4 Months

Dear Lilah,
Today you are 1/3 of a year old! We have had many fun times together this month. At the beginning of this month, you were finishing up our trip in Florida. You spent your first night in New Orleans where Daddy carried you around in the sling all day. You were intrigued by the many interesting sights (and smells) of that city! You took a carriage ride around the French Quarter and got sprinkled with powdered sugar while napping at Café Du Monde.
You are right at the 14-pound mark now! This month you have discovered the glory of your own toes! You love to pull your legs up and grab onto your toes. It makes changing your diaper quite difficult. You started rolling over just one day shy of your 4-month birthday! You can now successfully roll from your back to your tummy! Once on your tummy you look around for a few minutes and then start fussing until I roll you back over. You have become increasingly vocal this month; you seem to discover a new sound that you are capable of making, and you repeat that sound over and over again until you come up with something new. Your laugh is starting to sound more like a grown-up laugh this month; you are especially giggly when Daddy blows raspberries on your neck! You are grabbing at everything including hair, noses, glasses, etc… You kept pushing Daddy’s menu off of the table the other night at dinner. You have fun laughing and watching the toddlers play at our weekly breastfeeding support group and cloth diaper playgroup.
You are still nursing around every 2 hours during the day; you still mostly sleep through the night, but you sometimes wake-up once at night for a quick nibble. You now get to hang out with Daddy every Thursday from 7:00-9:00pm because I am finally getting back into the yoga studio! I was nervous the first time, but you and Daddy have a great time going shopping and walking around local stores. I have to make sure to fill you up before I leave because we recently discovered that you absolutely refuse bottles!! You have no idea how to eat from a bottle at all; it is pretty funny!
This month you also had fun at the farmer’s market on Saturday mornings, you silently take all of the sights in from the safety of your sling. You also went to your first Astro’s game! Daddy scored dugout tickets from work; you slept through the majority of the game, but you will have plenty of opportunity to enjoy the games in the future. You also took your first trip to Aggieland where you got to sit in Mommy and Daddy’s old booth at Fitzwilly’s. Perhaps you will spend Friday nights with your friends in that same booth one day! ☺
It has been a fast and fun month BG (now pronounced as beege); I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Love,
Mom

525,600 Minutes...

August 18, 2008: One year ago today, I woke up after Chris had already gone to work, peed on a stick, and three minutes later was greeted by this:

August 18, 2009: Today, I woke up after Chris went to work, rolled over and was greeted by this:

Amazing how much your life can change in just one short year!!

Think Globally, Eat Locally!

Sorry again for the lack of posts lately! I sat down to write 100 times and never got to actually post anything!
So to catch up first; we had a fabulous time in Florida! We rounded out the trip with a quick overnight trip in New Orleans.
While on vacation, I finally got around to reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. . It documents a family's mission to live on locally produced foods only for a year! I highly recommend it to anyone involved in agriculture (HINT: If you eat, you are involved in agriculture!!) I also recommend reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. I can't wait to see Food, Inc., a new documentary with a similar message. Over the last two years, Chris and I have really made strong efforts to become better stewards of our environment. We have made a conscious effort to eliminate any material that we feel is not a safe option for ourselves or our environments. Everything from soap, shampoo, household cleaners, laundry detergents, medications, diapers, wipes, sunscreen, etc... to food options, food packaging, recycling, etc... It was been an exciting journey and this past weekend we were ready to take it to the next step. I finally decided that I was done paying a premium for commercially produced organic meat in the grocery store because 1) it is wildly expensive and 2) I still have major issues with the questionable farming practices and insane transport of said meat. I found a family in Brenham that raises their own grass-fed cows, pastured pigs, and free range chickens! Saturday, we drove out to beautiful Brenham, TX where we were graciously greeted by Jason Kramer of Yonder Way Farm. We spent an hour or so chitchatting with Jason about sustainable farming practices before loading up our coolers with over 40 pounds of meat and heading home.
There is something special about sitting down for a meal at home and knowing exactly where this meat came from. I know for a fact that the chicken we eat tonight lived a happy and healthy life at Yonder Way. If I ever needed to know anything about our meat, I can pick up the phone and call the Kramers (at their home!) and ask any question! Can you say the same about the food you buy at the grocery store?
We have now completed a major step in our plans to eat as locally as possible! Our local organic produce co-op provides us with a mystery box of fresh veggies and fruit every Wednesday! Now that we get our meat, produce, and eggs from local sources, we need very little from the grocery store (rice, olive oil, flour, pasta, etc...) It makes you feel good inside to know that you are doing what is best for your family and that you are supporting other local families!!
To finish up this post, I leave you with a picture of the Bean at Fitzwilly's in College Station next to our initials (written in 2006, I believe, in the booth we sat at EVERY Friday night while at A&M)

