3 Months Old!

Can you believe it?  Our little mama is already 3 months old.  Let me tell you, this one has been the best one yet!  Each day brings a new trick, a sweeter smile and a slew of sloppy baby kisses. 

She now weighs a whopping 16 pounds and is 25 inches long.  When charted on the standard growth chart, she's in the 95th percentile.  That's a big jump from her 2 month stats and a HUGE jump from her 2 week stats!  What can I tell you?  The girl loves to eat. 

At 3 months old, Caroline is:

Chewing on anything and everything, particularly her hands.  She loves her hands.  They are often covered in drool, so I have to make sure and keep them clean!

Rolling over from her stomach to her back.  She's almost proficient on her side to stomach roll...not quite there yet.

Sleeping though the night!  Her average is about 9 hours, but she'll go up to 11.5. 

Wearing size 3 diapers.  I'm hoping her weight gain slows down, otherwise she'll outgrow all of the diaper sizes and I'll be forced to potty train her before her 1st birthday.

Making her MayMay's life miserable when she comes to babysit.  Caroline does not like to behave when I'm not around.  Heck, she loves to misbehave when I AM around.  Oy Vey!

Grasping and holding on to objects.  Then sticking them into her mouth.  And drooling all over them.  Don't worry - I don't think she's teething...yet. 


Here are some pictures of Sweet Caroline on her 3 month birthday:

Notice that Caroline and the doll share the same cheeks and thighs.  And expression!

"Oh, I love this Paddington Bear! He's my favorite!"

"Listen, Paddy.  I know I promised you that I wouldn't eat you, but you just look so tasty and yummy."

"Well, hello, Puppy.  Please don't bite me!"

"Mom! I thought you said no dogs allowed in the house?  Why is this guy always in my crib and why does he taste so good?"

"Oh, it's my friend again!  I love him!"

"Oh, Paddy.  Posing for pictures is hard work.  Let's just relax for a minute."

Who wants some butter with their rolls?!?  My mom is going to disown me for posting this picture, but it's too funny!



I hope everyone had a great month of July!  We're looking forward to seeing what August will bring!

She's just talkin' to the angels

She's done it.  I've been waiting for this day since the day she was born.  I knew it would happen sooner or later, and I was hoping it was sooner than later. 

She's found her voice!

Oh, how Caroline loves to talk.  She'll talk about the weather, her favorite birds, how she hates her car seat but loves Days of Our Lives, and how she's always ready for her bath.  She's particularly chatty first thing in the morning.  She'll tell us all about her baby dreams and what she wants to do that day. 

It's the sweetest little voice (most of the time) and always a joy to hear.  It's amazing how it'll stop us in our tracks and enchant us for hours on end.  That angelic, heavenly little voice.  My grandmother (Granny) used to say that when babies talk, they're talking to the angels.  Well, I hope they are listening because Caroline has a lot to say!

Feel free to hit "replay" and watch it again.  You know you want to.  ;)

Here are some other recent highlights:

Caroline loves to lick on pieces of fruit!  I know, I know...bad mommy.  Don't worry.  She's still nursing like a champ.  Look at the child's thighs - you think she's missed a meal in her 3 months of life?  I assure you she has not.

Luc's mom and brother came in town for a quick visit.  Ms. Diane and Patrick had a great time!  Caroline behaved herself and made a new friend, Uncle Patrick.  (I made a killer chicken casserole.  Try it.  Leave out the black olives, unless black olives are your thing.)

I finally installed her jumper!  She loves it!  Granted, she can only hold up her head for about 5 minutes before she starts head banging the front bar...

I finally let her wear a bow.  She thought she was hot stuff.



 I've managed to increase her daytime naps from 15 minutes to 45.  Thank you, My Little Lamb swing.  You're a sanity saver!

She finally fits into her Baby Bjorn!  Remember when she was too small for it?

Before:



After!

She's still squeezing into this cute outfit -

She's sleeping through the night!  All it took was for me to give up caffeine, dairy and spicy food.  I'm still telling myself the extra hours of sleep are worth it.  Here she is after 11 hours of sleep:

This is probably one of my favorite pictures of her.  Background info - it was 8:00 at night, which is her bedtime, so she was angry to begin with.  I thought it would be fun to put her new bikini on her, just for kicks...stay at home moms need some entertainment from time to time, right?  Well, mommy was wrong.  Caroline didn't think it was fun.  Maybe because I tied the top too tight or maybe because it's a size 2T (I KNOW!), she wasn't happy about it.  Don't worry Caroline, almost all women feel the same way about putting on a swimsuit.

