First rubber ducky bath!

Hi Maya,

A lot of these posts are titled "first___", but obviously there are a lot of firsts with babies. Today I decided to "advance" you from bathing in the sink to our bathtub! I used these cool blow up rubber ducky that you sat in so you weren't swallowed by our large tub. You loved it, as I thought you would. You kicked your legs and smiled and moved all around. You are so much stronger now and can hold yourself better in certain positions. We also put you in your jumperoo this weekend which you love. We have to put a pillow on the ground underneath you so you have something to push off of, but you have a grand old time, moving and swinging and even playing with the toys. It is fun to have different places to put you, so that you are not on your back so much. You do have a bald spot on the back of your head, and it has gotten a little flatter....hopefully not too flat or you will have to where one of those helmets you see other kiddos wearing.  You still aren't feeling great. Your dad and I went to a get together last night and Grandma and Grandpa watched you. We got home around 10:00 and there you were in the living room wide awake laying on Grandma's lap! She tried her hardest to get you to sleep but you wouldn't have it! Then daddy tried and then finally I just held you and we fell asleep in your rocker until about midnight. But then of course one I put you back in your crib you woke up and cried, so it took a few rounds by daddy of putting your pacifier in your mouth until you were finally asleep for the night!!! I am hoping this can all be blamed on your cold and the fact that you can't breath well out of your little nose.  Well you are hanging out in your activity gym making lots of fun noises so I am going to go play with you!

Love you lots my little Mayabird!

You look a little hesitant here, but you actually really liked it!

 After your bath!!

In your jumperoo!

First cold.....

Hi Maya,

You got your first cold this week. Poor thing. You have handled it really well and are only a little more fussy. But I just feel bad because you sound so congested! It is hard for you to suck on your pacifier and breath at the same time so you haven't been sleeping as well. You were up ALOT on Thursday night and once last night. I think you are also going through a growth spurt and want that extra night time feeding. Although I was loving sleeping through the night, I don't mind being up with you in the middle of the night, as long as you go back to sleep quickly, so I can too! Dad and I have had to use that awful bulb syringe thing to get the goobers out of your nose and you are not a big fan (which I don't blame you). But you can't blow your own nose!!! You are continuing to grow and grow and grow! Last night we went to a campfire at Troy and Marie's. Ellie held you and said "wow she is big". I looked at you and realized you are getting bigger by the day.  Grandma watched you three times this past week, which we loved. Of course Grandpa came by over lunch on each of those days...he just can't resist. I feel so lucky that you get so much time with your Grandma and Grandpa! They are going to watch you tonight so your dad and I can go to a party! I worked my last Friday yesterday. After this I will have Friday's off indefinitely!!! I am really excited! I will get more time at home with you!

Love you lots Maya!!!

 (Almost) naked baby!

The evil syringe!

All bundled up and ready for the campfire!

So close to giggling!

Hi Maya,
You were at daycare today with Mary and you continue to be a perfect angle (according to Mary!). We really like Mary and you seem very content and happy there so that makes us feel better about bringing you there. Grandma is planning on watching you tomorrow and Friday. I think she misses you as she hasn't seen you since Monday.

You continue to smile a lot. Your dad is especially good at getting you to smile.  I can't wait for you to start giggling.  You don't really like your tummy time and I am lucky if I can get you to do it for even five minutes. You get all upset and cry until I pick you up and put you on your back.

Sunday night was a fluke as you have slept through the night the last two nights-so I am happy! You continue to like to stare at the TV and I worry a little bit about whether or not it is good for you. I think you just like the color and shapes!

Not much more to talk about! Just trying to treasure this time when you are so little and cute as everyone says it goes fast!

The streak is over...

Well Maya, after probably 3 plus weeks of sleeping through the night, you woke up at 4:30 am and you were hungry! I tried to get you to fall back asleep by putting your pacifier in your mouth, but that didn't work. I don't know if this was just a one time thing or if there is more to come. We will see how tonight goes. You may be going through a growth spurt. Your dad got back from the hunting shack last night and was very excited to see you. You spent the day at Grandma's house today. You were a good girl. She took you for a walk and showed you off to some of her friends.

I think you are getting really close to laughing. I think I might have gotten a little one out of you tonight a few times. I can't wait until you laugh a lot.

Well off to watch TV with your dad. We kept the TV off until 9pm! It was really nice. But you are asleep now so it is time for us to chill out! Loves you.

Just you and Mommy!

Hi Maya,


I just put you to bed and I can hear you cooing and making your mayabird sound as I write this. Hopefully it doesn't turn into a cry as I haven't been able to get much blogging done lately.  Your dad was gone Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. He was home Thursday night and then gone again Friday through tomorrow. So it has been just the girls. It has gone pretty well.  I had to bring you to daycare by myself on Wednesday and the morning routine took me longer than I thought, but we survived!


