles, knowing there must be a way to end tummy time! Well, this morning (2 months, 3 weeks old) she rolled from her tummy to her back very easily. I started yelling, "she rolled over!," and Sweet LJ came running. (I think he didn't believe me.) Lucky for me, she did it again for her daddy. She rolled over 2 or 3 more times, all tummy to back, then let me know she was tired of being my trained monkey.

I caught one rollover on video and will upload it asap.

Milestone!

Mary Lawton finally noticed the clip-on mobiles hanging in her crib last week. She actually played with one when I put her down for a nap. On Saturday, I heard her wake up from her nap over the monitor. She wasn't crying, though, only chattering to herself. I peeked in on her and found her playing with one of the mobiles! She played quietly for about 20 minutes after waking up. Hurray!

Yes, baby safety police, I realize you probably spot a few potential hazards in this photo, Don't worry--we're good.

First babysitter

Sara came over on Saturday to stay with Mary Lawton while we went to Andrew and Gail's engagement party. Sara, we can't thank you enough. We had a great time at the party, and I was very relaxed because I knew she was in good hands.

Spring day

2 months, 2 weeks, 1 day old

Playing

Mary Lawton is really enjoying toys lately. She can play for 45 minutes or more, batting at toys, grabbing them, and gazing at herself in the mirror. Her favorite is a purple octopus that hangs from the play mat toy bar. He has a smiley face, and she thinks he's smiling at her. She stares at him and giggles and smiles back.

My first attempt at adding a video to a post. I shot this with my digital camera, so the quality isn't great (plus I don't really know what I'm doing).