Tongue Time

Little Lena has found her tongue [thanks to my family and all the tongues they showed in Hawaii last week]. And I don't think she's ever been happier. She likes to lick everything now [including things she shouldn't be licking, but only sucking instead - I'll let you do the math on that one]. It's become quite a distraction. But she's loving it, so we let her play.

seeing it for the first time in the mirror

We had a tongue photo-shoot. Poor thing, it takes so much concentration to do this. She has to use every muscle in her body.

and then she starts to get tired

and now really tired

We're hoping that soon, she'll figure out those hands! Then we can have some real fun.

Being a mom

I've become a new person since May 30. Being a mother makes you take on a whole new personality. This is a little bit of who I've become over the last 3 months:

• Ballet dancer - when I have to tiptoe out of her room without heard after I've helped her fall asleep
• Ghost - when I crawl into her room and stick my hands through the slots in her crib to put her pacifier back in her mouth without her seeing me
• Nurse - when she's sick and needs to be taken care of or when she needs her daily medicine
• Milk man (or woman) - when she needs to be fed
• Teacher - when I teach her new things about herself or about the world around her. Her curious face is really cute

• Juggler - when I'm trying to hold her in my arms, support her head, carry her things with us all around the house and keep her pacifier in her mouth. All at the same time
• Magician - when I trick her into thinking she's being swaddled by only wrapping one arm or fed by having her suck on a pacifier
• Friend - when she needs and wants to play

• Researcher - when I'm figuring out new ways for her to eat, sleep or play when her usual routine just isn't working out as well
• Translator - when I try to figure out what her different, little cries and noises mean
• Comedian - when I make funny faces or sounds to try to bring out a smile or laugh

• Singer - when I sing her songs at night before bath time
• Rocking chair - when she needs a little help falling asleep
• Maid - when she needs to be cleaned after a bad spit up or dirty diaper
• Guardian - when she needs a little comfort after getting scared and startled
• Match-maker - when I introduce her to all the boys her age (and the older ones, too. Because every girl loves an older boy)
• Physical therapist - when I make her do tummy time to strengthen her neck, arms and back; when I stand her up to strengthen her feet and little legs; when I try to get her to talk back so she'll strengthen those vocal chords; when I try to help her grab onto toys to get those arm and hand muscles strong.

• Zombie - when I live off 4 hours (or less) of sleep
• Historian - when I document every part of her life. Document it all so well, I have hundreds of pictures of the same face, the same activities, the same smiles and all in the same places because I don't want to accidentally miss anything new

And most importantly, I've become:

• A mother - when I'm giving her as much love and attention as I know how, taking on all the roles that just need to be filled so little Lena can grow up in a home not so very different from the one she left. I have the opportunity to rely even more on my Heavenly Father to help me do this work to raise His children. And I have the opportunity to rely on my Savior, as well, to help me get through the hard days and nights. This is a special time in my life when I'm able to "cherish that role that is uniquely [mine]," and partner with Heavenly Father as he helps me raise Lena to be the girl she needs to be.

3 months!

Happy three months to my beautiful daughter. She continues to be a light in mine and Lewis's lives.

We adore her.

her cute smiles

A month ago she was 12 pounds 8 ounces. Today, she's 14 pounds 5 ounces.

She is getting so good at holding her head up on her own. We can almost carry her with only one hand! Yay for having two hands again!

Right now we're working on teaching her about her hands. She's hit a spot in her life where she refuses to be swaddled. At least not completely. But she doesn't know that her arms are hers yet and she can't control them. So the twitching keeps her awake. So I decided to trick her. I swaddle one arm and let the other one roam. So now she thinks she has freedom but she's still trapped in her cute little baby burrito.

I don't want to jinx anything but Lena has slept four nights in a row without getting up to eat! In. A. Row! She has pulled 7 and a half hour nights every once in a while (maybe 2 or 3 since she's been born), but never back to back. We usually put her down around 9 or 9:30. And then I try to go to bed very shortly after so I can get a good amount of sleep.

Two of these recent four nights, she woke up and just needed a little help getting back to sleep. And the next two nights, she slept the whole way through. I woke up to use the bathroom at 5 and just had to go check on her. Just to make sure. But she slept from 9 until around 7! This is awesome! I hope this trend continues and that she starts sleeping even longer at night so that we can start putting her to bed a bit earlier so Lewis and I can actually have [baby-less] time together.

I've tried to start taking one of her daytime naps away so she only takes one in the morning and afternoon. And then early to bed. And sleep all night. (crosses fingers). We'll see how this goes!

But even when I'm up feeding her in the middle of the night, she just makes me smile. Her cute little personality makes itself manifest even at 3 in the morning during her feedings. And it makes me laugh.

Love my baby girl.

[sorry the pictures are a little blurry. when I take them with my phone, they're blurry if she moves even a little.]

Lucky

I get to spend all day with this cute thing. Some days are harder than others. And all days are exhausting (does that ever change?).

But I wouldn't have it any other way.

pizza in the morning, pizza in the evening, pizza at suppertime

Last night for dinner, I made pizza. But not just pizza. Whole wheat pizza. This is a big deal, people. And it was delicious. I found the recipe here. I love that site. You can look up anything you want, and there's usually a recipe for it.

I usually get nervous when I'm making bread that has to rise. I worry that I won't do something right and my beautiful ball of dough that's supposed to get bigger will just end up being a little wilted ball of dough when I get around to looking at it an hour later.

Much to my surprise, my little ball of dough turned into a big ball of dough! Imagine what can happen when you follow a recipe :)

Then, I kept reading the recipe and saw that it had to rise again for almost another hour. I thought, "I bet I ruin it this time." Negative. It was a success.

Lately, I've found myself on this vegetable kick. I always am craving meals that are strictly vegetables: veggie sandwiches, salads, veggie grilled cheese, veggie wraps, veggie quesadillas, etc. And I've loved it. So, I made Lewis eat a vegetable pizza. And boy was it delicious. He gobbled it right up.

And I'm pretty proud of myself for making such a successful whole wheat pizza crust.

[last] first day of school!

Yesterday was Lewis's [last] first day of school [as an undergrad].

It is a big moment.

Had to document it.

And of course, Lena had to be involved.

Because it is Lewis's [first] first day of school with a baby!

she's already a BYU fan

and the football hold in celebration of football season

Happy new school year to all those starting school again!

I'm sad I'm not there, but I've already downloaded the free independent study courses.

Time to start learning!

Hawaii

Last week, my parents took the family to Hawaii. It was a bit stressful with the idea of traveling with a baby, but our fears were calmed as she slept most of the way from California to Kauai. And how grateful we are for that. Hawaii is a lot less relaxing with a baby, but it was still just as fun! And I got to spend much more time reading than I have in the past. And I loved that.

sleeping on the way there

our 12 passenger van

getting ready for our helicopter ride

I wanted to see what she'd look like with eyebrows

playing in the pool

in the pool with dad

exploring the fish

looking at the fish

just chilling on the beach chair

her hat is a bit too large :)

playing in the sand

steve befriended a cat

at the luau

todd's probably thinking "what do I do with this?"

discovering her tongue with my mom

steven loves her. it's evident.
(don't worry, she didn't fall. it just looks like it)

Some of the views:

view from the helicopter

We are so grateful to my parents for taking us to Hawaii. It was fun to be with the family. Even though I was probably dramatic and emotional (mostly nervous) about the whole trip. But it was fun to be with the family. Always is. And we love our family reunions.