You had your 3 month birthday this week. It is weird to think that you have only been part of our lives for three months. I think of how much you have changed and grown in just three months. You make a lot of fun sounds now. Lots of cooing and I think you are getting close to an actual laugh. It is really fun. You especially like to make sounds when you are on your changing table.  You have also started to lift your head up when you are laying on your back. Before we know it you are going to be rolling over and then we will have to be careful where we put you down!!  You also really like to sit in your bumpo because then you can look around at things.  You continue to sleep through the night too!! Yeah.  But to make up for that you still eat about every 2 hours during the day.

Well I don't think you are quite ready to fall asleep as you are making lots of noises. You are usually pretty good about putting yourself to sleep but sometimes you need a little help calming down. Mom to the rescue. Love you Mayabird!!!

3 months!!!!

 You "joined us" for dinner at the table so I took the opportunity to snap this pic!

Grandma and Grandpa came over for dinner one night and Grandpa thought it would be funny to put you on the pumpkin!

First day of daycare!

Hi Maya,

You had your first official day of daycare today. Grandma took care of you last week and yesterday to make my transition back to work easier.  So today was the day to bring you to Mary's house. I was nervous and my heart felt heavy last night and this morning.  You of course were so cute and adorable this morning....dad and I drove you over together in our new minivan. We were kind of quiet in the car. I sat in the back with you so I could look at you!  Mary's house was very cozy and I felt at ease. Henry, who is 9 months old was already there and Brady got there right after we did. Mary had lots of toys out, and a swing and a exerciser.  Dad and I got sad when we left you and both had tears in our eyes. We put you in the swing before we left and you seemed to like it. I actually did better at work than I thought I would. I thought about you a lot and hoped you were having a good day. I just wanted to get my work done so I could go pick you up! When I got to Mary's she was holding you and you looked very content! She said that you were perfect angel all day and didn't cry at all. This made me feel better! Of course once I took you from her you started crying, but just a little.
Your dad is gone tonight and tomorrow night for work so your Grandparents came over to hang out with us.

I survived...

Hi Maya,

Well I survived my first three days back to work. Survived being the key word. Unfortunately they were not easy days, I ended up working over 30 hours in 30 days. The worst day being Thursday as I didn't get home until after 7pm.  On Wednesday I didn't cry as much as I thought I would, just a little teary as I pulled out of the garage...I of course missed you during the day but not as much as I thought I would. Probably because I was so busy I didn't have time too! However when I got home and saw you and thought of all I missed with you during the day I got really sad and cried....fortunately you did really well with Grandma.

I can already feel the pull that most moms talk about, trying to balance everything. I am hoping it will get easier and I am sure it will. I am definitely looking forward to transferring to my new job. It will be so nice to have every Friday off and hopefully having more predictable hours and getting home sooner.

It is just hard to think that some days I will only get to spend a few hours with you. You have been going to bed between 8 and 9. Sometimes I want to keep you up later just so I can spend more time with you but I know it is important that you get your sleep....

The next big step is your first day of daycare, which will be this coming Tuesday....I really like Mary but I think it is going to be really hard...I have really liked having Grandma taking care of you at our house. She sends me lots of pictures during the day which helps.

Daddy put a activity thing on your carseat that has all of these things that turn and make noises.  You figured out how to make them move all by yourself! And I don't think it was by accident, you seemed to know that if you touched it, it would move. You also like to put your little pink blanket in your mouth. I will try to post pictures of all this fun stuff at some point.

Well you are cooing and fussing a little in your swing, so I better go! I love you lots Mayabird and I hope that you don't miss me too much now that I am back at work. I hope you don't forget who I am...oh and you have slept in your crib on your own for a whole week now. We have a little routine. I or dad read you a book or two, give you your antibiotics, rock you a little and then down you go. The good thing is that you can be put in your crib awake and you will fall asleep on your own!!!

Hard day for mom....

Hi Maya,

Today is my last day home with you and I am sad!!! I have coped by being in my pajamas all day and eating a lot of saltines with Nutella! Unfortunately I am still sad today. I look at you and your smiling face and have a hard time imaging not being with you during the day. Someone else is going to get to listen to your various sounds and watch as you try to put things in your mouth.... I know it will eventually be easy...but right now it feels so hard.  You are just changing so much every day and I feel like I am going to miss out!

You slept in your crib again last night! And it didn't take as long to put you to bed. You were actually wide awake for a while in your crib but you weren't crying. Dad and I listened to you as you cooed, sneezed and yawned. You are so darn cute with all of your sounds. You now like to put as much of your hand as possible into your mouth.

