12.19.2009

Three Months Old!

Lea is three months old today... I can not believe she is only three months old. I honestly feel as if she has been in our lives forever and I can not even remember life without her. Her smile and her laugh are infectious. Seeing her wake up so happy in the mornings has coincidentally made me more of a 'morning person', too. :)


Our baby girl is growing up... she's no longer considered a newborn; now she's an infant. She is learning so much every single day. Swatting at hanging toys, smiling at herself in the mirror, pulling things towards her mouth and bringing her hands together to hold onto something. She loves music and lights up when I sing to her. We sing 'You Are My Sunshine', 'The Wheels On the Bus' and even our 'ABC's' (just to name a few!). "Here Comes Santa Claus' is another favorite right now.


Lea is getting big, too. It's hard to tell if you're looking at a Shar Pei or her thighs! (She is now wearing 6 month old clothes!) I LOVE kissing on her belly (and she giggles every time). Her eyes are changing colors and her hair is getting longer (slowly but surely).


It's so amazing to watch how she changes. I pinch myself every day because it's so hard to believe that Kevin and I created such a perfect angel. Just thinking about how lucky we are brings tears of joy to my eyes.


Happy (3 month) Birthday, angel!

12.17.2009

Here Comes Santa Claus!

Click HERE to see Santa's special message to Lea!


12.16.2009

Most Wonderful/Busiest Time of the Year!

Needless to say, we have been very busy recently. In an attempt to avoid neglecting my blog, here are a few pictures and videos from the past few days.

Bundled up to visit Grandma.
Sleepy after a long day.


Bundled up to visit Santa.

Sleepy after visiting Santa at the mall.



Cookie Party!

We had a ton of delicious cookies!


I am convinced that Lea is has begun teething. The past week or so, she has really shown an interest in putting things in her mouth. She also loves chewing on soft things (like a burp cloth) and always has her hand in her mouth. Here's a video of her enjoying a tasty burp cloth!

12.13.2009

What do you want for Christmas, Lea?

Friday morning we took Lea to meet Santa. She had no problem sitting on his lap! Santa said she told him that she wanted bath toys for Christmas. :)

12.02.2009

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

While Kevin was off work last week we got down all of our Christmas decorations. We also went out and got our Christmas tree... Lea's first Christmas tree! Lea & Bailey helped us decorate; actually, Lea slept in the EveryWear carrier and Bailey just watched. :)


Lea has also (sort of) rolled over! Granted she was on the sofa, which is on a slight angle, but it's a great start! Here it is on video...



She's quite the talker these days, as well. She always talks up a storm to Kevin when he gets home from work. I tried to catch it on video, but by the time I started recording, she was getting mad... see for yourself!


11.26.2009

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have really enjoyed Lea's first Thanksgiving. First, we took Lea to her first wedding. She looked adorable and did wonderful (slept through the wedding and then laughed and smiled through the reception!)...

Then, we went shopping and Lea marveled at the Christmas lights during her first visit to the mall...

Last night we enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner at Aunt Jill and Uncle Chris'. Lea's cousins had fun playing with her and reading to her...


And, today we enjoyed another Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma Sue and Grandpa Gene's!

It's been an eventful week in the Thomas household. Lot's of firsts for little Lea! I am so Thankful for my family... especially for our perfect little girl. I can not image my life without her now!

Lea had her two month well check last Monday. She is in the 75th percentile for weight still and the 70th percentile for height. (She still has a small head in the 25th percentile.) The doctor commented multiple times on how strong she is... especially her legs! We're still having some trouble with her reflux, so we're going to try a new medication. Hopefully it will offer her some relief.

I'll leave you with the following adorable pictures!

Waiting patiently at the doctor's office.



Chillin' at the mall!


Lovin' my bath time!



11.19.2009

2 Months!

Two months ago today our baby girl was born! It's hard to believe Lea's only two months old... I can't imagine my life without her now. I feel like she has been in our lives forever.

