Happy Halloween

...from this busy buzzzzzzy baby bumble bee! (I'm sure no one saw this coming ;) She was a busy little bee today, buzzzing all over town visiting grandparents, and family and daddy at work. The weather was incredibly gorgeous this year and in the evening we took a little stroll around the neighborhood on our way to our besties' for soup and salad (ok, and some candy too). Turns out, Halloween is fun again!

With Grandma Ida

Having some downtime and porch sittin' with Papa Ed

 

Auntie Michelle can always get a good smile!

She is not a distraction at all ;)

Bee's Blueprint: 5 Months

This little Bee Charmer turned 5 months old on Halloween! She is at such a fun stage right now, but like most first-time moms I'm sure I'll say that every step of the way. When Bee first pulled her foot up to her mouth, she could hardly believe her good luck. She looked up at me as if to ask, "has this been here the whole time? And there's two of them?!" Bee can sit up on her own, propped on her hands, although she doesn't like to be separated from either her hands or feet for very long so sitting usually doesn't last. She much prefers standing on her legs, any chance she can get! Her napping habits are becoming much more routine and she can usually put herself to sleep without much fuss. In her rocking chair we read books and sing songs before each nap, and those few minutes are some of mommy's favorite throughout the whole day. Bee will sometimes sing along with mom, especially when mom slips in a Christmas song now and then. She is happy most of the time and will play on her own for short periods. She will roll across a room and back when the opportunity presents itself. Her favorite sound is daddy's trumpet mouth and she will laugh and smile every time he does it. Her giggle is hands down our favorite sound and we laugh and smile every time she does it. We can hardly believe how much we love this little Bee and are so grateful she's ours.

"Did I catch a niner in there?"

Fact: nine years ago today married my best friend. It's been a wild ride! Sometimes BD will snuggle against me and say "I love my life with you." It's such a small thing, but oh how I love to hear those simple words. The feeling is completely mutual. I thought it would be more romantic to meet him at a restaurant for dinner (instead of my usual frantic rush around the house) and he was so surprised that I showed up without Bee! (Thank our lucky stars for Aunt Jen!). I had such butterflies driving over to meet him. When I pulled up, he greeted me with a big kiss, flowers, and a small gift. I'll never forget it! It was fun to have a quiet dinner alone with him and no little fingers grabbing at water glasses and dropping napkins. We only talked about Bee most of the time. We got home in time for daddy to read Bee a bedtime story and indulge with some of our favorite treats. It was pretty perfect. For our 9th anniversary we did something totally hip and sexy and spontaneous and ... bought a couch. Happy AnniversaryMerryChristmasBirthdayfor5years to us!
I love you, my loverness ;)

Bath Time

Someday soon Bee will outgrow the Puj tub and bathing in the sink. But for right now, this is her happy place. I'll never forget the way she grabs at the falling water and tries to get both feet in her mouth at once and how I have to wrestle the wash cloth from her superman grip and the way she squeals when daddy bundles her up in a big soft towel. There is something magical about a fresh clean baby and these little moments when we can enjoy her just as she is.

Sunday Lovin in the Fall

 

We've been making Grandma's pumpkin cookies, our house smells like fall.

Phoebe is rocking orange leggings and corduroy, she looks like fall.

Leaves crunch under our feet on an evening stroll, it sounds like fall.

The weather outside is sunny and crisp and spotted with color, it certainly is fall. 

It feels cozy, and we love it!

A Birthday

...Still trying to master the family-style one-hander. Can't seem to get my face in check.

BD turned Thirty ONE-derful this week and I've been making a giant point of telling him how Thirty ONE-derful he is everyday. All annoying, like that too. Phoebes and I whipped up some cupcakes that morning and took him out to lunch. This guy. I tell you what. He gets more handsome as he ages, which is completely unfair, but also really great for me! What I love about him on his 31st Birthday:

• He always kisses me hello and goodbye. Without Fail. Every. Time. 
• When he comes home from work he will scoop Phoebe into his arms, hug her tightly and smell her. (She smells good!)
• He fights fair.
• If we are watching an intense movie, he sort of perches on his feet into a squat during the intense parts. 
• He is the biggest geek. I love it! Just last night he took 5 minutes to explain why he wanted/needed a DAC Headphone Amplifier and how it worked. It took every ounce of concentration I had to 1) keep up with what he was saying, and 2) not laugh. I failed at both. I love him so much for it.
• He would do anything for Phoebe. 
• He would do anything for me.
• A couple weeks ago he non-nonchalantly goes on about how we should have 3 babies of our own, then adopt some more. Possibly two siblings. From Brazil, maybe? And while I don't know if that exact scenario is in the cards for us, I love that he thinks about our family in this way.  
• Mr. Friendly Pants. He is just a good egg at heart and loves to be a part of things and help serve where he is needed. We've been a part of this neighborhood and building for 7+ years and sometimes I am mistaken for being "new." But then I say, "I'm Brad Duncan's wife" and folks are always like, "Oh yeah! Brad is so great!" I know people. That's why I married him!
• Sometimes driving in the car he'll take my hand, look back at Bee, and say "we have her" with the biggest proudest grin you ever did see.
• If there is only one left, he will give it to me. Doesn't matter what it is.
• He is constantly setting goals for himself to be healthier, more productive, and just mo'betta! It is very inspiring.
• He loves to cook dinner. Meaning he brings home his favorite fajita burritos from Chipotle. I never complain when he offers to cook dinner.
• I never doubt where I stand with him, because he is constantly telling me how much he loves me and why.
• He has a tendency to be hard-headed, but only about things he feels absolutely, positively, undoubtedly sure of. And those are exactly the things one should be hard-headed about. 
• He is ticklish. So soooooooo ticklish.
• He is a really good companion. If I need help, I know he'll help me. If I need space, he will back off. He will reassure me when I need it most.
• I can't imagine my life without him. We are growing up together and figuring life out as we go. It's the best kind of awesome.

