Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, oh My!

Today was the first weekend day without rain in, well, too long to count.  So we, and everyone else in the tri-state, packed up and headed to the Zoo!  It was Natalie's first trip, and one of the rare times all three of us have been out together for an extended period of time.

Natalie did great.  It was chilly to start the day, and warmed up more than we expected by the time we left.  It ended up being really crowded, but Natalie coped with all that very well.  She even tolerated her stroller nearly all day.

Enjoy some of our favorite pictures from the day...

Elephants

Nice and toasty, checking out the sights

Mama Giraffe and baby (can you see her just to the left of the tree?)

So happy to have dad off on a Saturday

Bear

Polar Bear

Orangutan

Mom, Dad, and baby Bonobo

Storks?  Pelicans?  Some kind of giant birds!

Dang, can't remember this one either!

Baby chimpanzee napping on mom's back

Nat and Mom with pretty spring Tulips

Good lookin' family

Tiger

Black Rhinoceros 

Lions

Nat snoozing in the afternoon sun

Gorillas

Four Months

Natalie is 4 months old today.  What has she been up to lately?  As if on cue, she rolled from back to tummy for the first time last night, with a repeat performance this morning.  Last night she couldn't quite figure out what to do with the arm she rolled over on, and it ended up trapped underneath her.  This morning she was able to get it out to the side, but couldn't get her arms under her to push up.

Her bottom two front teeth are visible through her gums, and have been giving her fits in the last 10 days or so.  I wish they would just come in already!  She's been trying her hand at rice cereal, which goes alright some days and some days you'd think we were actually feeding her battery acid.

Where we came from:

And where we are today

Shout out to her two awesome Grandpas

What do they say?  If they're sleeping, they're growing?

Jury is still out on whether she likes the highchair...

Adorable!

Happy lady

Trying so hard to sit up on her own

Rocking tummy time!

We go on Monday for her 4-month check up, so stay tuned for her latest stats.  

Month 5 is going to be a big one for Nat....coming up, her first road trip to St. Louis, attending Aunt Beth's graduation, and road trip to Wisconsin for her baptism.

Rookie Mistake

Our first major holiday as a family of three, and I blew the photo-op.  So concerned was I about getting all 3 of us dressed and out the door on time without forgetting anything we'd need for the whole day out, plus entertainment for church, that I completely forgot my camera.  The thousand "don't forget your camera" reminders I repeated to myself failed.

So, I am without a single picture of the 3 of us in our Sunday best.  I am without a single picture of Natalie with her first Easter basket.  Drat.

In case you are wondering, I did remember everything else, and Nat was the best behaved baby in church!

Teething Baby, Tired Mom

After several weeks of suspecting that Natalie is teething, I have finally been proven correct.  To say that the poor little one is a spit factory is an understatement.  Anything and everything is going directly into her mouth (also this week, she is reaching for things and trying so hard to coordinate her arms!), and don't even get me started on feedings.  Sheesh.  She gets to the point of hunger meltdown, but can only take a few sucks before ripping her mouth away from the bottle and screaming.  It's torture for her and very frustrating for me.

Then Sunday night happened.  My wonderful baby who has been sleeping through the night since she was 6 weeks old woke up at 10:30.  What?!  I was completely unprepared as she NEVER (I repeat never) does this.  I assessed the situation, and she went back to sleep for about another hour.  Then, awake again.  Against my better judgment, I fed her.  Did I mention that I was unprepared?

Monday, she was completely inconsolable.  It dawned on my to take a look in her mouth, and I discovered two perfectly pretty pearly whites visible in her bottom gum.  They have not broken the surface yet, but they are clear as day through the skin.  After a bit of tylenol, she was finally able to nap.  Monday night when she woke up again, at 11:45pm, I was ready to stand my ground.  Operation Teach Natalie to Sooth Herself was on.  I spent the next 2 hours checking on her briefly to offer a pat on the bottom or a rub on the tummy, then letting her cry for 5 minute periods.  Finally, just before 2:00am, she fell back asleep and stayed that way until 7:30 this morning.

Whew.  She seems a bit better today, but I have a feeling the worst is not over yet...

So, to all you fellow moms out there who wondered how I missed the sleepless nights train, I am here to say that we are fully aboard at the moment.

Nat Learns to Laugh

Attempt at uploading video from Youtube. Warning: adorable content!

It's not the belly laugh she was doing a few weeks ago, but it is certainly close.

How 'Bout Them Apples

Turns out that people, well most people, are fascinated by the concept of cloth diapering.  There is a whole host of reasons why one might choose to cloth diaper a baby.  I must say, my reasons are mainly financial, with a dash of keeping things "old school" tossed in.  And, well, I'm not upset that it is probably better for the environment that Natalie's dirty diapers won't be sitting around in a landfill until she's 102.

In any case, I am frequently asked, "So, cloth diapers.  How IS that going?"  Answer: it's going great.  The diaper rash that Natalie had early on is completely gone.  I attribute this to the switch in diaper rash cream AND going completely cloth.  Or 90% cloth.  She is still in a disposable diaper at night, because I have never seen a child pee more than her, and she would surely wet through a cloth diaper in no time.

We did the math this week.  By cloth diapering and breastfeeding, we are saving approximately $2,200 over this first year.  Wow.  For the little bit (VERY little bit) extra work involved in cloth diapering, it is 100% worth it.  Don't you think?

To completely change gears...here is Nat and Dad enjoying America's pastime.

Go, Yo!

Yes, she is in a Brewer uni

Playtime with Momma

She loves "flying"

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em

Last week, I (half) joked that if Natalie didn't start enjoying floor time and little more, I feared that she would become so behind that I would have to carry her into kindergarten in her car seat.  Enter floor time mentors Jill, Charlotte, & Ellie.  We have put together three days in a row of enjoyable floor time.  What's more, she is starting to really get into tummy time...

(I swear she's happier than she looks here!)

Talking baseball with Dad before the Brewers-Cubs series begins....hoping to bring the Brew Crew some of that Packer luck!

She loves her dada

Spring has Sprung

Finally the spring weather has returned!  Nat and I did not hesitate in taking advantage by getting out and taking a walk...

Nat's sweet ride

She is not sold on being in the stroller just yet

Loving the sun hat made by Grandma K.

Much happier to be back at home....we'll get there...

Love this expression!

Bernie worn out from the walk

Our garden is also coming together!  Stay tuned for pictures of fruits and vegetables going into the ground.  We planted fruit trees today, which are being cared for at our house.  Very exciting.