It's beginning to look a lot.....scratch that...kind of like Christmas!

So we don't go all out with Christmas decorations around our house. It's usually the tree and we I'm done. This year I put the tree up the night before Thanksgiving. I think that will be a family tradition for us, and I can't wait until Tatiana can "help" next year! This year she and Daddy napped during most of the time I spent putting the tree up. Tonight I decided I'm sick of not being able to display and see all the fun and picture filled Christmas cards we get, so I slung up some fabric (a valance I made that was going to be used in Tatiana's room, but I changed my mind on it and scrapped it). Bjorn is calling it a shrine, because he says that's what it looks like. Ah well, I tried!

The Kids

The Tree

The Card Shrine

Our card...front and center.

Ridiculously girly, glittery, colorful ornament that makes the perfect topper for my wire tree.

I spy four Tatiana themed ornaments...Matryoshka doll, cupcake, letter 'T,' and Faberge egg.

Baby's First Cold....Mommy's Third....

 "Oh hi, I have a cold..."

So as of the beginning of October I am now officially on my third cold. The previous two turned into sinus infections (it seems to be the norm for me), so I'm REALLY hoping this one doesn't. Now Tatiana on the other hand has her first cold ever. I can't believe she made it to 4 1/2 months without getting sick, especially since I had those two previous horrendous colds (Oh, and we don't breast feed, which supposedly is a huge immune system booster for babies). So far she just seems to be stuffy, and becomes exasperated when trying to furiously suck on her pacifier at bed time because then she can't breathe very well. We set up a brand new humidifier in her room, and for the most part she's her normal self, still sleeping good. Oh yeah did I mention I think we're done with the 4 month wakeful stage? I probably just cursed myself with my gloating though.

We've had a pretty good evening...I can't believe how happy I am just to sit at home on a Friday evening with my little family. Tomorrow I'm supposed to go to a family cookie bake day/chili dinner and it's about an hour drive away... it's been snowing like crazy this evening, so that combined with mommy/daughter colds may prevent us from going.

 Still loves playing with her feet, even with a cold.

Doesn't like tummy time with a cold... ;)

HATES getting her snot sucked out with the bulb syringe.


I tried to get some 4 month photos...I'm only two weeks behind! But the older she gets the more difficult it is. No smile this time.

She has, however learned to read all on her own...genius baby!

I can't resist baby feet...

Wearing her gangsta' hat from Great Great Aunt Mia

That hair bow is hanging on for dear life...

And here's the snow-a-palooza currently going on in my backyard...

Bjorn's normal 40 - 45 minute commute ended up being an almost 2 hour commute tonight with all that snow...so here's how T and I spent our time while waiting for Daddy to get home.

Happy Weekend...colds and all. :)

Wordless Wednesday - Thanksgiving Day

Wordless Wednesday

Adventures in solids...

Per the pediatricians recommendation, we decided to try a non-cereal solid. She's had oatmeal and rice, and loves them both, and lately I've been giving her a 50/50 mix of both. This morning we tried...sweet peas! Success! She loved it. She ate a good serving of 50/50 rice/oatmeal and a whole little container of peas. I could not believe it. This girl loves her solids! After her late morning/early afternoon nap today she then guzzled a 10oz bottle...so unlike her, the most she'll ever down is 8oz, and usually the only time she's excited to guzzle a bottle down is right in the morning when she wakes up.

And because I just can't stand how adorable she is in her holiday PJs...more photos of our candy cane girl....

What baby goes 20 hours without eating? This baby does!

I have a strange baby...when it comes to eating. I'm pretty sure she takes after her daddy, because this mama loves to cook and eat. My child didn't eat for 20 hours. Yup, 20 hours...and she wasn't crying, or screaming, she was smiling and hanging out, and sleeping 10 hours straight last night. She absolutely refused to take the bottle, pushing it out with her tongue and screaming at us. Okay, I get it, you don't want this crap, but aren't you hungry!? She did end up going with me last night, and for the most part she was an absolute doll, flirting and smiling, and behaving. And my oh my there were so many women so eager to give me a break and politely asking, "...could I hold her?" Of course!...good thing I have a sociable baby! She went to bed later than usual since we were out late so she was a bit fussier than usual, but it only took an extra 10 minutes to get her down. I thought for SURE she would wake up in the middle of the night starving, breaking her sleeping through the night routine she's had since she was about a month and a half old. Nope, she slept like a rock for 10 hours.

This morning she woke up sqwaking in her crib...I went in looked down and said "hellooo!" and she smiled. I didn't even have to change her diaper because it was bone dry...because she hadn't consumed anything for 20 hours. She then guzzled down 8 ounces and ate a whole ton of cereal. 2 ounces of formula mixed with 4 tablespoons of a 50/50 mix of rice and oatmeal cereal. She got back at me for the bone dry diaper by making a huge mess in one while I was feeding her. We cleaned up and headed for a bath. I took her temperature after her bath and just as I expected, like the last time she had shots, she had a fever of 100.1. I gave her some tylenol and off she went to daycare. I am missing her today. I love this little girl.

