Monday, November 12, 2012

Dear Silvia: 5 Months

Dear Silvia,

Happy very, very, very belated 5 months! Sorry we're so delayed in writing this post.

This past month has been another great month for you (well, for all three of us)!
Some highlights:
-We went to 2 weddings and got to dress up in fancy clothes. Speaking of, you wore shoes for the first time at these weddings...fancy, new gold shoes!
-We spent one Saturday at Grandma & Grandpa Sticha's picking corn with your cousins.
-We had a breakfast play date with "The Sticha Mamas" and your 2nd cousins, Garin & Carter.
-We celebrated your cousin Joey's 6th birthday!
-We also celebrated your Dad's 35th birthday (whoah, that's old, huh?) by going out to dinner. It was a fun day!
-We attended the annual Horejsi family reunion and you got to meet you new 2nd cousin, Charlee. She's just 4 weeks younger than you.
-My good college friends Traci & Krista stopped by for a visit and we learned that Krista is expecting a baby next spring - yeah for little friends!
-We had family photos taken by our friend/doula, Erika. It's so fun that we're still friends with her, especially since she was with us during one of the most special days of our lives...the day you were born!

You have your first tooth, but you didn't get that until this month (so, more on that in the next post). You're working really hard on tooth #2 and constantly have your hands in your mouth. Our always-happy girl now gets a little case of the fussies from time to time, though you're still such a happy little girl overall.

Daycare continues to love having you there and you still smile when we drop you off...so that's great! The other day your daycare mom said to you: "Silvia, are you even a real baby? You must be a doll. Real babies aren't this good." We think you're such a good baby, but its alwasy nice to hear it from someone else.

You talk and talk and talk. You have a lot to say and you stop talking only to flash a big, gummy smile. Bathtime is still a lot of fun for you although you're so long your whole body stretches the length of your little tub....perhaps time for a longer one?

Bedtime is going great. You had a couple rough nights due to teething but overall you're still sleeping like a champ. You've started to flip yourself onto your stomach and you sleep great that way with your little bootie in the air...it's so cute.

We keep practicing sitting up and you're getting the hang of it, though without our help you flop to one side or the other. When we put you in your Bumbo seat, you lean really far back and pop yourself right out of it. You little stinker. You also like being in your car/exersaucer since it allows you to stand and use those strong legs of yours.

You'll be 6 months old in no time...this coming Sunday, actually!! We cannot believe how fast time is going. We'll start you on solids this coming weekend and we're certain you'll love it. More on that to come!

You brighten our days and bring so much joy to our lives! Honestly, what did we do before you?!?

We love you so much,
Mama & Dad













Sunday, September 30, 2012

Dear Silvia: 4 Months

Dear Silvia,

Another month has flown by - and you've changed so much! We just now took down the "Welcome Baby" banner we hung before you were born!

You sure didn't wear your 3 month outfits long as we've already moved you entirely into your 6 month clothing! You are seriously such a long gal...and I know your 9 month outfits aren't far away.

Your Dad and I took you in for your 4 month appointment. You had to get a couple shots and some icky medicine in a dropper. The first shot went in and you just sat there....no tears. The second shot went in and good golly, you opened the flood gates. It was so sad. You're such a good girl, I'm not sure we've ever seen you cry actual tears before this. The doctor said you're a healthy, growing girl and gave us the ok to give you solids whenever we think you're ready. We'll likely wait until you're a little closer to 6 months to go down that road though.
Here are your 4 month stats:
Weight: 75% (14lbs)
Length: 99% (26.5")
Head: 60%

I started back at work full-time this month and its been going pretty well. Of course, I miss you like crazy all day long but I know you're having a blast at daycare with all of your new friends. Your daycare mom and dad have said often that you're such a good, "easy" baby....smiling, kicking, laughing the days away. You don't nap much at daycare but they said they don't mind since you never really get fussy. Keep up the good work, girlie!

You continue to be a smiley, content girl for us too. We're so fortunate for that and we soak up every minute of your slobbery smiles and squeals of delight. I keep saying that you're being such a good girl to try to convince us that having more is a good idea. (Like we needed the convincing!) Auntie Lynn says we should be worried about what #2 will bring since you've been simply too good! Ha! I guess we'll see.

This past month you've really started to become vocal. You practice making all sorts of noises and love to talk to everyone (or yourself, in the mirror!) You're also getting better and better at bedtime. You are usually in your crib asleep between 7:30-9:30 each night and only wake up once to eat. You do get up bright and early (4-5am) in the morning but I'm usually getting up by then anyway. I feed you again and then you either snooze a bit longer while I get ready for work or play in your crib, watching the mobile. When you get up in the middle of the night to eat, you've started "calling for us" in a new way. You still holler making a noise like "Wa-uh" but now you also pick your legs up as high as you can and then drop them to the mattress so it makes a loud thud. When we come in to get you, you have a BIG smile on your face. You're lucky you're so cute! :)

You're doing a lot of rolling and kicking and really want to sit up and stand (with our help). I think sitting up is right around the corner for you. You still absolutely love ceiling fans and lamps. Your Dad and I joke that your favorite things (in order) are: Ceiling fans, lamps, Mom and Dad. Yes, we know how we rate and its ok...ceiling fans and lamps are pretty darn amazing.