Caroline turns 3 months on Friday.  I can't believe it!  I weighed her today, but I'm waiting until the 3 month mark to share that number...

If my eyes were a camera...

I wish I had a photographic memory.  The ability to see something once and remember it forever would be such a cool thing to possess.  There are so many times throughout the day when I wish my eyes were a camera so I could capture the sweet and funny things Caroline does.  I'm only able to grab a camera about 5% of the time.  The other 95% of the time I sit and stare and hope she'll repeat the coo/giggle/rolling over/laugh/etc she did in the seconds before.  Here are some of the images I was able to capture thanks to my handy dandy iPhone:

She loves holding her head up!  I attribute this to her love of tummy time.

Caroline has this great play mat that keeps her pretty entertained.  I attached this pink bird to it, therefore her mat time is also called Playing Angry Birds.  I can get some work done in the kitchen while she plays Angry Birds.  It's great!  I love listening to her hit the bird because it makes a sweet noise.  I know she's having fun when the bird is making lots of noise.  Well, the other day the bird stopped making sweet noises for a minute or so.  This is what I discovered when I went to check on her:

I guess she got hungry!  That poor bird was dripping with drool by the time I rescued him.

This is the sweet face I get to see every morning:

Caroline has her sweet days and her diva days.  This was a diva day.  She decided she didn't want me looking at her while she slept:

This was also a diva day.  She was upset that her romper was too long.  I had to explain to her that by the time I get a romper that fits around her belly, it's going to be too big lengthwise.  She didn't like that excuse.

This is one of my favorite pictures of her.  She looks like a giant baby doll!

This is her new favorite thing to do - check herself out in the mirror.  She will sit there for 5-10 minutes and just laugh at her reflection.  She knows she's hot stuff...

Sometimes when I'm rocking her to sleep, it's hard for me to tell if her eyes are open or closed.  I usually reach my arm out and take a picture of her face to see if she's awake or not.  This is what I got when I checked the other day.  Needless to say, I had some more rocking to do.

Our friend, Jenny J, came over for dinner last week!  I needed some help cutting green beans and she's the only help I could find.

Here is a picture of Caroline on Father's Day, which was right around her 2 month birthday:

Here's a picture of me, taken on my 2 month birthday:

I knew there was some Maher blood in her!  She might look like me after all!  :)

I'll leave you with a video of her talking.  She's got the sweetest little voice...

95th Percentile? Who? Me?

June 22nd marked Caroline's 2 month-a-versary.  We celebrated the occasion by visiting our favorite pediatrician, Dr. S.  She was amazed by her growth and how well she's moving around.  Her measurements show that she's in the 95th percentile for weight(!) and 50th for height.  At 13.5 pounds, she has almost doubled her birth weight in 2 months!  Dr. S isn't concerned about her big belly because she's a breastfed baby.  She told me to keep feeding her, but try to cut out the middle of the night feeding.  Caroline let me know what she thought about that advice by staying up from 1:00-4:00 the following night.  Thanks, honey. That was sweet of you!

At 2 months, Caroline can:

Hold her head up!  This is her favorite trick.  She'll show it to anyone who asks her to. 

Roll from her tummy to her back.  I think it's gas related, but nonetheless, it's still a big accomplishment at 2 months.

Drool like it's going out of style.  Dr. S said it's not teeth just yet, so just grab some bibs and get ready for the next few saliva filled months.  It's a good thing she's got so many cute drool catchers!

Smile, coo, laugh and giggle.  I'm trying to capture video of her in action.  The only thing she's done on camera so far is fill her diaper.  Charming, I know. 

She loves to be in control of her pacifier.  She's getting pretty good at the hand-eye coordination. 

Lil' C behaves MUCH better in public now!  Thank the Lord!  I was getting worried that she had a slight case of social anxiety.  It turns out she just gets over stimulated and freaks out a little when there's too much going on.  I fixed the problem by pulling the hood on her stroller so that she can't see anything.  It works!
Speaking of the Lord, Caroline acts like an angel in church.  I think she knows Baby Jesus is watching her. 


Here are some pictures of her on her 2 month-a-versary!

Just hanging out...

Posing with the only dog she'll ever have (Luc and I are allergic).

Sitting pretty with her 1st baby doll.

Smiling with the teddy bear her daddy gave her!



