14 Weeks Old

You have been sleeping through the night more and more.  In fact, I would go so far as to say over the past two weeks, the nights you wake to eat have become the exception rather than the standard.  We've gone as many as 5 consecutive nights without waking and I consider that a huge success!

Last week we celebrated my 30th birthday.  Daddy took us out to eat at a Mexican restaurant AND got me a cake and flowers.

The weekend before my birthday we all went to the park with a blanket and spent the afternoon just our little family outdoors and enjoying each other.  It was the best way I could think to spend my birthday.

Grandma Tami came to visit and love on you.

We celebrated Daddy's first Father's Day.

You have started grasping things more and more.  You love to pull up your skirts and dresses to your face, and I have been putting you in more and more dresses for just that reason.  When you are in your carseat or bouncy seat, I have seen you grab onto your blanket and hold it up to play with it and inspect the patterns.  You like to hold onto my shirt while I feed you and you love having a finger to hold onto.

You have developed the most adorable way of sticking out your lower lip in a pouty face.  It's both precious and heartbreaking at the same time.  It's often the first sign that you're not so sure you're happy with whatever is going on and signals that a cry is coming on.  Though I've discovered that using the lip as a sure signal, I can sometimes intervene and prevent the cry altogether.

You hate to be alone.  When we leave the room or if you don't realize we're still there, you whine until someone comes to keep you company.  As a result, I've deemed you Mommy's Little Helper.  You "help" (watch) me fold laundry, do dishes, clean, and whatever else I may need to get done.  You even help me vacuum by riding along in the infant carrier.  You're supervisor.

Yesterday I got out your high chair and set it up so that you can even sit with us at the table when we eat.  You seem to love it.

You love it when I sing to you.  Not because I have a nice voice, I don't.  But just because it usually means I'm giving you my attention.  Daddy likes to sing Hokey Pokey with you and I've started using that one a lot.  But I like to think your personal favorite with me is Head and Shoulders.  I point to all the appropriate body parts to go along with the song and you smile every time.  I even used it at the doctor's office last week to calm you when you were upset.

You love to watch TV.  I don't think there was ever any avoiding this, I just didn't expect it to happen so soon.  I don't turn it on and leave you in front of it or anything, but if it's on and you are within sight, you usually find it eventually.

After I put you to bed I usually check on you once or twice before I go to bed myself.  Recently I have been finding you sound asleep with your arms straight out at your sides or stretched up over your head.  It cracks me up.

Sometimes when I change your diaper you do what I call Baby Dancing.  You hold your arms straight down at your sides and kind of turn your head from side to side and get your body rocking back and forth.  I have only seen this on the changing table.  I don't really know why there, but it's cute.

This week we had a play date in the park with 7 month old Kelly.  He was really taken by you.  You were totally playing it cool, but you did seem interested in him when we tried face-to-face tummy time.  Kelly's mommy and I want to get together again and I hope we can find a few friends like that to play with as you grow.

I love that all I have to do is smile at you and you will smile back every time.  I love watching you smile in your sleep.  I love your tiny toes and when you hold onto my fingers, shirt, hair, etc.  I love watching you discover new things and developing your own preferences and personality.  I love it when you "talk" to me.  I love when you hold onto me tight when I pick you up.  I love kissing you all over and snuggling you in my arms.  You're the best.