Piper's first summer...

This Summer has been awesome.  Piper went on her first RV trip, trips to Miami and Dallas and countless trips down the shore!

We have had a blast (but Piper just woke up, of course, so I need to make this quick)...here are some of the memories...

Miami!

Piper's baptism! June, 2014

RV days...

Vermont!

Cape Cod wedding

Upstate NY

Adirondacks

Long Trail Brewery, VT

Flight to Miami (or Dallas, I don't remember).

Dallas to see the Grandparents!

Long Beach Island, NJ!!!

10.5 months old at Seashell Happy Hour

Piper's first photoshoot!

Warmer Weather...leading up to 7ish months

The warm weather is finally here and I'm so happy to share so many walks with Pip.  We have a routine now where we go for a morning, afternoon and night walk together and she ALWAYS holds the poop bag tied to leash. She loves it. I love it. It's so awesome.

Mother's Day at Great Grandma's house.

Trekking home on a beautiful night:)

Selfie madness!

Chillin on Grandma's porch.

Easter fun with Remy and Piper playing on the front lawn.

Piper holds the poop bag!

So chic.

She may look like Daddy, but so far she has eyes of her own!

Hanging with friends in the grass.

Nothing beats a shopping cart ride and a bag to play with!

She finally started to sleep on her stomach a little!  Now, if only we could lose the pacifier....

xoxo
L

27 minutes...

If I'm lucky, every morning starts with about 27 minutes of pure freedom.  Piper is typically a handful. She loves to be entertained and held and gets bored easily.   However, every morning Piper has slept. Piper has been fed. And Piper is cool with being left on her playmat with the fan whizzing above her (the girl freaking loves fans).  

Once the clock starts, it's a race.   How much can I get done in that amount of time?! I never fully know.

This was today:

-throw in a load of laundry on 'delicates'
-empty dishwasher
-load dishwasher
-make toast
-make coffee
-take a vitamin (go me!)
-assemble 3 bottles and grab a new outfit to prepare diaper bag for daycare
-assemble pump
-straighten up first floor
-vacuum living room
-eat remaining toast
-clean kitchen counters
-straighten up the recycling
-put the leash on the dog
-put on sneakers and bjorn
-throw my hair in a pony and apply mascara (MASCARA?!)
-pour coffee, sit and enjoy while fully wearing the empty bjorn until Piper is bored...which is 2 minutes later. 

It's AMAZING what a few baby free minutes can do!

So little time...

With the warm weather comes a lot less time to write. It's too beautiful outside!!!

Some updates:

Starting on March 27th, we began to have Piper sleep in the magic sleepsuit.  This way she can get used to having her arms and legs and is still super cozy without using a blanket.  AND we even took the pillow out from under her mattress...so she is laying flat like a normal little baby!  We're making strides here, people. Now, we just need to lose the sleepsuit and we'll be in business.  Hopefully in the next month or so.

Piper took her first plane ride to Arizona!  Against all odds and even through a 4 hour plane delay, she did really well. She loved to be held and nursed and played with and fed and sleep and EAT nonstop for 5 hours.  Also, we were lucky enough to have an empty seat in our row for both flights, both times.  Without it, I'm not so confident it would have gone as well.

She rode in her first shopping cart. SO much easier than lugging the carseat or stroller around.

She has begun eating REAL food as well as formula. My supply just couldn't keep up with her growing girl needs (and I was too lazy to force it to), so now she gets 3 meals of formula a day and like 5 from me.  

And she has overall been awesome. I'm loving this age so much better than the newborn one!!!

xoxo
L

Belly progression video - Take 2

I uploaded my belly progression video again since nobody could view the other one apparently. 

Hopefully this one works!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcYRH9Jjyhc

4 months and 5 months - Time is flying!

Piper at 4 months!!!

So bad, but so cute.

  Piper at 5 months!!!

