Darling

Not to brag but my baby is the most darling thing in the world.  She just is.

 P.S.  Thank you Sarah for this adorable outfit!

It's beginning too look a lot like Christmas! Finally!

I finally feel like it's Christmas time!!  Don't get me wrong, I am loving the 60's/70's degrees weather of Vegas right now, but somehow the absence of scarves and mittens and frost and cute lighted houses and the presence of palm trees and rocks and unrelenting sun and bare houses just were making it kind of hard for me to really get into the Christmas spirit.  However, my darling husband surprised me the other night by taking me and my darling daughter to a chocolate factory slash cactus garden (only in Vegas, love it) that was covered in Christmas lights!   We bought hot chocolate and walked around enjoying the bedecked cacti- it was lovely.   I came straight home and put up my stockings and put out our little Charlie Brown tree and started listening to Christmas music.  It really is the most wonderful time of the year and I'm so glad it's finally here for me!!!

Little Mexican Baby

Oh my word, Drew and I bought this darling dress in Mexico a year ago, and I just don't think I've seen anything more adorable than my baby wearing it- I haven't been able to bring myself to take it off of her- she just might live in it until it gets too small, I can't say for sure, but probably.  This is in honor of you Grandpa!  

P.S. I cannot wait to see my sweet Grandpa and the rest of my lovely family in a week and a half-  yay!

Cousin

We had Drew's family here for Thanksgiving this weekend and what a treat.  I am so grateful for my wonderful in-laws, I couldn't ask for a better second family.  Our cute cute niece Greta was here and she had a ball with Valentine (and V's binkies).  She'd come into the bedroom while we changed her diaper and if Valentine got fussy or cried Greta would cuddle next to her and go, "Sh, sh, I'm here, I'm here it's ok, I'm here."  She is going to be such a great big sister come a month and a half- we can't for another baby girl to be in our family on January 15!  In the spirit of Thanksgiving I have to say:  I am grateful for my baby.  I am grateful for my husband.  I am grateful for my parents and my family.  I am grateful for the gospel and my Savior.  I am grateful for the beauty of this world we live in.  I am so thankful for my life and all that I have- Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Love

I am in love with my baby.  She smiles and coos and laughs and makes my life wonderful.  She is absolutely darling and I love love love her.

Meh

Well, there's not much new to talk about, but I figured people want to see pictures, so here are some.  Drew's camera broke so I took these with my computer, so they're not super clear, I apologize.  Um.... let me think if there's anything interesting to tell.... I've started to teach my class again for church (the 11 year old girls Sunday School class) and church with a newborn and a calling is SO HARD.  I feel like such a baby, but I was crying by the end of church on Sunday - I don't know how people do it with multiple children- it just takes some practice and getting used to I guess.  Anyways, I also went to enrichment last night and I love my ward.  Everyone makes me feel so welcome and I have so much fun with the women in the ward, and it's nice to be able to get out of the apartment every once in a while and have some "adult time."  I never got it before when other moms talked about that need.  Oh, on a completely different note, Valentine is now speaking to us more- I had a whole conversation with her earlier today and it was so fun- she is definitely going to be a talker- considering her parents though that's not much of a surprise.

9 lbs 12 oz!!

I took her to the doctor yesterday and was SHOCKED to find out that my tiny baby is 9 pounds 12 ounces- I just can't believe it- I was standing there watching them weigh her and saw it with my own eyes and I still don't think that it's right.  She's still so little!  And she's 21 inches- so crazy, she is growing so fast.  My doctor asked if I'm breast or bottle feeding and when I told him breast he goes "Well that's obviously working well."  I guess I have awesome breastmilk that is making my baby grow at a very fast rate- maybe it's all of the sugar I eat..... 

Sleepy Head

Obviously as a newborn Valentine spends a majority of the time sleeping.  Even more than that she spends a majority of the time sleeping on me (like right now- I am typing with one hand, so please excuse any typos) and I love it as much as she does.  Every night she sleeps on me in our bed- she doesn't let us put her in her bassinet- she ends up kicking off the blanket and waking up in about a second- what a stinker.  I actually don't mind and encourage her sleeping on me... I might regret this later but for now I just don't care and always want my baby with me- plus I love watching her sleep- she just has the sweetest face.  Oh and as promised here is a picture of her cute little left ear.  Her ear lobe actually looks like an upside down heart, so it's perfect for Valentine, it's her little signature trade mark.  It was one of the first things I noticed when they handed her to me, and it just made me love her even more, I just thought it was darling, and I still do- she is so perfect. 

Vee

Valentine has started cooing and talking- it is so fun.  This morning she was lying on the bed talking up a storm to Drew's pillow while I was brushing my teeth.  She likes to talk more to things than to me or Drew, especially the little pink bug that hangs on her bouncer, as you can see.  Like I said in the last post my tiny baby is growing like crazy.  She is so chubby now (well relatively) and I was looking at old pictures of her and was shocked at how much she has grown (I should add that she still only fits into 6 onesies), I feel like she's a giant now compared to how teeny tiny she was just 4 weeks ago.  Oh my word has it been that long??!  I can't believe it's been that long and at the same time I can't remember life without her and feel like she's always been here.  Such a strange and wonderful feeling, there is nothing like motherhood... still weird to think of myself as a mom, especially when I still cry wanting MY mom- oh man.  P.S. she makes the best faces, as you can see- so fun.

Halloween!!

My mother in law Marcene bought these cute little tiger ears for Valentine to wear for Halloween and they were just a little bit too big.  They actually fit me and my baby head, how sad.  Halloween is my favorite holiday and I've been stressing a litte bit about finding a cute costume that will fit my tiny tiny baby- I went to Michael's with Kirby and Drew last weekend and we ALMOST bought a little doll princess dress for her- it would have fit, but I just couldn't bring myself to buy a doll dress for a human, I just couldn't.  But as you can tell in these pictures she's starting to fill out and be a little chubby baby finally with chubby cheeks.  At the moment she is snorting and snoring while lying on Marcene's lap- love it, she is awesome, I love my little piggy noise baby (she also snorts when she gets really excited to nurse).  

Smile

Valentine has started to make faces and it is awesome.  I didn't think I could love her anymore, but when she does stuff like this, it just melts me.  The best is when she's in between sleep and waking up- absolutely hilarious.  She's really starting to develop a cute little personality- she is very mellow and sweet and attentive and alert.  She also is very squirmy and loves to wave around her skinny little arms- especially in her face.  When it's time to eat she gets super excited and her legs and arms kick all over the place.  She is very good, not very fussy except when she gets the hiccups- she does not like that.  Oh, and she still doesn't fit into anything besides her onesies.  I love my tiny baby.

Bath Time

I don't think there's anything cuter than little babies taking a bath.  This was Valentine's first bath- well it was more of sponge bath.  At first she wasn't a big fan, I think she was just cold, but by the end she was super calm and I think she really liked it.  Next time it will be a real bath, so we'll see how she likes and handles that.  She is such a good baby though.  Super calm and mellow when she's awake... unless she's hungry- then the only things that can calm her are nursing or Drew.  He is honestly the cutest thing with her, he's such a sweet dad already and she's is totally a daddy's girl like I was.  I knew that Drew would be a good dad, but it's amazing to actually see him with her and to know that the long line of great dads in my family will continue.  

Cute cute cute

She is so darling I just want to show her off to the whole world.