Here are some fun pictures I took this afternoon:

Father's Day Fun

Happy Father's Day to all the grandfathers, fathers, and fathers to be!  Thanks for all you do!

Luc's first Father's Day was spent enjoying food (I cooked 3 meals!), fried turf, and family. 

I attempted my first Pioneer Woman recipes today.  I'm so impressed!  The mashed potatoes were some of the best I've ever made and the steak was delicious.  I only wish there was more time to make her chocolate pie...maybe another day...

Poor Luc...this Texas drought is just killing his grass.  Between the brown spots and the Bermuda grass that is trying to invade our yard, he's in a constant struggle to keep the HOA away.  I must say, though, for someone who hasn't had a lot of yard experience, he's very good at it!  Our lawn is one of the nicest on the block and it's all thanks to good ol' daddy.  And his tools.  He's got lots of tools.  Come over and he'll show them to you.  He tried to hang and display them today but I put a stop to the hammering because the garage wall is also C's wall.  No need to wake the beast...especially not today.  For the daughter of 2 people who love to sleep, she is hell bent on breaking that family tradition...

Speaking of family traditions, we look Caroline swimming today!  Our neighborhood has a fantastic pool system that we were itching to try out.  I'm so glad we did!  C loved the water and her adorable swim attire.  We were only there for 15 minutes, but it was 15 minutes well spent.  Here are some pictures of our family outing:

We had every intention of bathing her right when we got home, but she had other plans.  Luc laid her down to change her and she was asleep before he grabbed a new diaper.  So we let her sleep.  And she did.  For 20 minutes...lil' stinker.

I hope all the dads out there had a great day!  I can't wait to see what next Father's Day brings us!

Only a love this strong...

For 10 long months I stayed away from many, many things that I love.  Ice cold Corona with salt and lime.  La Crema.  Santa Margherita.  Zydeclaw's boiled crawfish.  Miyako's delicious and irresistible sushi happy hour.  Various Hebert's spicy stuffed chickens.  Front Porch Pub.  Sleeping on my back and stomach.  Sleeping.

I told myself it was for the good of the child, even though I knew my child wanted me to be happy.  I thought those days of child-forced deprivation were gone. 

WRONG

Caroline is a gaseous little thing.  She's far from lady like when her stomach is full of air.  Sometimes, it's like the wind section of the New York Philharmonic is playing in our house.  This is kind of what it looks like when her stomach is sorting out food from flatulence:

We found ways to alleviate her pain and our giggles by giving her Mylicon.  That stuff is amazing!  But, being the Science based nerds we are, we thought it's better to stop the problem before it starts.  I talked to other nursing mothers, Luc googled it, and both agree that cutting out spicy foods and dairy are the way to go.  The spicy part I understood - even during her stay on the inside, she hated spicy food.  So I've cut spicy food out.  I skip the crawfish and the Tony's.  The Tony's was a hard thing to cut.  I didn't realize it until now, but I put it on everything!  Oh, Mr. Chachere, I'll miss you...

Dairy is another thing altogether.  I love cheese.  I love cheese and crackers and wine.  I love a good, sharp cheese and a crisp white wine.  I love a good queso partnered with a Mexican beer.  It's a meal (dairy, grains, and veggies...).  I also can't get enough of the ice cream place down the road, Culver's.  I dare to say it's better than TCBY. Gasp!  I know!  See, Culver's has this thing called their Flavor of the Day, or FOTD in text messages between Luc and I.  It's something new and delightful every day, and the calendar on our fridge tells us what exciting flavors we can experience with $3.00 and short drive down Timber Forest.  I've been using Culver's as my excuse to get out of the house (topic of future blog post) and have grown accustomed to sampling their delicious ice cream on a regular basis.  It's delicious, just ask all of Eagle Springs.

I've been so blinded by the blended creamy goodness of dairy products that I failed to see that the majority of Caroline's gas issues happen after I eat Culver's ice cream.  Or snack on cheese and crackers.  Boo, Caroline, boo.  So, I've decided to bite the bullet and forgo dairy for a couple of weeks to see if that clears up Lil C's issues.  We'll see what happens.  Keep your fingers crossed and your noses pinched...

Goodbye, cheese.  Goodbye, ice cream.  Goodbye, yogurt.  I'll see you guys next year!

I must love that little girl a lot...