She wanted nothing to do with looking and smiling at the camera during bath time this morning...she was far too intensely obsessed with trying to keep a grip on the red cup while shoving it in her mouth.

And last night...

Mommy is funny to both baby and dad when she sings ridiculous songs.

The Big Update...4 Months!

Tatiana turned 4 months (123 days) on Tuesday. Today she had her 4 month wellness check/shots. So here's her stats...

Weight: 50th Percentile - 13lbs, 7oz
Height: 90th Percentile -  25.75 inches
Head Circumference: 25th Percentile - 15.625 inches

And here's a past history of her weight and height
Birth - 8lbs 2oz, 20.5 inches
1 Month - 9lbs 8oz, 21.5 inches
2 Months - 11lbs, 22.5 inches
3 Months - 12lbs 2 oz, 23.5 inches
4 Months - 13lbs 7oz, 25.75 inches

So according to today's stats I have a long and lean baby with a smaller than average size head. :) Sounds like she gets the long and lean from daddy!

We got the go ahead for solids... I told the doctor that we had recently tried oatmeal a couple times already and rice cereal this morning and that she usually kicks her legs and squeals the whole time and leans forward towards the spoon. The doctor said that was great and since she has great head control, good body strength, and seems to take to the spoon and cereal really well that we are cleared to charge on forward. Feeding Tatiana cereal is seriously one of the funnest things I've ever done. She loves it and I love being able to interact with her during her feeding time.

Shots were okay... she cried really hard for about 5 minutes...basically her hardest cry combined with a shrill blood curdling scream every 30 seconds. Because I knew why she was crying and that she would be okay, I couldn't help but giggle at her as I rocked her, kissed her, and told her it would be okay. And it was. She's even cute when she's screaming.

And on a funny note...while we were there Tatiana was doing baby sit ups on the table the entire time. She basically lifts her neck and upper body and legs up at the same time. She would not stopping doing it and the nurse and doctor kept laughing at her and saying they should take some tone up exercise cues from her. When the tech came in to give shots she looked at us and said, "I've been warned that we've got a strong one here..." :)

We went out shopping after wards at Baby Gap because they insist on giving me coupons for 40% off one item on specific days of the week. Great...give me an awesome coupon for my favorite baby store EVER. I really wanted to get tights that match her dress for her dedication in February. Well I didn't need to use the coupon on those because they were in the clearance bin for $5.99. Two pairs in one pack...black with ruffles on the butt, and dusty rose (color of the dress) with black polka dots and ruffles on the butt. So I'm starting to have an obsession with daytime rompers. They are SO cute, only babies can get away with wearing them, and they make diaper changes really easy. They had an adorable one, and I knew that's what I was spending the coupon on. I love that it's still girly but for once is not pink or purple. She's going to wear it tonight to a Lia Sophia/wine & cheese party. Can't wait! Scratch that...she might not be going...she's been super fussy the past 30 minutes and overly exhausted...might be a better idea for her to spend the evening home being snuggled by daddy, especially after having three shots.

So now...on to photos from the past two days. I haven't gotten around to her "official" 4 month photo shoot yet.

Bumbo expert now...

Long and lean like daddy.

Bundled up for a walk.

Wordless Wednesday

I have been a bad blogger and am super behind...I promise to do a real post this week. Tatiana is 4 months old tomorrow...can't believe it. Until then (my big anticipated blog update...) here's some photos of  T in an outfit only a baby could get away with...

Baby's First Halloween

A success it was! I had a lot of fun. As a kid I don't remember ever going trick or treating...maybe when I was really really young. I usually went to Hallelujah night at our church. It was totally fun to take Tatiana out with her  1 1/2 month old cousin, Carter to get some treats. We only went to maybe 15 or so houses. We were lucky to be invited to Bjorn's cousin's in-laws house for dinner (amazing sloppy joes, pumpkin bars, hot apple cider, mmm!), trick or treating and a bonfire. Tatiana wore her handmade by Nana cupcake costume. Last minute I decided to dress up...same as I did last year, Susie Homemaker. For me it's a pretty easy costume. I throw on a skirt, my vintage style apron made with cupcake fabric, curl my bangs, up the eyeliner factor, and throw on red lipstick and pearls.

The dogs are a shark and mermaid. I only tortured them for 10 minutes this year...I decided they only needed to wear their costumes for photos.

Mmmm...cupcake!

Carter is so dang cute in his costume I can't hardly stand it!

The new parents ready to go trick or treating!

Such good dads. :)