A Day of Firsts

I was sick today, so I stayed home from work. Around 2 pm, though, I missed Isabel too much and retrieved her from daycare. She was in a great mood, so I decided to have her try some tummy time. To make a long story short, she rolled over from her belly to her back! Ok, to non-parents that's probably not too exciting, but it's a big step for a baby.

Now lest you think this was a graceful, fluid maneuver, let me be clear: this was an arduous ten minute process for her requiring lots of encouragement, clapping, and cheering on my part and crazy contortions on hers. I positioned myself so that I was out of her view unless she turned her head to look at me, and then kept moving so she had to wriggle more and more to see me until she finally flipped. But hey, I never touched her so it still counts!



Also today, we sat her in her high chair for the first time to get her used to it. It's just a tad too big for her yet...

Happy Memorial Day!

We had a great holiday weekend, complete with a mall trip, a park trip, grilling, and lots of lazy laying around. Isabel wore her sailor suit to commemorate the occasion.

Watermelon Talk

You know what to do...

Enjoying the Great Outdoors... and not enjoying a trip to the doctor

Sunday, after Kyle informed me he was heading out for a bike ride, I started bitching and moaning about how I didn't get to do anything fun that weekend. I like to complain to Kyle every once in a while so that he really appreciates the times when I don't complain. Upon returning from his ride, my wonderful husband had the brilliant idea to go play frisbee golf. I immediately agreed; we'd been wanting to try out the game at a course by the dam near our house. We packed up Isabel and headed out.

I was worried that she would fuss and we'd have to go home early. On the contrary, she LOVED being outside. I think she enjoyed looking at the scenery and she was probably mentally mocking my shabby frisbee throws. I was so bad, a passing motorist laughed at me. In his defense, I had just thrown the frisbee completely perpendicular to the direction I'd intended. Anyway, it was a gorgeous day and we tramped around the dam and through the woods. I think we need to get Isabel out more, she seems to be getting bored by the diversions at home.

On a less pleasant note, today she had her 4 month checkup. The good news: she's growing great and is 25 1/4 inches long and just over 13 lbs. That puts her in the 45th percentile for weight, the 60th percentile for length, and the 45th percentile for head circumference. Guess she didn't inherit my big head. The bad news: two shots in each leg!

First Mother's Day

Kyle, Isabel, and I celebrated our very first Mother's Day last Sunday. Kyle served a tasty breakfast of donuts and the biggest bowl o' berries I'd ever seen. He also put together a photo album of Isabel's first few months and framed her Easter picture, both of which I took to work where they are proudly displayed in my cube. Any visitor who enters is forced to view them. From Isabel (with help from the daycare staff), I received her picture placed in the center of a construction paper flower. On the back is her handprint in red paint. It was a really nice day, but it felt strange to have "Mother's Day" apply to me!


Isabel and I were exhausted by the events of the day!

Baby Talk

Press the big play button...

The Truth About the Postpartum Body

First of all, just accept that your body *will* change. It is inevitable. Sure, there are things you can do to minimize any negative effects, but the fact is that you can't stretch your stomach out to the size of bowling ball and then expect it to go back to normal. And now, the cold hard, facts:

• Stomach: Immediately after having the baby, my stomach went from a hard round ball to a disgusting, floppy, leather bag of jello. I didn't really mind the pregnant belly; sure it was huge, but it was firm. The aftermath was... gloopy. I don't know how to describe it, and to be honest I tried to avoid looking at or touching the tummy region for the first few weeks.
• Marks: Speaking of the stomach region, I did at least manage to avoid stretch marks. I used a stretch mark cream made by Palmer's. All the medical research says those creams don't do squat, but hey, they don't hurt either.
• Boobs: Talk about a roller coaster! I went from an A cup to Pamela Anderson overnight. I finally truly understood the phrase "boulder holders". Once I stopped nursing Isabel, though, I went back to my pre-pregnancy size. It was fun while it lasted, but I don't really miss 'em... more trouble than they're worth.
• Hair & Nails: My hair and nails stopped their furious rate of growth pretty soon after I had Isabel. I think it was a combination of the pregnancy and the prenatal vitamins. A lot of women lose hair after they deliver, but I think I just went back to normal.
• Hips: Wider. Simple as that. I only fit into one pair of my pre-pregnancy pants. It's not a weight issue; my hips are actually pretty bony. I guess the effort of delivering a baby forces your bones to shift, and they just stay that way.
• Now: I'm not back to my pre-pregnancy weight, and I don't think I ever will be again. However, I'm happy with where I'm at. I still have a little bit of a gut, but I think with more exercise I can firm things up there, and until then I can just suck in when anyone's looking!