4 months.

Happy four months to the pea. I will have a 4 month stat post on Wednesday after her doctor appointment. :)

A silly, drool-y chunk of happiness. Morning smiles for mama. Giggles. Squeals. Goos and coos. Walks in the park. Cuddles. Spit bubbles. Curiosity. And baby smell.

Naked Tummy Time

It's the new thing. Look at her expression. It means, DO NOT BUG ME MOM! I got all I need right here.

Just photos

Valentine's Day Daisy Massacre

Another one from the park

Reading with Daddy

The DROOL MONSTER

Mama loves wine

Baby loves bath!!

Mama needs a cocktail.

The past two night Olivia has woken up crying at least twice with a very big appetite. Then she wakes around 6:30am and she is up for the day. Naps? Ha! Maybe a catnap here or there, but that is all. Many moms say around 4-5 months babies have a growth spurt and begin a new routine of sorts. Olivia may even be teething because she drools so much and ALWAYS has her hands in her mouth. She sucks her thumb a little but is all awkward and cute about it. I miss sleep and hope she can sleep through the night again. I guess I do not mind SO much since I do miss her when she sleeps so long, but I cannot deny I feel a lot more rested when she does not wake up demanding food.
And of course, I am typing this with her in my lap.

opfskopdfkdsfdsf.
Love,
the pea

Have a fantastic week (:

The daddy and the pea...

I almost don't want to tell you because I want first dibs but Guerilla Fluff is stocking today! Yayyy!

Here comes the sun...

Third sunny day in a row. Todd took the day off and it happened to be free Tuesday at the San Diego Museum of Art at Balboa Park. It was beautiful at the park, perfect weather. Olivia hung out in her Babyhawk and I got to admire some Modiglianis. Todd has a carpenter's heart (got it from his dad) and it was funny to watch him admire the gilded intricate frames while I examined the art inside of them.

Fitteds

A couple of people have asked me about the diapers Olivia wears. I knew I was going to use cloth diapers since I became pregnant, but once I began doing research I started to get excited about it! Apart from the fact that they are not adding garbage to landfills and not polluting my baby's skin with chemicals, they are also so cute and soft. We mainly use fitteds, diapers that require a cover if you are going to be out but we get a great fit and I hate stuffing pocket diapers. With fitteds there is no folding, they are trim under clothing, can be adjusted as baby grows, and are usually made of all natural fibers. The fitteds we use are made by very sweet work at home moms who sew them with so much attention to detail and the quality is remarkable. The main brands we use are Bagshot Row Bamboo aka BSRB, the new and fabulous Babushkas, Pooligans, Sticky Peas, Guerilla Fluff, and Goodmama but I am always willing to try a new brand, I only listed our main ones. They are sort of addictive after a while, so you better watch out. They retail from $20-25 usually and have a great re-sale value. The catch is that most sell out each time they are stocked and therefore require "stalking" to acquire them. Unfortunately I am a great diaper stalker and get myself in trouble sometimes. Most are made with an outer cotton knit with several layer of squishy organic bamboo or bamboo velour on the inside. Some of them have snaps and some do not. Olivia is pretty skinny so I prefer to have them without snaps for a more customized fit and I secure them with a Snappi- a brilliant device I wish I would have invented.
Shown here is a Pooligan, BSRB, Sticky Peas, and Guerilla Fluff

For night we use either Rumparooz, a pocket diaper, or BumGenius One Size Organic diapers.
If you are a WAHM and want me to review one of your diapers, let me know! :)

The other love.

This weekend Todd and I went on two dates. Both were double dates with our good friends Gabbie and Chip. The first date was Saturday night. My mom wanted to spend time with the baby (well, she always does) and Todd and I felt like getting out for a couple of hours. We decided to go to Belmont Park in Mission Beach and ride the roller coaster. It is an old wooden roller coaster, a landmark of San Diego, and it was SOOO FUN! I took these photos with my phone, but you get an idea.






Some people believe that attachment parenting means you NEVER leave your kid. I do not agree with this. I believe that spending time with your significant other in a baby-free setting is crucial. Maybe it does not work well with some people, but it does with us. We miss the baby so much, and we talk about her, but those times we steal away just the two of us always rejuvenate us and refresh us from the responsibilities and commitments of our life. So much of a wonderful upbringing is having two parents who are still in love. I think it was Julia Roberts who said that loving each other in front of your children is one of the coolest things you can do for them. I agree. However, I am not sure what we would do if my mom was not around because I really cannot feel comfortable leaving her yet with anyone else.

Today for Valentine's Day we spent most of the day at home but we had a small picnic in the park to enjoy some sun. I wish I had taken a photo of Olivia with her valentine to her grandma (my mom) while she waited for her notice. It was so cute, the expression on her face with a big red envelope tucked under her arm. It was a happy weekend. Hope yours was as well!

Lovebug

A very sweet and lovely reader of my blog recommended the Lullaby Gloworm toy for Olivia because she said her little girl loved it. I was at Target the other day and saw it and bought it. Well, Olivia LOVES IT. I mean, I wish I had a video of her when she sees it. Huge smiles, squeals, arms and legs moving all over the place. My sister and I dubbed it "baby crack". Also, she got a new chair to lounge in. It is so comfy and soft and she enjoys it more than all the others she has. So now she sits with her new friend the Gloworm in the new comfy chair and all is good in her little world.