The Best of Insta Lately

9.5 Bumbo. Sophie. Leggings.

9.9 Summer Sunday with bestie Eleanor

9.14 Visiting Grandpa Lee at NetDocuments

9.18 Ducktail

9.20 Hoodlum, learning how to roll!

9.21 Fedora. Cords. Muffin top. Pointer Finger.

9.22 Fall. Wolfcreek Pass. Utah.

9.27 Bow thief! And otherwise completely enamored with Leah

9.29 Naps. Binky. Tummy.

9.29 Pedi's before baby Charlie comes, Kim, DeeDee, Bethany

Baby Charlie is here; Congrats Kim, Chris and Leah!

And he has dimples! Could you die?!

Get 'er Phoebes! (Thank you for the GoPod Tiff and Lisa :)

10.5 Loving our new neighborhood Taqueria 27, Bee especially!

Bug

Bee had a bad reaction to her shot on Monday compounded by catching her first bug, and boy if that doesn't unleash a new brand of pain, with new pain smell and everything. We certainly can't keep her in a bubble and maybe going 4 months without getting sick was a small miracle to begin with. That first night - when she was running a fever, her nose stuffed all the way up preventing her from being able to suck a binky and she didn't want to be held but wanted me close enough for her tiny hand to clutch hold of my finger while she softly whimpered herself back to sleep - that was a killer. I simply could not sleep knowing she was hurting and sad, listening to her labored and congested breathing in the next room. The next day she decided she did in fact want to be held, all day, because if you're going to throw up it feels better to do it within the arms of one who will love you through the worst of it. This week we've logged a lot of hours in that rocker, draped in towels.
Babies get sick everyday, and Bee will be just fine, even a little more resilient for the next virus. But as a new mom, I'll never forget the first time I couldn't make it better.

This weekend, a very sudden and sad tragedy in our neighborhood has us reeling in heartbroken pain. These babies, every one of them, is a miracle. Every smile, every coo, the pouty lips and the inconsolable screaming is a blessing because they are here, in our arms, and we get to love them. Hug your babies. 

Finding all the babies

A few times a day (or whenever we need a quick change of scene for a minute) we take Bee on a hunt through the house to see if  we can find all the babies in the mirrors. We usually can find some happy babies, lots of nice and kind and smart and even a precocious baby here and there. But today we happened to get lucky and found a really cute one!

The Miracle of IVF Never Gets Old

9.15 Canyon Rim Park

The fertility lab we used, UCRM, hosts a family picnic each year. It had been a ridiculously busy day and Bee was tired and hungry and done before we even got there, but I'm so glad we decided to go. I didn't expect to have such an emotional reaction, but as soon as I saw Dr. Petersen and he gave me a big hug, tears welled in my eyes and crashed down my cheeks like a tidal wave. He must have congratulated us at least 15 times on the arrival of Phoebe. The opportunity for these doctors and nurses to see the babies they helped bring into the world must be incredibly rewarding for them. It was amazing and humbling for us to see hundreds (literally) of IVF (and similar) kids running around, laughing, playing, eating, getting their sticky happy faces painted with butterflies and spiderman. These kids might not be here if it weren't for this miracle science. We are ever so grateful IVF was an option for us, and likewise grateful for the staff that makes it happen. Dr. Petersen asked me if I would do it again? I could only be honest: YES!!

Goodness Me

...she is fun to have around. Some days it's hard to even remember life without her. It's a good thing when a baby changes the way you, everything. In our eyes she is the pure and good in this world.

Bee's Blueprint: 4 Months

Phoebe just passed her 4 month mark and is growing so quickly it gives her momma chest pains. Much to our surprise, she rolled from her front to back at 14.5 weeks. By 15 weeks she had rolled from her back to front which is now the preferred position for almost everything, particularly sleeping. Piece of mind, out the window. There were a few restless nights for mom and dad while we reassured ourselves that she was strong enough to push up and change positions if she needed to while on her tummy. Consequently, she is taking much better naps! So I'm thinking a tummy sleeper is not so bad after all. Bee is starting to show a slight preference for who she smiles at and who is holding her. When BD was out of town for a few days she kept looking at the door, then back at me, then at the door again, as if to say "where is that guy, and shouldn't he be home by now?" She prefers to put her self to sleep these days and will rarely tolerate us rocking her for very long. Sigh. Of course, that has its perks, too. Bedtime routine is our favorite time of day because daddy is usually home and it's great family bonding where we are all together and focused on her. Bath, massage, jammer-jams (I don't know why), books and songs, nurse, burp, snuggle, binky, down. Then, binky, binky, binky, on repeat until she settles into a spot to doze off. Bee is trying really, really hard to suck her thumb. Mom is trying really, really hard to encourage the binky. It's not certain who is winning just yet.
4 months stats:
14 lbs 4 oz (75%)
25.25 inches tall (90%)
15.94" head (50%)