On the train ride at the zoo

My little Irish dancer 

 

 

 

 

 

And this picture is from a while ago, but is there anything cuter than a sleeping baby?!  I just stumbled across this photo and melted. I love her little arm!!

Week 17

This week, Piper:

-slept in her crib, the longest time yet - 8pm-3:45am
-Makes noise when she yawns and then transitions into making spit bubbles
-discovered that balloons are awesome
-pooped her pants BIG time
-decided that being around other babies is wildly entertaining for her (finally, something! Now, can I borrow your kid?)
-still loves feet out at all times
-still loves being held for catnaps, even though I have been trying to put her down more
-started wearing some 6mos clothes, even if they are a little large

Hopefully next week she starts to sleep even more!!!

Week 15

This week, Piper...

-rolled over a bunch of times
-slept for a whopping hour and 10 minutes in her crib
-began squawking like a happy bird whilst pooping
-went to daycare at the gym for the first time and was such a good baby the whole time!!!

Transitioning from Rock N Play to Crib

Why didn't anyone tell me it would be this hard?!!!

Piper is over 3 months old and STILL in her Rock N Play at night.  I honestly wish she could just stay in it forever because she slept 12 hours last night. TWELVE HOURS...with a short break around 6am.  It is amazing. 

However, it doesn't hold her very well anymore, so a change must occur.  I've tried putting her down for naps in the crib initially, but most naps average about 10-30 minutes at this point.  So, we are also starting to put her down at night.  The first night, she slept for 40 minutes and last night she slept for 45.  At this rate, she'll be sleeping through the night in her crib by the time she's 4, but we have to keep trying.  I can't say I really blame her either. The thing is like a barron jail cell, with a single sheet and bars, but we'll see! 

Oh, and we've also placed a pillow under one side of the mattress to semi-mimic the slope of the Rock N Play.

EDITED TO ADD - At 16 weeks, we placed a travel bassinet inside of her crib to help her not feel so vulnerable and it kinda worked!  She slept from 8:50pm - 3:30am!  Go Pip!

15 Weeks - NAP!!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen...

For the first time ever...

Piper has taken a 2.5 hour nap!!!!!!

Cat naps be gone! It has finally happened...and not after a feeding or on my lap.  I mean, yes it did happen after a 5 minute car ride, so she was stuck in her carseat the whole time, but STILL. Do you know how much stuff can get done in 2.5 hours?  Literally, everything I needed to do for the whole day is done.  And most of it was done within the first half hour because I never could have guessed it would last this long.

Thank you Piper!!!

EDITED TO ADD: In the days following...this has not been duplicated:(

Sleep Regression and Baby Crunches

Beginning at 3 months & 1 week (so like 14 weeks), Piper has begun regressing in her sleep.  First, a 1am wakeup, followed by 4am the next night and 3:30am last night.  It is NOT ideal.  Before this, we were nearly incident free for 7 straight weeks where Piper would sleep until 5:30/6am and then again for another 2 hours after feeding. Oh how I miss thee days.  Now, she feeds and goes back to bed until 7am and that's it.  

I'm hoping that this whole thing only lasts the 2/3 weeks that every online source says it will. And hopefully she'll grow a whole bunch during this time so that the bags under ,y eyes will feel worth it. Although she has rolled over twice in the past, she did it again yesterday, so you never know. Maybe she's hulking. We'll see.

Now, onto her baby abs of steel. They have been pretty hilarious lately.  Around 12 weeks, she suddenly started pulling herself up with her abs and hasn't stopped. It's so cute.  And to further her in her talents, I bought a bumbo-like seat (http://www.target.com/p/ingenuity-baby-base-2-in-1-booster-seat-aqua/-/A-14966215) to help her out.  So far she loves it and it's been really fun to have her sitting at the table with us.  Even if she only eats her toys:)

Here are some pics:

12 Weeks.

A quick picture of Piper at 12 weeks watching the Seattle Seahawks game with a friend...