Lea continues to change every single day. She loves staring at lights... I can't wait to put our Christmas tree up. She is going to love it! She's getting so strong... holding her head up and putting weight on her legs. With just a little bit of help, she can practically stand up! Kevin plays 'airplane' with her (holding her up above himself) and she stays stretched out; looking straight ahead. She is still laughing and smiling all the time, too. I love that she wakes up every time with a huge smile!She will also imitate us when we stick out our tongue or open our mouths wide.

We are looking forward to next week because Kevin has the week off. We'll get down our Christmas decorations and take our time putting everything up. For Thanksgiving, we'll have dinner at Uncle Chris & Aunt Jill's Wednesday night, then at Grandma & Grandpa's Thursday. I have a special outfit for Lea to wear on her first Thanksgiving. I hope it fits her... she's growing so fast! Grandma and Grandpa H are going out to Uncle Dave & Aunt Sarah's in New Mexico. We'll miss them this year but are glad that Dave & Sarah will have some family with them for the holidays. (wish they could come here for Christmas!)

Last week, we got Lea a 'Bumbo' seat. She's still a little too young for it, but by Christmas it will be perfect! Here's a video of her trying it out...

11.13.2009

Four Years

Four years ago today, Kevin and I were checking out of the hotel, wedding dress and tux in tow. We were Mr. & Mrs.! Our wedding day was perfect... the weather was so beautiful (much different than the weather we are having now!) and we had so much fun. I married my best friend that day, Saturday, November 12th 2005.

The past four years couldn't have been better, either. We have been through a lot... happy times and hard times. Kevin is my comedian during the happy times and my rock during the hard times. Words can not express the joy in my heart because he is in my life.

Just eight weeks ago, our prayers were answered and we were blessed with an exceptional gift. A happy, healthy baby girl! The journey we traveled to receive that gift brought Kevin and I closer together and now our little Lea ties our bonds even more.

Here's to many more happy and exciting years together.


Happy Four Year Anniversary!

11.11.2009

What We're Loving Now

The past four and a half months we have discovered new products that we love (and a few that just didn't work for us). I thought it would be fun to start listing what we love every month or so. Here's our first list!





Born Free Glass Bottles: These are the only bottles that little Lea will take. We love them because she doesn't dribble when drinking from them!





Aden + Anais Muslin Blankets: Thanks to Lea's Uncle Dave & Aunt Sarah, she received a pack of these when she was born. At that time, I thought they were HUGE. These days, though, they are perfect for swaddling Lea. She sleeps so soundly when swaddled in these super soft & stretchy blankets. They are thin, too so I don't have to worry about her getting to warm.






Mustela Baby Washes and Lotions: Mmmmm... little Lea smells sooo good after a bath with this stuff! My favorite is the infant foam shampoo. It's very light so her little head doesn't get all gunked up with heavy gels.






Svan High Chair: Lea started sitting in her Svan chair a few weeks ago and it has quickly become one of her favorite places to play. We drag it all around the house... in the kitchen when we're cooking, in the dining room at dinner time and in the living room when we're just hanging out. (note: we haven't started solids, yet. she just really likes to sit up right and see everything that's going on... the Svan chair is the perfect height!)




Natursutten Rubber Pacifiers: Her favorite! These are the easiest pacifiers for her to hold in her mouth. She also likes to chew on the handle. We love that they are made in one piece so there's no risk of it coming apart and causing a choking hazard. It's also much easier to clean then other pacifiers because water can't get inside the nipple. (I hate trying to get water out of pacifier nipples!)
There you have it. Just a few things that we are loving these days. What's something you and your baby can't live without!?

11.08.2009

Smiling and Laughing

Lea is such a happy baby! She smiles and laughs all the time... especially when Daddy is around. He is the best at getting her to laugh. She makes the sweetest little sounds when she laughs, too. It's hard to catch it on film, but I am trying.



(This isn't the best picture... but you can sure see her beautiful smile!)


