Lions, Tigers, and Bears-Oh My!

I took Sydney to the Philadelphia Zoo today. She has a fascination with animals so I was really excited exposing her to their beauty. We went with her Aunt "Uh" and Uh's nephew Triston. Triston was also born in February and Sydney is just smitten with him. We took a ride in a hot air balloon that went 400 feet high above the beautiful city. I was shaking the whole time while Sydney grabbed a hold of the wire fencing to pull herself to a better view. I'm filled with amazement everyday over her curiosity and fearless nature. After visiting a bunch more animals, we ended the day with cotton candy and face painting-for the adults of course!

Ear Piercing

Ear piercing an infant is pretty controversial. I can't tell you how many different opinions people have given me on the topic. Having a girl? You can bet money people will be asking whether or not you will be getting her ears pierced and at what age. I talked to many women and it was pretty common among those who had theirs done around seven years old that they would do the same with their daughters-if that's what she wanted. I had mine done when I was three months old and wanted to pass along this "tradition" to my daughter. Sydney got her ears pierced today! She only cried until I picked her up and has had a smile on her face since. She looks beautiful. I'm very happy with my decision.

Her last picture with naked ears:


Aunt "Uh" plays the bad guy:



My beautiful, happy, pierced little girl:

Beach Bum

Sydney enjoyed a perfect day at the beach on Friday. She felt the sand between her toes and the ocean swept up on her feet. After a short nap in her sun shade, we sat her in her custom built sand castle for her amusement. There's something about a baby discovering the simple things in life that makes you wonder why you stress the small stuff. We got a lot of "aahs" and "aaws" from onlookers, and decided it was time to play King Kong. I assisted Syd in destroying the castle and we packed up to head home. It really was the perfect day. I'm sure we have many to come. :)

Sydney's first airplane ride!

We made it to New Jersey! I was so nervous about how things would go with the baby and for no reason! The airport was pretty empty when I got there and I was sent through the first class line for security. The TSA officers helped with all my stuff. I got to wear Syd in the Bjorn through, but some lady frisked the baby and carrier, lol. It went pretty smoothly. I got to board first and got settled which was nice. Syd was soooo good on the plane! I sat with an old couple from Scotland who have 6 kids and 10 grandchildren. The man said he's never seen a baby like her. :) I felt super comfortable nursing her next to them. I did have to pee though and that was interesting. 15 minutes and an unbuttoned pair of jeans later, we had a success. When the plane landed (a half hour early I might add) and I stood up, everyone was commenting about how they didn't even know there was a baby on the plane. A nice man helped me with my stuff and getting my stroller back together when we got off. Then my luggage came out first on the belt and my ride had checked and knew my flight got in early, so I didn't have to wait at all! She was all smiles yesterday (aside from teething pain that Tylenol is helping) and even slept her normal night only waking once to eat. AND between my mother-in-law and my Dad, Sydney has more baby items than I have at home! I can't believe how lucky I am! It seriously could not have gone any better.

The weather is beautiful. I got to see some family last night. I got a nap in today, had lunch with a great friend who I miss so much. I am going to the beach tomorrow. It's been pretty fantastic!

I have the best baby in the whole world!

In the airport:


On the plane:


On my lap:


A quick nap:


Mommy and Sydney:

A proud moment.

Since Sydney loves standing so much, I decided to let her try it alone-and I was a nervous wreck the whole time. I'm SO in trouble. She's only five months!

Organized Chaos

My whole life I've been a planner, neat-freak, and organizer. A Virgo and perfectionist. Everything had it's place and I was never late for appointments. I got to sleep when I was tired.

Now I'm a new mom. It all started when I was put on bedrest for four long weeks while pregnant. I had to let my house go. I stopped working. I had lost all control over my life. If I couldn't do it from my bed, it wasn't getting done. When we came home from the hospital, my only tasks were feeding and changing my baby. Feeding myself was only made possible because of Jason. I slept in 15 minute intervals-if at all.

Almost five months later, I'm finally getting a handle on motherhood. Everything is still a mess, but it's an organized mess. Laundry never seems to be done, but it's in the dryer or neatly piled on my dresser. My house is consumed with baby stuff, but each item has it's designated place. I have 27 things to do, but they're all on a neatly drafted list. I've learned to relax and not be so anal (in my terms anyway!). Sure I yell at Jason for leaving his socks on the floor, but at least I'm not letting it ruin my day. I'm embracing every mess. I'm always running 20 minutes late, but doesn't seem so bad when it's for good reason. I can't help spending extra time giving Sydney kisses or changing my mind on which cute outfit I want her to wear that day. My baby is happy, healthy, and loved. She comes first and is more important than anything else in my world.

Life is good.

Funny Manners

Sydney laughed tonight! I'm finally funny I guess. She has a relaxed, observant, confident (can babies be confident?), and serious personality. It's been my mission to make her laugh. I knew she had it in her and I've been patiently trying to act like an ass just to hear that beautiful sound. So what did it? I said, "Say bless you!" in that high-pitched voice known as parentese. I think my sneezes got the humor rolling though. I was playing with her two hours past her bedtime tonight because she was so fascinated with her nightlight. I can't believe how strong she's getting. I give her a gentle tug and she pulls up to a sitting position. Another gentle tug and she's standing tall and happy. She get's less and less wobbly each time we do it. She's growing up so fast!