Fireworks

After seeing how captivated Baby A was by 4th of July fireworks, we decided to check out another show last weekend. She loved them just as much the second time around. She barely took her eyes off them. She wasn't even distracted by the flash when I decided to sneak a shot of her with E.

4 Months

Baby A is now 4 months old! It is shocking how quickly the months have gone by. Only, one more month before I go back to work (thankfully, only part time).


It's also amazing to think about how much Baby A has changed in just four months. As E likes to say, "she's like a real human now." Her little face is so expressive... you can tell her mood by looking at her face. And all of the little expressions are so darn cute. E even thinks the crying face is cute (at least for the first few seconds). She has a shy little look that she'll give on occasion that is so sweet... just see the picture below.

We haven't seen a repeat of rolling over. Apparently she remembered that she doesn't like being on her tummy, so there's no good reason to roll. She is starting to like tummy time more now. Still not a favorite, but there's far less crying. She's starting to play with toys and books more now too. She has a little elephant with crinkly ears that she likes, and she loves her taggy blanket that Grandma T made for her.

She has many new noises now. She's still babbling up a storm, but in the past week we've heard a lot of a rrrrrrrr sort of sound. Squealing is also a fun new sound for her, and we get a few laughs, though we wouldn't mind hearing even more!


Baby A is still in her 6 month clothes. We go to the doctor on Friday, so we'll see how much she's grown then. I don't think she's grown too much since her 2 month checkup, but we'll see. Her main nickname from E and I right now is bunny, but Great Grandpa T has decided that her name is Mushkin (he comes up with something different for each grandkid, and now great grandkid).

Seriously Mom, you need more pictures?

Daddy's Little Girl

I think there's something really special about daddies and daughters.

In the months leading up to my wedding, I noticed that there were a lot of songs about daddies and daughters on the radio, particularly if I happened to have a country station on. So, when E and I found out that the baby in my belly was a little girl, I decided to make him a mix CD with a bunch of those songs.

E sometimes jokes that he is "all that is man" and I have to agree. He is the guy who can fix the cars when I (frequently) break them, figures out the solutions to problems around the house and researches everything thourougly so that we make the best decisions, and still finds time to show me how much he loves me. He has been a wonderful boyfriend, fiance and husband, and I knew that he would make a good father.

Last year, before we were planning for Baby A, the ladies at work told E that he better not have a little girl, because she would be the most spoiled little girl in the world. I suspected they were on to something. I could (and still can) picture a sweet little girl batting her eyes at him and saying "Daddy, can I have a puppy/pony/etc?" followed by the requested item magically appearing at our house.

So, from the time we found out that our baby was Baby Girl Steinhoff, I knew that E would be smitten with her. I just couldn't have guessed the extent of her hold over him.

The first thing E does when he gets home from work is give Baby A a kiss. Then he changes out of his work clothes and takes her to cuddle on the couch. He gets her ready for bed and feeds her a bedtime bottle. In the morning he has to go check on her before he can leave. He's always telling me (and her) how perfect she is, how cute she is and how much he loves her.

And, like any good Daddy, he's already warning her to stay away from the boys.

Play Ball!

Monday night we took Baby A to her first Twins game. Some of E's friends have season tickets, and they gave them to us for E's birthday. Baby A thought that the stadium was pretty amazing (see the big eyes in the picture with Daddy). She did really well for most of the game, and we managed to make it through the end of the 7th inning before heading home.

Happy Birthday E!

Today E turns 30. In my opinion, 30 is a big milestone. I think back to when I was little, and how old 30 sounded. Not to say that I think E is old, but it feels like we are real adults now (what with our real jobs, real house, and a real baby).

We celebrated on Saturday with a trip to the horse track followed by grilling and a fire back at our place. We had lots of friends and family come to celebrate with us. Storms set us back a bit for a bit, but the weather didn't dampen our spirits. I got busy visiting with everyone, and sadly didn't get many pictures. I did get a picture of E with his cake though.

So, happy birthday E! I love you more than anything! I hope this is the start of another wonderful year.

News

As I mentioned previously, I found out in February that I was being "bumped" from my position by a more senior teacher. Well, it looks like that really worked out for the best, because last Friday I accepted a part time teaching job at the middle school in the same school district I was working in. I was offered a full time position, but E and I talked about it (and I talked to my mom and Heather) and decided that the part time position would probably be a good fit for me. I'll be teaching 8th grade geography (which I've done before) for just a few hours each morning. I'm really excited, because I think it will be a nice balance of work and home. Now I just have to find someone I trust to watch her while I'm at work.

What a Difference...

What a difference a year makes.

A year ago I was just returning home from a fabulous trip to Italy and girls' weekend with my BFF Heather.

A year ago I didn't quite know about Baby A. E and I had decided we were ready to be parents, but we didn't know how quickly we would become mommy and daddy. And now, almost 4 months in, it can be hard to remember what things were like without the precious little girl.

Baby A's Baptism

I know posting around here has been sporadic, but my computer is being very temperamental. I think it is dying a slow death.

We had Baby A baptised on June 27th. 21 family members came to celebrate with us. Everyone came in to town Saturday night and we grilled and had a fire until a little storm interrupted our fun. Then we had the service Sunday morning, followed by brunch at our house. Overall, it was a wonderful weekend and Baby A was thoroughly spoiled.

Now on to Baby A's gown. Back when I was planning my wedding, I read that some women have their wedding dress made in to a baptismal gown for their children. I am not quite ready to let someone cut apart my wedding dress, but my dress did come with a shawl. So I found a friend of a friend who was kind enough to use my shawl and make a baptismal gown for Baby A (and any future children I have). It turned out so lovely! I was so excited for Baby A to wear it, and I plan to use it for my future children, and hopefully they will use it with my future grandchildren.