Three Months

Dear Lilah,
Today, you are three months old! I cannot believe how fast the time is passing. At this very moment I am sitting on the bed staring down next to me at the most beautiful sight a mother can see. You and your Daddy are snuggled up next to one another! This is our most favorite part of the day! Everyday you wake up around 6:30am for your first meal of the day. You always fall right back asleep when you are done, and I bring you in under my arm while we roll over for a nap. On the weekends your Daddy gets to have you for this special naptime.
We are celebrating your 3 months this week in Florida at an amazing beach house with all of your crazy family! Today, you will experience the ocean and the sand for the first time.
This month we have seen so many changes; you are holding your head up so well now; you love “standing” on people’s legs while they hold you up. It has become a game to get you into the sling; you always lock your knees and stand in the sling until you get tired and collapse. Daddy always jokes about “karate-chopping” the back of your knees to get you to sit down. This month you started really playing and interacting with your toys for the first time! I can lay you on the playmat and you will talk to your toucan for quite a while. Your hands have become much more tactile; you will grab my fingers and bring them to your mouth. You like to reach for my hair and rub the strands together while you are nursing. You are so expressive now; it is so much fun making you laugh! I tell everyone that you are an aggressive smiler; you literally use every muscle in your face to produce the biggest smiles I have ever seen. The last few days you have also started to roll from your back to your side and vice versa. The first time you did this you were on the play mat; I placed you on your back and when I returned a few minutes later you were on your right side laughing at the koala bear hanging above your head!
This month you were quite the traveler! You flew to North Carolina to visit Nana and Grandpa for the 4th of July; you were such a pleasure to bring on a plane. You also took your first long road trip. We make the 9.5 hour trek to Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. We stopped for the night in Pascagoula, MS on the way here and you had your very first hotel experience.
Lilah, thank you for the last three months! We are starting to look back through all of your pictures and see that our baby girl is really starting to grow up. The love that our family shares for one another grows stronger and stronger as the days pass. Thank you for teaching us the true meaning of unconditional love!
Love,
Mom

On the Road Again...

In just three short days, we are departing for our week-long stay in Florida. We are staying in the same amazing beach house that we had last year in Santa Rosa Beach (just outside of Destin). I am currently in the middle of my "go crazy making lists of lists" phase that I go through before any vacation. Chris' dad booked this vacation right after we found out I was pregnant; we reserved a week at the end of the summer because traveling with a 3-month old sounded much less scary than traveling with a 1-2 month old. The North Carolina trip was a good practice run! We discovered that we really didn't need a whole lot more than when it was just the 2 of us! She has a little bag with her clothes and another bag with her cloth diapers and wipes, her soap, and a few other items. Other than that, we are only bringing a little playmat and some small toys for the car! She sleeps with us and still only needs the boobies for food, so she is good to go!
I have been couponing for the last month and collecting food that I could bring with me because the only store near the house is an overpriced crowded Publix in an expensive beach community! We are trying to only have to buy milk, bread, eggs, etc.. there.
I am so ready to relax at the house for a week and soak up some rays! It is going to be great to have grandparents, aunts, and uncles around to see Lilah Bean. She probably won't be put down the entire week!
I will definitely be posting some pictures to the blog while we are there so be sure to check it out!!
For now, here is my little helper this week...she can't carry luggage very well, but she sure is cute!

Dr. Dr. Gimme the News...

(I have this thing with song lyrics and post titles :)
Today Lilah had her 2 month check-up with Dr. Injac, a.k.a. the most awesome pediatrician ever!!! She is still perfect :) She weighs 11lbs 2oz (50th percentile), is 23 inches long (75th percentile), and her head is 16 inches around (90th percentile). Not sure where she got that big ol' noggin from? We discussed her vaccine schedule again...
Before I was even pregnant I started reading all of the scientific literature regarding vaccines and decided that we would probably not follow the standard AAP vaccine guidelines when we had kids. I continued my research while I was pregnant and decided on a delayed vaccine schedule. We spoke with our pediatrician at length when I was pregnant about the matter; we discussed our home life, daycare options (or lack thereof), and exclusive/extended breastfeeding, etc... Basically we decided, for our family, it was best for us to delay the start of Lilah's vaccinations until she is 6 months old. So as of now, she has yet to receive any immunizations. I couldn't in good conscience willingly expose her to known toxic components during such a critical developmental time period (especially since I worked so hard to limit her exposure before, during, and after my pregnancy). I find something fundamentally wrong with giving a 1-hour old baby a vaccine for Hep B, a virus transmitted through bodily fluids (IV drug users, sexual transmission, or exposed healthcare workers). Seeing as I know, for a fact, that I do not have Hep B, I knew that my child was safe during delivery, and I don't see Lilah becoming a drug addict or having unprotected sex in the next 4 months ;)
Anyway, I could go on all day about that debate, but back to happy stuff...
We are getting settled back in at home after the NC trip just in time to start getting ready for Florida!!! B.G. is super stoked about her 1st long road trip!

