two month appointment (aka OMG shots!!)

we took the bug to her 2 month appointment this week.

the shots experience is just as bad as they say it is, and actually maybe worse if that is possible. it was HORRENDOUS!! to make matters worse, we opted to get the vaccinations in three separate shots because it reduced the amount of aluminum that would be injected into her tiny little body...so, although we feel absolutely right about our decision to expose her to less aluminum, we had to sit through THREE horrible pokes with the giant needle, rather than just one. and her poor little face scrunched up in agony & fear, staring into my eyes with the obvious question, "why are you letting her hurt me like this?" it was HORRRRRIBLE. HORRRRRIBLE. have i mentioned how awful it was? 

a friend of mine advised me not go to the appointment alone and she was oh so right. aaron planned to come to the appointment anyway, but having him there to help with operation: soothe crying girls was an absolute blessing... as soon as the shots were done, he scooped up the bug to soothe her, and the nurse scooped ME up...we were both sobbing. have i mentioned it was completely horrrrrrrible?!?!?!? it was. it was just terrible.

in more fun-ish news, we had a great time talking to our pediatrician prior to the shots (OMG, the SHOTS). she answered some questions i had about how the bug is doing, she told us she is PERFECT (of course she is!) and gave her lots of tummy kisses - generally made me feel really good about our decision to have her as our pediatrician. it was great to chat with her about the issue of vaccinations and have her treat us with respect, conducting a conversation with us about our decision, rather than being dismissive & bullying us into making decisions. some of my friends have had very negative experiences with pediatricians and it was so nice not to have to grapple with that on top of the experience of the shots (OMG, the SHOTS!).

and our buggy is growing big & strong. she is in the 75th percentile for height, 50th percentile for weight. just as we have known all along, our bugga is long and lean...a busy little bee who is almost always in motion, always busy & active & happy. 

every day brings something new and exciting.  she is "talking" more & more these days - always chattering to anyone (or anyTHING) nearby. she has been testing the full range of her voice with lots of coos, grunts, gurgles, etc. new this week have been high pitched shrieks (!) - these seem to give her a thrill & her eyes light up with excitement when she hears her own voice in these different ranges.

she has been grabbing things and bringing them to her mouth for gnawing = her bibs, blankets, frankchuck (her lovey, in the above pic) - anything that comes into range seems to head toward her mouth. she has also been drooling tons & blowing lots of bubbles...mama is a TEENSY bit worried that she is on some freakishly early teething schedule, but that just cannot be, right? (please tell me that just absolutely CANNOT BE). she has also come extremely close to finding her thumb, usually opting to just gnaw on her fist. 

our bug is officially 11 weeks old today - it seems nuts that it has already been 11 weeks since she came into our lives. the time has flown past us in a complete blur! but, as i was telling aaron last night, i can hardly remember a time before she was part of our lives - and i am absolutely the happiest i have ever been now that i am her mama.

happy 11 weeks, sweet lady bug!

10 and a half weeks later

ever since our little bugga came into our lives, i've been meaning to start this blog to document & share her life with friends and family. and here i am actually doing it...10 and a half weeks later. 

my oh my, how the time has flown! and our little bug has been growing and changing like crazy. she's very strong, and can hold up her head and do baby push ups very well. she rolls from her front to her back and has been doing this task since she was 8 weeks old. she is ALMOST able to roll from back to front, and i will often find her sleeping on her side in the mornings - just a little kick & roll more and our girl will be on her tummy! she has also proven herself to be a swaddle ninja, and despite my varied attempts to keep her in, she has made short work of each & every swaddle technique thrown her way - so for about the last week or so, we have given up swaddling. she sleeps a LITTLE bit less than before, but it hasn't been too terrible a transition and that is a relief!

she can now see across the room and has even spotted her own reflection from across our living room, smiling & hamming it up for "that cute baby" who seems to follow her wherever she goes. speaking of that cute baby in the mirror, she just loooooooves to flirt with her reflection - her eyebrows raise, her eyes get big and she cracks the adorable crooked smile that makes our hearts melt. she also loves to look at the pictures & videos we have taken of her - all of which proves her utter genius, in the humble opinion of her adoring mama. she is a very happy, agreeable baby almost* all of the time (*and really, isn't that about the best you can be when you are less than three months old?!?). she loves to look around and explore her world - and she absolutely LOVES it when our doggies come up to sniff her & give her puppy kisses.

last weekend, daddy & mama had their first official post baby "date" - we went to a movie & left the little bug with her grammy toto for the first time. sadly, we picked a not-so-great movie which cost WAY too much (am i just getting old, or does $20 seem RIDICULOUS for two adults to see a movie, especially since i can get it from netflix in a few months?!?). but we had a great time together and it felt very daring to be out & about without our little one. grammy reported back that bugga was very good MOST of the time & slept MOST of the time, which seems pretty good for the first time away (and, if i'm being perfectly honest here, i'm not sure that her mama faired quite as well). plus, grammy has a neato paddington bear mobile - and our bug loves nothing more than a good mobile. the one above our changing table has saved us from the OMG CAN'T YOU WARM THAT BOTTLE ANY FASTER crying more times than i can count.

we have our two month pediatrician appointment later this week - this is the BIG, SCARY appointment that all new moms dread - the one with the first shots. at the very least, i'm looking forward to hearing more about how she is progressing in terms of weight/length and development - WE think she is insanely long & a prodigy in all possible ways, but it will be interesting to hear what the pedi has to say. yes, i'm trying my best to focus on the positives - you may label me an ostrich if you choose. 

we have been enjoying unseasonably lovely weather in seattle for the past few weeks - late may & early june are almost always bitter, rainy times of year here. it has been sunny & in the 70s and 80s for the last few weeks, and bugga and i have been trying to make the very most of the nice days. today, after her nap, i think we will venture to the grocery store, then head out for a nice walk in the sunshine. laundry & dishes can wait until the sun goes down tonight.