Well enough blogging, I want to spend as much time as possible with you today!!! Wish me luck tomorrow...I haven't cried yet...but we will see.

lots of catching up to do!

Hi Maya,

I haven't posted in a week as our computer wasn't working well. So lots to catch up on. The big news is that you slept in your crib the last two nights!!! It wasn't actually as hard for me as I thought it would be. I have been trying to put you to a bed a little earlier, so that you are asleep by the time I want to go to bed. But you are so darn alert at night and just want to look around and move your legs.  I first read you a book or two and then turn on your mobile and try to put you down with your pacifier to see if you will quiet down on your own. But the last two nights you have just been too awake, so I then have to rock you and walk around for a while.  Even with the lights on and the door shut you still are trying to look around.  But eventually I get you to the point where you eyes are starting to close and then I put you down. I still have to come into your room a couple of times to put your pacifier in but we are making progress.  As excited that I am that you are sleeping in your own crib it is a little nostalgic for me. Just another phase that we are through. I didn't really  mind having you in our room but I do sleep better now.  Now in the morning I usually wake up to sounds of you through the baby monitor. You aren't usually crying just cooing and making other fun noises.

We went up to Little Falls on Thursday night so your dad could do some electrical work at the shack.  So we spent Friday with Grandma Helen and visited Grandpa Bernie at the rehab unit. We then had Lumberjack weekend at the Moe's. Unfortunately your dad got sick so we left on Saturday so he could sleep in his own bed.

Well we only have two more days to spend together before I go back to work. I haven't cried yet but I am sure I will. Your Grandma Lynne is going to watch you Wednesday, Thursday and Friday so we don't have to start day care until the following week.

You are smiling a ton now, it is so fun. You also like to grab things with your hands, like a blanket, my finger or your clothes. You really recognize me now and like when you can see me and are a little more fussy when you can't!

I am going to miss you alot Mayabird when I am at work.....

Hanging out your crib!!!

Getting love from Grandma Helen during Lumberjack weekend!

Let the count down begin...

Hi Maya,

It is Monday morning and we had a great weekend. Yesterday was my 31st birthday (and your Auntie Soni's of course). We started the day by watching her run the TC 10 mile. Then we went out for breakfast. You slept through the whole thing! I had fed you early in the morning and you were so comfy in your carseat that you didn't want to even wake up to eat, so you ended up going 5 hours between feeds. You were pretty crabby by the time you ate! We then hung out at Auntie Soni's for the rest of the afternoon.

You were kind of off your normal schedule yesterday and last night you were quite active. You weren't fussy but did not want to fall asleep in your pack n play. You were kicking your legs and moving your arms and cooing and grunting! I have a feeling you are going to be like me and like to stay up late and sleep in!

I most likely will have to return to work sometime next week and to be honest I am getting pretty sad! I know I will adjust and before we know it will become the norm...but right now it just makes me feel sad.  It is just hard for me to imagine you spending your whole day with someone else....even though I really like and trust Mary...

Well you are fussing so I better go! 

All bundled up and ready to cheer for Auntie Soni!

After the race-way to PR Auntie Soni!

Happy early birthday for Mom!

Hi Maya,

Last night your dad and I went out to dinner for my birthday which is on Sunday. Grandma and Grandpa came over to watch you. Grandpa hadn't seen you in awhile, so he was excited.  You were a good girl for them. However when we got home Grandpa informed me that the headband you were wearing was too tight and left an imprint on your head. I had also bought you a new little brown hoodie that went with an outfit you had gotten as a gift. He thought the cuffs on the arms were too tight too! He is very protective of you. It is cute. You continue to sleep through the night! You usually get up right around 6 am to eat and then will fall back asleep if I put you back in your pack n play!

Yesterday Laura Frank came down to hang out. We had a great afternoon! She got you some really cute presents.  

I have been really good about not getting too worried about things and reading up on things so far. However this week I was all worried you weren't making good eye contact or smiling back at me which supposedly you should do by age of 2 months. However I realized I wasn't getting close enough to you. The last few days you have given me some great smiles, which melts my heart! And you definitely have good eye contact.

I took a new job. It is a clinic position and I have every Friday off! I am still waiting to get the official word on the plan for my return to work, but most likely I will have to return to my current position the week of October 10th....so I have been feeling pretty sad. I am really enjoying you and getting into the swing of things. And you are so interactive and changing everyday. I wish I could stay home longer.....but such is life!

We are heading up to the cities tonight in order to go to Auntie Soni's 10 mile run tomorrow morning. You have already been to a triathlon and now you will go to your first road race! It should be fun!

Love you Mayabird.