Later Gators!!!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

This past Wednesday, Lilah took her very first ride on a plane! We left for Raleigh, NC to visit Nana and Grandpa after Chris got off of work on Wednesday; we took an early flight home on Monday morning. We had a lovely time visiting my mom over the 4th of July weekend, and we got to see some beautiful areas around the Raleigh/Durham area.
Lilah was an excellent little flier! She nursed during both take-off and landing (nursing helps their ears adjust to the changing pressure), and during the flights she either napped or played with Chris! We cruised through security with her in the pouch sling; we checked one bag and her car seat, and had only her diaper bag as a carry-on. We couldn't get over seeing other parents with babies in the airport with strollers, carseats, suitcases, bags, etc... They all looked miserable trying to navigate the busy terminals.

While in North Carolina, we went to a Durham Bulls baseball game (Lilah's 1st baseball game); that was really fun! It started to rain towards the end of the game, but we were able to quickly seek shelter until it stopped. Grandpa got Lilah her 1st baseball and case so that she can remember the game! We pigged-out on obligatory baseball junk food!

We enjoyed the break from the oppressive Houston heat and humidity! In Raleigh it was dry and relatively cool! Just down the road from my Mom's is a huge farmer's market; I am so jealous and would love to have something like that near us! We also had the chance to drive around the Yaw River Valley and visit three different wineries. It was so neat to visit small family-owned and operated vineyards. We tasted some very tummy wines! Here we are in front of some grapevines:

On Sunday, we visited a really neat old grist mill. It was raining so we didn't get to walk down to the actual mill, but the visitor center was beautiful and had some really neat stuff to see. We had a great time visiting with family and taking Lilah on her first of many vacations to come!!

2 Months

Dear Lilah,
Happy two months B.G.!! While you were still in my belly we affectionately referred to you as Baby-Girl; once you arrived we shortened it to B.G.! Your father also calls you Lilah-Bean, Bean, or sometimes Beano ☺
You have grown so much this month. You are quickly approaching the 11 pound mark! I officially put away the remaining newborn clothes and you are quickly filling the 0-3 month clothing! You have grown so strong as well; you can hold your head up for quite a while before you get tired. You can also easily follow our faces and the sounds of our voices.
Mornings are still your favorite time of the day! You greet us with your laughter and big goofy grins! This month you started sleeping through the night a full 6-8 hours before waking up to nurse. Even swaddled, you manage to wiggle your way out of your little snuggle nest and wind up cuddling next to me all night. I sleep with my nose nestled in your little head full of hair. I can’t seem to get my fill of that sweet smell.
This month Gam and Grandpa Ron flew in from Florida to meet you. You were such a ham the whole weekend; you kept the entire family entertained. This month you got to meet all of the animals at Grandpa’s house; you pet the horses for the first time! You also took your first road trip this month. We drove to Dallas for Meme’s family reunion. You rode in the backseat with Nana and never fussed the whole way. You didn’t mind being passed around and toted by every old granny on the block at the reunion. Nana called you a superbaby because you were so good! Daddy even made you a cape (but after flying around the living room, you spit up on it!) This month we decided that you are exactly like your Uncle Garrett; you two are peas in a pod! You both love sleeping and eating! You two are good napping partners as well. Last week, Daddy and I took you to your first movie (The Hangover; when you are 18 you can look it up) You didn’t make a peep; you pretty much took turns between napping and nursing the whole time. This month we drove downtown to have lunch with Daddy and his friend Roy; we went to Ruggles, our favorite lunch spot, in Rice Village. I can't wait until we can spend the day shopping together then talk about it over sweet potato fries and pastries at Ruggles!
You and I are finally getting our routine down at home. The house isn’t always as clean as it was before you were born, but I am perfectly fine with that. Sometimes when you fall asleep during the day I have to decide between dishes and laundry or cuddling up with you and the majority of the time I choose the nap! I have the rest of my life to clean the house, but the days where I can nap with you on the couch are limited.
B.G., it is so rewarding to watch you become your own little person! Everyday I feel more and more blessed to be your mom!! I can’t wait to see what the next month will bring us!
Love,
Mom

A Little Snack...

I have totally been slacking on the blog front lately :(
I am working on Lilah's 2 month letter that I will post on the 26th...
Here is a little "snack" to hold you over until I make a real post!

Celebrate Good Times, Come on!!

This weekend we had many reasons to celebrate!
1) Lilah got to meet her Great-Grandpa Ron and Great-Gam! They flew in Thursday and left today.
2) Saturday was Chris' 24th Birthday!
3) Dave and Lauren were in from Dallas, so the whole family was together!
We had a really great time visiting with everyone; the weather was beautiful so we got to hang out by the pool all day on Saturday. Saturday evening we went to dinner for Chris' birthday and had a really fun time. Little Lilah bean was a total ham all weekend, and had a really great time being passed around from person to person for a few days.
Also, this weekend, I tackled perhaps my most challenging cake to date; here is a picture of Chris' birthday cake that I made. It is a 2-tiered lemon layer cake frosted with lemon buttercream and filled with raspberry preserves. I covered and decorated it with homemade marshmallow fondant that was flavored with lemon. It took FOREVER to make, but was really fun! It was quite yummy as well!!