And in honor of my least favorite commercial holiday, this morning she relaxed in her Valentine's Day lovebug diaper.


She's growing rolls!

Bright Eyes

3.5 months

Yay!

Todd and I are planning to visit San Francisco soon and of course Olivia is coming along. We miss the city and our friends. Of course, babywearing will be a must for the few days we will be there. So will ec0-friendly disposables. Anyone have any other tips?

For the record.

I recently realized the importance of holding on to memories. This may have come from the reality of how quickly time passes, how fleeting treasured moments really are. Sometimes I will be sitting with someone and feel the urge to say, "Remember when...?" Lately, I have been going back and trying to really copy in my subconscious the pivotal hours leading up to Olivia's arrival into the world.

I remember laboring on the birthing ball in the hospital room, only 1-2 cm dilated after hours of being there. I remember 48 hours into the induction, laying on the hospital bed so numb and so unaware of anything that was to come. Soon after, a doctor came and told us to prepare for a c-section. My first surgery, the complete opposite of the natural birth I had prepared for! I was so scared. I do not want to forget myself shaking as a nurse came in and started shaving me down there, or the sweet anesthesiologist trying to relax me with his reassuring words. Also seeing the pea for the first time, or waiting alone in a recovery room as Todd took her to meet my family and friends waiting so anxiously outside. How about trying to nurse her when I was in so much pain or sleepily realizing just how amazing my man is as I watched him so exhausted and worn out changing Olivia's diapers in the middle of the night when I was still recovering and could not stand.

There are also times before she even came along that I want to hold on to. When I used to work in public relations in a fancy high-rise downtown, driving to work in my new car that I bought for myself in super trendy outfits and a $5 latte in hand. Or the beginning of our romance, when we'd meet for chatty happy hours or just lay in the park as I tried to discover the depths of who we were. We would sleep in a twin bed together in a tiny apartment he lived in, it was always so cozy and perfect. We never needed more room since our limbs were always entwined and we fit perfectly. I recall a truly nice memory of one of our last beach days before moving to foggy San Francisco. We hiked to get to Black's Beach and stopped to take a break. I was sitting on a cooler, in a bathing suit and feeling the sun toast my skin. We sat there on rocks with great friends, not a care in the world, drinking beers and listening to Devendra Banhart on iPod speakers. Our feet were dusty and our smiles effortless. What a great day, just as bright as my recollections of it.

And now I sit home in pajamas typing this, with a 3.5 month old cooing next to me. I look at her and now this is my universe. My clothes are no longer from important boutiques and that new car with its leather seats is chauffeuring another owner. Now my accessories are yoga pants and a baby carrier. My life is so full thanks to big toothless grins and a pair of large curious eyes.





currently listening to: Elliott Smith/XO

Superbowl Sunday

I am not a fan of football, but I like Superbowl Sunday! Why? Guaranteed beer, chips, and guacamole!! We went over to Olivia's other set of grandparents' house and had a great time.

todd made yummy guacamole... mmm... blue moon


yum, pozole!


the pea, her milk dribble, and grandpa greg


todd and his huge smile


the pea and her rosy cheeks

Guerilla Fluff and Pierced Ears

The baby girl got her ears pierced today. It wasn't so bad. I mean, she cried harder than she ever has for like a minute and then was comforted in my arms and fell asleep. Now she is over it and seems to like them when I showed her in the mirror.
Here she is in her new Guerilla Fluff diaper and her earrings. Happy baby? Yeah :)

Playdate

Today we had a date with our good friends. We went to have lunch at Tartine, a lovely French cafe in Coronado. Afterward we went on a short walk by the beach that parallels the beautiful San Diego skyline.

(photos not re-sized, sorry!! just click!)


They are just TOO CUTE. I cannot handle it.









Then we went to a children's boutique called Agana Baby full of organic and natural baby products that had us both drooling. We could easily get ourselves in trouble there. They have everything from Stokke and Bugaboo strollers to cloth diapers to Juicy Couture onesies. Fun day!

Curves.

It is now February, and as a woman living in Southern California, this means something very important. It means that the time to start thinking about BIKINI SEASON is quickly approaching. Usually, I had no qualms about this and could strut down the beach in a bikini in January and every piece of skin would be tucked neatly in place and little was hidden by my Brazilian cut bathing suit. Now 3 months post-partum I have a whole new body. Naturally, I still have some pounds to lose but I can tell that my body may never be the same. My once skinny legs are now fuller and supporting much curvier hips. Of course my breasts are larger as well. I still have some pooch left on my stomach but my waist is still relatively intact. After recovering from a panic attack at the realization I could no longer wear my previous bikinis in quite the same way, I decided to pre-shop online to get some new inspiration. Sometimes, I like my new curves. I recently wore a high-waisted dress to an event and I felt sexier in it because I filled it out in just the right places. Don't get me wrong, I need to do some serious cardio to tighten up but I think this summer I am going to rock a vintage style one-piece. You know, Sophia Loren-esque and totally hot. The kind of beachwear women wore when men liked us with meat on our bones and fashion appreciated having a butt and some thighs. I headed over to Victoria's Secret and here are some candidates:





More on this soon!