"I Think The Tree Needs More Lights"

Said Tom when we finally got all the lights up on it tonight. I don't know, I think it's got enough lights on it already? What do you guys think? By the way, all that glow in the picture, that's all emanating from the Christmas tree lights, nothing else!

This Could Be An Applebee's Ad

Andrina and I got to visit April and Anne yesterday. It was a really nice visit. We took the girls to toddler story time at the library. Andrina smiled and laughed while being held and sung to while I also did the "wheels on bus" and the "if you're happy and you know it" body motions with her. Andrina was doing so well during story time, so well behaved and noticeably enjoying the songs and books that you almost could not tell that she was so much younger than the other kids there. And Anne kept getting books to look at and she kept giving me Andrina's bottle to give to her. Awww!

Speaking of Anne, my little niece is a great kid. I know she means the world to April like Andrina does to me. And April is so proud of her. The more time I get to spend with Anne, the more I can see her like April does. She listens so well for a toddler and is a happy and bright kid. They are both great. Both so cute and sweet. Both are developing wonderfully too. It was so nice to see Anne again and see her interacting with Andrina more. I have to include a story about Anne, even if she's not my daughter:

All day long, Andrina had been drooling like a baby does (and maybe those teeth might be on their way...). And I had been wiping her mouth gently with a burp cloth every time I noticed her drooling. Well, the 4 of us were back at April's house and I was sitting down, holding Andrina on my lap facing outwards when I felt something wet hit my hand. Of couse I knew it was baby drool and I reached for the burp cloth and there was little Anne, standing right in front of Andrina, holding the burp cloth, and right away she used it to wipe Andrina's mouth! It was so cute and so sweet! April and I were amazed! I'm so happy we both got to see that. This was a new behavior for Anne. Anne must have noticed me wiping Andrina's mouth at the library when her little cousin drooled and she imitated it. It goes to show you that kids always notice what is going on around them.

Here's some pictures of Anne kissing her cousin Andrina, or "Baby" as Anne calls her. Anne happened to have her balloon from lunch with her too. These are such sweet pictures, they could be an ad for Applebee's.

No Midnight Scream

Good news: Andrina slept all night through without waking up screaming. Actually, she went 14 hours without eating. 11 hours of that she was asleep. She had her last bottle at 6 pm, then refused a bottle at 8 pm before I was about to bathe her. She would not drink any of it. I tried again after her bath but she did not want any of it again. Tom and I figured she'd wake up in the middle of the night to eat since she last ate at 6:00 but she didn't. She woke up at 8am to eat! Amazing. She's still as happy as ever too.

Midnight Scream

Andrina has been sleeping through the night for about a week now. So Tom and I were really scared and surprised when she woke up last night at midnight, screaming! I'd never heard her cry and scream like that before. I went to her immediately and she would not stop screaming! Changed her diaper, which was barely wet, took her temperature, which was a perfect 98.6, rocked her, and cuddled her. She'd quiet down as if everything was ok for a minute then start screaming again. So we got the bottle ready and Tom fed her. That was what she wanted. Plain and simple. Food. Now. Instant gratification. That was all weird because even when she was a newborn and woke up to be fed, she did not scream like that. I hope that was a one time thing. I guess she had a bad dream (can babies really have bad dreams?) and that combined with wedging herself into the narrow ways of the crib must have really freaked her out. Thankfully this morning she was back to her usual happy baby self. She only cried out a little, like ususal when she woke up, and was talking to herself when I got her out of her crib. All seems well, I even got her usual bright smile when I said good morning to her (side note, isn't that just the best thing when you're baby is so happy to see you?). We'll have to see how it goes tonight. I hope you sleep better tonight My Love.

Ouch! You Really Are a Strong Baby!

I was just snapping up the crotch on Andrina's onsie after a diaper change when she grabbed my left forearm (which was closer to her head than my other forearm). She does this all the time and I think it's adorable how she wraps both her arms around my forearm. And I usually tell her, "yes, I belong to you" since it's like she claiming me. Well, this time she grabbed my arm, and before I knew it since I was busy getting her clothes back on, she grabbed hold of my skin in both her hands really tight, twisted my skin as she dug her fingernails into my flesh! Ouch it hurt! I was not expecting that one! Ever since she starting kicking non-stop in the womb I've been telling her how strong she is. And she proved it once again. Speaking of in the womb, I remember how I was about 6 months pregnant and Tom and I were playing the "Daddy's hands on Mommy's belly hoping to feel her kick game" when she kicked right where Tom's hand was. She kicked so hard she kicked his hand right off of my belly. Tom's surprised exclamation was, "holy shit"! He he he. That was funny!

"Now That's a Beautiful Baby!"

Andrina and I went with Tom to his doctor's visit today so I could do one very important thing: show off my baby. I had been there with him a few times before while I was pregnant so logic dictates that they now have to see the "product" of my pregnancy (not that this does anything for their lives but for me it does). Of course everyone said she was beautiful; the doctor, the nurses, all the receptionists. But it was in the waiting room where I was really suprised. I was walking through holding Andrina over my shoulder and when we passed this one older lady I heard her loudly say, "now that's a beautiful baby!". So I turned around to say thank you and there were 3 women sitting there all going "aww" about Andrina (maybe they were talking about babies or sharing pictures before we got into the waiting room, who knows). I'd never heard a stranger compliment her like that before with such matter-of-fact conviction!

Yes Andrina, you really are a beautiful baby.

Not that we had to hear it to know it though!

And you're such a cute little sweetie too!

Wern't These Jammies Supposed To Be Too Big?

I remember seeing these jammies that Doreen gave me at my baby shower. The tags said they were 3 to 6 month size but looking at them I thought they were huge! They looked so big! I thought that they were mislabeled and they were really for a 1 year old baby, not one 3 to 6 months old. Well, I put Andrina to bed last night wearing one of them and of course, it fit (even if it is a little roomy). I remember how tiny she was when she was born. I was holding her and looking at these "huge" jammies and I thought to myself that she'd never fit into them. Well of course I was wrong. Of course she grew to fit into them. But it seems amazing that she has grown so much in such a short amount of time. Yes I understand all about growth and development of babies from a biological and psychological perspective. But for me personally, emotionally, it is difficult to process even when the evidence is staring me in the face and there is no denying it. Like most moms, I'm sure, I get sad at times when I think of Andrina growing up. She is this wonderful, beautiful, perfect baby and it breaks my heart to think that it won't last forever. My only consolation is that she is so healthy and beautiful and with continued love and encouragement she will be capable of achieving whatever goals she sets for herself. And for me, as I take pride in all her accomplishments now, that will only continue. So maybe that is how I will cope with her growing up on me.