8 Nights of Hanukkah! Miranda's 1st Hanukkah!!

What a wonderful holiday! It was so joyous and loving and just a really great holiday! Miranda is so blessed to be loved by so many people. We lit the candles each night, sung songs, and opened presents! (Yes, I am that mom who wrapped my 3 month old presents, so I could unwrap them too!) We got some really great pix of Miranda each night with a Menorah Mat -











We celebrated with great people, good food, and lots of joy :-) Miranda sure had a really great first Hanukkah! (and so did her parents!) :-)








All that excitement makes for one sleepyhead -Miranda went shluffy holding her fingers :-)

As I sit here...

I am reminded of the past few months...Yes, I go back to work in 2 days and I'm really bummed. As I type this, I'm sitting on my couch with my little baby girl in my arms...She's been sleeping for the past 15 minutes and I just let her sleep on me. We have to leave soon, but I just am enjoying this 'silent' moment of my and my girl. When I changed her before she was sooo smiley!! She even gave us real laughs yesterday while Mike played with her. She's growing so big everyday! She is not a new born anymore. She's this little girl who explores the world every day! She even is noticing her feet!! The things she does every day are just amazing. We take the little things for granted but its moments like right now while she sleeps that make you look back and reflect...
Man, if I'm this sentimental now, and she's only 3 months, how will I be when she graduates kindergarten, HS, gets married, and has babies of her own!? Yikes!!! OK, enjoy the moment Sharon...And I am :-)

This says it all -

Getting Ready....

to go back to work...This is the hardest thing I have to do. I do not want to go back yet. I know it's important to, but I will miss my baby girl. I go back on Friday, and we are preparing for our Global Sales meeting in New Orleans. I'm so sad to be gone from my baby and hubby for 7 days...It's going to be so difficult. I love holding my sweet baby girl, playing with her, and of course SHOPPING with her!! I really do enjoy taking her out with me to different stores. We go to Babies R Us, Home Goods, Kohls, The Mall, and more. I time our outings, so I know when she will need to be fed/changed. I try to plan to be near a 'Mother's Room' so I can change and feed her, but I also have been known to feed her in the car. However, with the season getting colder, so I need to find as many mother rooms as I can :-)
I love being with my baby girl. She smiles the biggest gummiest smile there is! I move her arms and she laughs, and laughs. Mike does 'jumping on your belly' and beeps her nose and she laughs so much! She has the biggest dimples, and her whole face lights up when she laughs. I love my little girl, and really don't know how I can be away for 7 days, but alas, duty calls, and I will take the call b/c I have to, but it sure won't be easy.

Miranda's First Thanksgiving!!

What a wonderful day! Seriously, just a wonderful holiday (the sleet/snow and all!) Miranda had breakfast with nana & papa for Papa's birthday at Perkins. It was a nice way to start the morning. Mike and I planned out our schedule, and thought we'd leave right away to got Aunt Faye's. Well, Miranda had other plans...we are finding out that life with a baby does not have a schedule..she's hungry when she's hungry, poops when she poops, and basically sets our schedule! :-) So we fed her, changed her, and headed up north in the sleet!, Yes, November 25, 2010, there is sleet on the roads, and some snow too! We finally arrived and had a FABULOUS time!
I love sitting around with family, catching up on the present and reminiscing about the past. I have fond memories of Faye's house for the holidays, and now Miranda will too :-)
Here are a few pix from the night:

I'm Back! - Blogging Updates :-)

I feel I haven't blogged in so long, however, it's a bit harder these days with my sweetness :-) Miranda is now 3 months old and weighs 11lbs and 4oz :-)Here are some of the new things Miranda does that keeps us smiling all day :-)

- She found her fingers!! Yes, and she loves them..she grabs her hands together and basically goes to her "happy place" :-)
-She is talking...ok, maybe not 'words' but sounds, and she does it all the time. She'll look at you and say something..its sounds like a noise, but I believe she thinks shes talking :-)
-She is sleeping thru the night! WooHoo!! Yes, she goes down around 9-10pm with 6oz-7oz a night, She wakes up around 5-7am! It's bliss!!
-She swims in her crib...we put her down in one spot, and she swims throughout the crib to the other side and then back...maybe she'll be a swimmer? :-)
- She sits up really well now, and likes to sit in her boppy pillow.
-Miranda is SUPER smiley these days, and we can't get enough of it. She likes when you touch her right cheek and chin. Also, when you give her the pacifier, she'll smile too. She LOVES her changing table still, and can lie on there smiling all day!

Miranda is such a joy and is growing everyday! It's amazing watching her, and seeing what she'll do next :-)

Miranda can grasp her rattle now and she loves the sound it makes :-)

Family Photo - Go Fins!


Just chillen in her crib :-)


Sitting up in her bath :-) She's out-grown her infant seat...we'll start her in the bath itself this week! (eeek!!)

Try Taking A Two Month Old To Get Pictures Taken...

and you end up with a crying, pooping, hungry baby!!

So yes, we thought it would be fun to get pro pix of Miranda for our Holiday card. Unfortunately, Miranda had other plans! She was up at night, cranky this morning, and then completely fine on the car ride to the mall. We thought she'd be OK in the studio at JC Penny, but once the camera came out, so did her cry! (Haha!) She ended up pooping so we had to change her, being hungry, so we had to feed her, and then being cranky, so we only got a few pictures to choose from, and none with her amazing smile. She seriously has the best smile, and we were unable to capture it. Once we left, she smiled in the elevator out of the store! Talk about timing! LOL :-)I know we will laugh at this next year, b/c she'll probably be running around the place and not sitting still! LOL :-)

Pix of our little girl and her first holiday photos to come:-)

Feeling Sentimental

I don't know why but some days I just can't hold Miranda enough. Today was one of those days. She is 10 weeks old and growing so big everyday! I guess it started in the morning when I walked over to her crib to find her sucking on her thumb! Yes, she found her thumb and this is HUGE! She's been going for it all day! I mean, this really is a big step for a baby. Miranda is also holding her head up like a pro :-) She sits up when we hold her and doesn't want to be held all the time (:-( )
Its crazy how important these first few months are. So many changes - DAILY!

Miranda's Tricks -
- Smiles (and recognizes Mike & I!)
- Holds head up
- Hold and shakes rattle! :-)(especially on changing table)
- Laughs (such a sweet sound!)
- Makes a sound that sound like she's saying "hi" (it really sounds just like it!)
- She coo's
- Eats from bottle with no problem (up to 6-7oz!)
- Found her thumb and loves sucking on it
- Can hold head up during tummy time
- Swats at animals on tummy mat above her
- Likes when you gently rub her left cheek and chin
- Likes the sound "oooo" as in "poop"! Mike even has a song that he sings with her while moving her legs and she LOVES it! She also likes the "O" sound in "Hoooommmme Gooooodddsss"

Miranda is just amazing. Watching her grow and change daily is so precious. I feel extremely lucky to be her mommy and grow with her :-)