You LOVE when we sing to you. We always joke that we don't want Uncle Jeff (with a good voice) to sing to you so that you learn what that sounds like. Dad and I may not be the best singers but we make up WAY better lyrics than Uncle Jeff every will! :) "Lou, Lou -- Silvia Lou" (tune of Skip to my Lou) or "Standing baby, you're the one" (tune of Rubby Ducky) are pretty big hits around our house!

This past month you attended quite a few family get togethers and birthday parties. You were able to see your first parade at Dozinky Days in New Prague and you got to meet your Great Aunt Barb and Uncle Mark from Illinois!

We had some more house projects done - the kitchen has seen a complete transformation - since we're planning to put our house on the market in the coming months. We love our little, old house. It has seen some of the best times of our lives together - including the day we welcomed you into our world, Silvia - but we know its only a matter of time before this little, old house becomes too small for our growing family. Change can be hard, but we look forward to our next house on a quieter street with a little more fresh air and some extra room to stretch our legs.

Before we know it, you'll be 5 months. Slow down, little one! :)

We love you so much,
Mama and Dad















Friday, August 24, 2012

Dear Silvia: 3 Months

Dear Silvia,

This post is a little late, but I will not skimp on content...I promise!

Well, this month I started back at work part-time (hence the delayed post!) and it's gone pretty well so far....thanks to both of your Grandmas who have been coming over to watch you on the days I have to work. Next month, I'm back full-time and you'll start at daycare. I'm sure you'll have much fun with your new daycare friends!

We've said it before and we'll say it again...you're a mover and shaker and you like to be where all the action is! You now officially roll from front to back and back to front...though, its not happening consistently. When playing during tummy time, you also move your legs up and down on the ground (like mountain climbers) or stiffen your legs up (like a plank)...I think you're wanting to get your little body moving. I wonder how long before you start crawling...yikes!

You coo and "talk" so much! You're constantly blowing bubbles and you now also give us deep, belly laughs. It's so cute! You've also started to grasp toys and move them around, knowing that they'll make a noise when you do so. When laying down, you've started to tuck your chin to your chest and attempt to sit yourself up. When we go in to give you a smooch, you open your mouth...nothing like a big, wet open-mouth kiss!

You're liking bath time more and more and you now splash around while in your little tub. We moved  you to your crib and you're doing great in there....though, you still like to get up and party 1-3 times a night. You squawk in your crib until someone comes to get you and when they do you immediately stop what you're doing and give a HUGE smile. It's hard to be grouchy (even at 1, 2, 3am) when you're greeted by such a nice, gummy smile!

We've moved you entirely into your 3 month clothing, but you're on the verge of being too long for some of your sleepers. I guess its time to starting pulling out some of your 6 months clothes too....already?!?!  Your little cheeks are filling out nicely and you also have started to have little chubber rolls on your inner thighs.

You love being read to and will sit so nicely the whole time. The hair you had lost is now coming back slowly, but you still have your cute little mullet (so stylish!). Your eyes are still blue...though I still think that will eventually change.

Overall, you are a pretty happy little girl. You smile all the time, even at strangers or when you're mad.

You were last weighed a couple weeks ago (at almost 12 weeks) and you were 12lbs. 10oz. I'm guessing you're around 13lbs. now as your size 1 diapers are getting pretty snug. Your next dr. appt. will be at 4 months, so I'll have more accurate height/weight info in next month's post.

You've had a lot of other firsts this past month, too:
- You've now been to a movie at the theater twice! You slept/ate throughout the first movie "What to expect when you're expecting" and were wide awake during "Spiderman"....both times you were a good little girl and kept quiet.
- You went to the MN Science Museum. Truth be told, it was a dud of an exhibit...but you, your Dad and I still managed to have a good time.
- You went to your first Church Festival at St. Patrick's. It was hot and you were pooped by the end. In fact, you napped on a picnic table at one point in the day!
- You went to your first bridal shower, baby shower (for you!) and birthday party...so much fun!
- You and I went to Mom and Baby yoga a few times. It was so much fun...you loved seeing all the other babies and being moved up, down and all around.
- You went to your first Twins game...sadly, they lost.
- You've now met ALL three of your Great Grandmas. We recently took a trip to Altoona, WI so you could meet your Great Grandma McNamara. She loved holding you and talking to you and you smiled the whole time.
- Now, that I think about it....that was your first out-of-state trip too! Woohoo Wisconsin!
- You were baptized! Father George, the priest who married your Dad & I, baptized you at St. Anne's Catholic Church in LeSueur, MN. It was such a beautiful day with (almost) all of our family.

How was that for an eventful month?!?! We had so much fun and are looking forward to the next!

We love you so much,
Mama and Dad