Meetings and Milestones

Oh, Lawdy!  Where do I begin?  The Smith Family has been super busy the past few weeks.  Luc's Dad and step-Mom came to visit for a week and meet their granddaughter.  We had such a great time!  Caroline decided to start a growth spurt while they were here, but it didn't stop us from having a good time.  Their visit included Caroline's first trip to a real restaurant!  We went to Tin Roof BBQ for some tasty brisket and outdoor dining.  She did well...she slept the whole time.

Caroline met her great-grandfather this past weekend at PaPa's 85th birthday party.  The weekend started with a short drive to Lafayette where we met up with my dad's side of the family.  They are NUTS!  It's always a good time when that bunch gets together.  Caroline got to meet most of her (2nd) cousins over the weekend, either at the hotel or at the party.  Speaking of hotels, that was her first hotel experience.  She did great!  (If you are a parent of a small child, I highly recommend Marriott's Residence Inn.  It's like a small apartment!  We had a full kitchen with a living room and 2 bedrooms.  We shared it with my parents - it was quiet and perfect.)  The weekend started with where it all began for Lucas and my family - Riverside Inn.  It's the restaurant where he met my dad's side of the family.  Dinner was fun, but the real party was Sunday morning at Uncle Mike and Aunt Harriet's house in Sunset, LA.  Here are a few pics from the party:

Papa is so excited to have another Aggie in the family!  For those of you who don't know, he taught there way back when.  My dad was born in Bryan, so I guess PaPa worked there in the early 1950s. 

PaPa with me, Caroline, my brother (Steve) and his two adorable boys.  Don't let the cute smile on the one in bright yellow fool you - he's a turkey!

PaPa with me, my dad, my mom and my crazy Aunt Shawn.  She's half turkey, half saint...depends on the day and her mood. 



Caroline is pushing 13 pounds at 7.5 weeks old.  She's 24 inches long.  That's right, folks.  She grew almost 5 inches in just under 8 weeks. Yeah, she's huge.  She outgrew size 1 diapers in just over a week...remember that growth spurt I was talking about?  My Aunt Kellie asked if I ever pick her up in the morning and think she's grown overnight.  YES!  All the time! 

With that growth spurt has come some major changes:

Caroline has slept through the night a couple of times!  She's experiencing 8 hours of nightly bliss.  Notice I said SHE, not me.  I still wake up in a panic.  I run into her nursery to make sure she's still there.  And breathing.  She always is, but a mama still worries.  I hope that passes sooner than later.  We think this newfound length of sleep is partially due to introducing Mylicon into our world.  She's a gaseous little beast, but the Mylicon takes it away and allows her to sleep for longer.  Halleluia!  Here's a picture of her after a night of growing/8 hours of sleeping bliss.  Look at that belly! (By the way, she loves to get into staring contests with that lamb.  It's hilarious!)

Speaking of starting contests...here's Caroline and Daddy in a rather lengthy one...wanna guess who won?

We think her eyesight is getting better because she follows with her eyes when we leave or enter the room.  How fun is that?!? 

Our little love is also rolling over!  She loves her tummy time - always has - and I guess she has decided to spice it up.  She pushes herself up then rolls onto her back.  She becomes as stuck as a turtle on its back at that point...but....we flip her back over and she tries again. 

Lil' C met her first suitor today!  Connor B. is the son of my good friend, Julie B.  We've worked together for the past 5 years and become really great friends!  He's almost 2 and giant, but the sweetest little boy you'll ever meet.  Here's the honey bunnies...

The biggest milestone is that she is smiling!  Real, genuine, not accidently muscle spasms, smiles!!!  It's the sweetest thing to see!  I'm trying to get pictures of it, but she's being camera shy about her new skill. 

I'll leave you with a letter to my growing-by-the-minute mamma.

Dear Caroline-

Oh, you make a mamma so proud.  It's amazing how much you've grown in the past 8 weeks.  You've gone from a little itty bitty newborn to the cutest baby a mom could ask for!  You continue to melt my heart on a daily basis, especially now with your cooing and smiling.  I could listen to you talk all day!  I sometimes want to wake you up just to listent to that sweet voice, but I know better and wait patiently for you to finish your nap.  My favorite part of the day is when you first wake up because that's when you're the most talkative.  I imagine that you're telling me about the good baby dreams you just had.  What do you dream about?  Me and Daddy?  Pretty clothes?  Ceiling fans?  I can't wait until you are able to use real words, but until then, I'll keep loving the sweet sound of your baby voice.

I love you so much and thank God for you every night,

Mom