And, here's a video that is super dark, but you can hear her silly laugh. It's the best sound in the world!


We've been doing some 'tummy time' these days, too. Lea does great. She is such a strong little girl... but, I knew that before she was even born.


11.01.2009

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from our (not-so-happy) Tootsie Roll!


Don't worry, we removed the costume right after we got some pics! :)

It was an eventful week for Lea. Not only did she 'enjoy' her first Halloween and turn 6 weeks old on the same day, but we also introduced the bottle and pacifier. We have tried several different bottles, including Avent, Dr. Browns and Playtex Drop-Ins. Her favorite one, by far, though is the glass Born Free bottle (thanks, Melissa & Rob!!!). We also gave her a pacifier this past week. At first, she spit it out so fast is flew across the room! After a few more tries, she got the hang of it.

Lea is growing so fast (I can't say that enough!). She is super alert these days and smiles all the time. I haven't been able to get a good picture of her smile, though. Every time I get the camera out, her face turns into a blank stare. I'll get it on film one day! She loves her floor gym and we think she has actually started to try and reach for things. We got a little floor mirror for her and she loves to look at herself, too. It's so much fun to see what new things she learns every day!

10.22.2009

Growing and growing

Lea had her one month well check this past Tuesday. She continues to gain weight, averaging about one pound every two weeks. So, she now weighs 10 pounds 2.5 ounces. She is in the 75th percentile for weight and height.

We also learned that she has reflux. I am so glad we found out early in the game! Poor thing would get fussy after about 10 minutes of nursing and I didn't know why. Now we can give her some medicine (Zantac in liquid form) to help her feel better. Other than that, she is as healthy as can be! We were told to start giving Lea 'tummy time' which we tried yesterday for the first time. She was amazing (of course), holding her head up and looking around!

Here she is, smiling, while we waited for the pediatrician.

Yesterday, my mom came up and we took Lea to the movies with us to see Where the Wild Things Are. It was a very cute movie and Lea did great. She slept in her Serena and Lilly Market Sling while I held a burp cloth over her ears to muffle the sound.

Tomorrow we are going to try a bottle for the first time. The pediatrician feels confidant that this is perfect timing to try it.

10.18.2009

4 weeks old!

Can you believe our baby girl is a month old? Part of me feels like it has gone by so fast, but another part of me feels like she's been here all our lives. Lea is changing every single day. She seems so big now... she must be well over 9 pounds. Her 4 week well check is Tuesday, so we'll find out then. She is beginning to make more and more sounds (besides crying, which she rarely does). She can also follow objects with her eyes and locate the noise of a rattle very quickly. Like always, she is still very strong... holding her head up and turning her head to look around for several seconds. She also loves music. Any kind. We listen to Paul Simon, Bob Marley, the Dixie Chicks, Caspar Babypants, Weezer and Dave Matthews (to name afew).

Last week, the kids (our nieces and nephew) came over to meet Lea. They were just enamored by her and couldn't stop looking at her! Lilly, who is four, came over to me and said, "Jessie, I really like your new baby." Precious!


They each took turns holding her. If Lea made the slightest cry, they would immediately say, "I don't think she likes me!" As you can image, they were full of questions, too. 'Why is her skin like that?' 'Why is she crying?' 'Where is the soft spot on her head?' Here's a short video of their meeting.




We had an exciting day yesterday. We decided to venture out with Lea (and not have one of us wait in the car with her this time). Once we arrived at BabiesRUs, I put Lea into her new Serena & Lily Market Sling. She slept soundly the entire time. It was nice to get out of the house... even if we were looking at baby stuff!


Not only does Lea love the Market Sling, she also LOVES her lillebaby EuroTote. That thing has been a life saver. She loves to be snuggled up inside the tote. I love that I can easily carry her around the house & place her down without disturbing her.

I will leave you with this adorable video of Lea. Notice how aware she is of the toys and the little throaty grunts she makes... my baby is a genious! :P