Month 3: We Have LAUGHTER!

I always thought that I would want my baby to stay an infant forever. And, believe me, I wish she could always stay my tiny little 14 pound baby. But, there is something SO amazing about watching all my little girl's milestones. In the first month of Berlyn's life she was already smiling and cooing. In her second month she was being more and more vocal with her coos, and now in the third month she is laughing. It is crazy to know that she started out just a blank canvas... a sponge soaking up everything around her. And now, she is doing so many cute things that never cease to amaze me! The love I have for her is like no other and keeps growing and growing everyday!

I always envisioned Berlyn's first laugh to be from something I did to her, like tickling, smiling, or kissing. I never thought it would be from crinkling plastic, haha! I did it once and she let out the cutest chuckle I have EVER heard. It made me laugh so hard and tear up at the same time. I ran to get our camera just so I could record it and listen to it over and over again. It will be something I'll cherish forever. One day I will show it to her and tell her how silly she was laughing at plastic :)

Another thing she has been doing the past couple of days is grabbing her feet. How can something so simple be SO cute?! Whenever I change her diaper she will interrupt me and bring her little feet up to her hands and she will grab onto her tiny (long!) toes. Also, in the past week we took Berlyn to get her ears pierced and she handled it like a champ! Our Little B has grown and changed so much in the past month and I can already tell she is going to be such a fun toddler! I am looking forward to all of her other "firsts" even though I wouldn't mind if time just stood still sometimes!

Here is a picture of her at 3 months:

My First Mother's Day

My very first Mother's Day was everything I thought it would be and more. I loved being at church with my family and then spending the day with those that I love, especially my little baby girl : ) My husband got me diamond earrings (from Berlyn of course) and they were just what I wanted!

I am so proud to be Berlyn's mommy and so thankful and excited for all the Mother's Days to come!

Letter To My Little B Boo Bear

Berlyn,

I'm writing this letter to you just to express to you how much LOVE I have for you. Ever since the day you were born I have never loved anything or anyone more than I love you. You brighten up every day and you make me so happy just by smiling! You are the best thing that's ever happened to me and I just want you to know that. I cannot imagine my life without you. I'm so looking forward to you growing up and us growing closer and closer together as mommy and daughter. One day when you have a baby of your own you will know exactly what I mean! And maybe one day you'll be telling your child the same thing. The love I have for you, Berlyn, is like no other. You are in my heart always.

I love you forever,
Mama

Where Has the Time Gone?!

I remember bringing Berlyn home from the hospital like it was yesterday and now my little girl is already two months old. Time has gone by extremely fast but I have been enjoying our mommy-daughter time so much! To see her little milestones is really crazy! I remember when all she would do is sleep, eat, and poop. Now she's acting so much different: smiling, cooing, and staying awake during the day. Oh and she sleeps throught the night, THROUGH THE NIGHT! This started when she was just about 7 weeks old and we've been very lucky!

Although we didn't necessarily put Berlyn on any sort of "schedule", her days are all pretty much the same and she lets us know whenever she needs something. We start our day with her any time between 5 and 6 am. She will wake me up (by grunting and kicking her legs) and that's when I'll feed her her first bottle. After that, she will be awake for about an hour to an hour and a half and we'll play and talk to each other until she needs her first nap. I'll swaddle her then put her in her crib for her morning nap, usually for about an hour. She will wake up, I'll feed her, then lay her on her activity mat that she LOVES and I'll relax while she coos and plays by herself. Her feedings, naps, and play times are pretty much the same throughout the entire day, and before her last feeding we have bathies! She loves getting a bath! After she's bathed and lotioned up I read a couple books to her, feed her a bottle then put her to bed usually between 8 and 9.

One of the best things about being Berlyn's mommy is how excited she gets when she sees me. When B was first born my mom would tell me, "just wait til she sees you coming towards her and starts getting excited." And that's exactly what she does. When she sees me her legs start kicking out of control and she has a grin on her face from ear to ear. It is the best thing ever!

I also now understand how moms sometimes forget about buying things for themselves when they have babies. Shoot, sometimes I forget to eat! It's all about B, though. I will spend hours online or at the store looking for cute clothes and accessories for her. Every once in a while I'll treat myself to something and I'll almost feel guilty!

I go back to work in about 7 weeks and it's something I can't even THINK about right now. How can a mommy just leave her baby for 8 hours every day?! I'm sure I'll get used to it but it will take some time. Luckily, my work is only a 15 minute drive away and I can come home and see her on my lunch. As for now, I just spend every second I can with her. We play, read books, sing, and watch tv together. Watching tv is one thing she does that reminds me of her daddy. When they are watching tv it is very hard to get their attention. She is definitely her father's daughter!

I haven't posted here for a few weeks- things have been a little crazy being a mama and all but I'll be sure to post more because I know one day she'll look back on this and be happy I did!

Our Little Bunny's First Easter :)

Easter Sunday was Berlyn's first real holiday and I had the best time shopping for things to fill her basket as well as a dress for her to wear. I swear, having a little girl is the funnest thing ever! I got to show her off at church in her girly pink and purple dress, and then take her to my friend's house for a little Easter egg hunt. I know she won't remember it when she's older, but we will have photos to show her! Sunday was also a special day because it was fun spending our first holiday together as a family! I can't wait until the 4th of July... I already have her outfit picked out :)

The Best Birthday Ever

Yesterday was my 27th birthday and it was my favorite birthday ever. This birthday was different because I got to spend the entire day with my daughter. To start, we had a little girl time. Berlyn and I went to the mall with my sister-in-law and her daughter and had so much fun shopping for clothes and makeup! Okay, she was asleep the entire time but still, I loved having her with me! Then we came home and she got to watch me do homework (yay!) and I'm sure that was a blast for her as well! Later on in the evening my two good girlfriends came over and cooked me dinner. We had a glass of champagne to celebrate, and cupcakes for dessert. Berlyn was awake up until the very end. It's funny because whenever company is over she never wants to fall asleep. It's like she's worried she'll miss out on something if she does.

Berlyn finally ended up falling asleep, my friends left to go home, and in the end it was just Berlyn, my husband and I. I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Berlyn: One Month New

A lot of people told me to enjoy every minute with my daughter because the time goes by so fast. However, I didn't think it'd go by THIS fast. It seems like just yesterday we brought her home from the hospital in her pink footed pajamas and matching pink beanie, and now she's already one month old.

I have gotten to enjoy so many moments with her this past month, and I can only imagine it getting better as time goes on. Dressing her up in cute outfits and girly headbands has been my favorite thing, and taking pictures on my iPhone of every moment has been really fun, too!

This past week was Berlyn's first big milestone. She started smiling at me and cooing when she gets really excited. The first time she smiled caught me offguard- I'm used to only seeing her smile in her dreams, while she's sleeping! I would change her diaper, look up at her, and just keep talking to her. She would smile in reply and kick her legs around- pretty much the cutest thing I've seen her do yet. Then one night as I was talking to her, she made a sound I'd never heard her make before. I knew it was her way of trying to communicate back to me, and something about it made me emotional. It's like she is growing up right before my eyes!

I plan on taking a photo of 'B' each month for the first year of her life, in hopes that one day we can look back on them together. I have attached her one month picture here and although I never want her to get bigger, I can't wait to take the next one!