two new tricks

Around July 4th Vera discovered her tongue. She stopped talking as much (like you saw in the last post's video) and started doing this instead...

 

within a week she had moved on from just playing with her tongue to making nice wet razzes. She will sit happily and do this for minutes on end. 

She is now also rolling over... only one direction though meaning she rolls to her tummy and then gets angry.
She loves to sleep on her side.
She is just barely beginning to laugh. Only I hear it but I swear it is the start of  joyous happy laughter.
She loves to chew on her hands, anyone's  fingers (she'll gag herself with my finger sometimes) and burp clothes... oh yeah and shirts sleeves.
She is her mommy's good little eater. She's still a milk only baby but she intently watches and grabs for our food during meals.
She LOVEs standing and probably wishes she could do it without our help.
Bottom line.. I'm completely smitten with my daughter and can't imagine a more perfect baby for me.

Here are a few pictures from her 2month-three month birthdays

Vera LOVES bathtime

One morning I was making breakfast and Vera was playing. Brett came over and whispered "I think she feel asleep" This is the only time she has fallen asleep on her own (not counting the ca rseat). It was also cute because she has her hand over her eyes which is supposedly how her grandma marshall naps.  (I know it is blurry)

That pillow made tummy time bearable and has really sped her development. Before I gave up on tummy time before she really got to work her neck muscles. Now she likes tummy time (even without the pillow) and is pushes off with her legs. Sometimes she'll push herself over the pillow and get stuck with it under her legs and her head in the ground.

We wanted a warm hat for the fireworks just in case. This one was a bit big still but oh so cute.

sorry it is rotated but Vera (and Brett) LOVED the fireworks

We put Vera to sleep on her back like 'they' say we should but sometimes she ends up on her tummy.

11 weeks last night

Miss Vera turned 11 weeks old last night. To celebrate my parents took her for the night and I slept ALL night long (We were already at my parents since Brett's gone). Vera is of course the apple of my eye. There isn't a thing the the world that I love more than her and her daddy. She is an excellent baby and I count my blessings. What is most crazy to me is if I had taken a full 12 weeks of maternity leave that some moms do I would just be going back to work :o!! I used to think I would hate working while having a baby at home but the time away allows me to use my brain, talk like an adult, talk about more than poop and naps and feedings, and I cherish her so much more the time I spend with her. To each their own but I have discovered that working 20 hours a week makes me a better mom than if I were with her all day. And really since she sleeps almost the entire time I'm gone.. I'm really not missing much but a few diaper changes.

Vera is a talker already. She likes talking back to me and even sings a long with music. This video was from when I was working from home the other week

Thumb sucking

Last Sunday after watching a young girl suck her thumb and pick her nose at the same time with the same hand I decided I would be more willing to use the pacifier in hopes of Vera not being a thumb sucker. I know stopping a child from sucking their thumb is harder than taking away a pacifier. Yesterday for the first time Vera actually got her thumb in her mouth and sucked her thumb rather than her entire hand. Today when she did it again I put the pacifier in instead. She was fine with the pacifier but when I looked back down at her she had her thumb inserted into the pacifier (the pacifier is one of the ones hospitals give out that where you can stick your finger into the nipple). I tried getting picture but wasn't able to. Now I know it was probably chance she got her thumb into the hole in the pacifier but I'm still beginning to think she will such her thumb like her dad and I'll be fine with it and deal with giving up thumb sucking when the time comes. After all she is so cute and has Brett and I wrapped so tightly around her little finger she will probably always do whatever she wants and we won't stop her.

One Month

Our dear Miss Vera is one month old today. I can't believe it's already been a month and at the same time I can't believe I've only had my baby girl for a month.  We've done all sorts of things in the last month 

We've enjoyed meeting cousins

We've worked out in our cute onesies and tennis shoe socks

We've loved our grandma and grandpa marshall

And our grandpa and grandma fitch

We've slept like an angel on our daddy's chest

And put up with mommy taking a gazillion pictures of us.

We've practiced our tummy time

And of course slept a lot

We've learned that good food comes from mommy and a bottle

and we watch TV with daddy.

We cook with mommy

and melt everyone's heart

(not sure why I used the pronoun we and us when really I mean Vera but I just went with it.)
The last month has been an adventure but we are settling into a routine. I've started working again this work and luckily Vera has been an sweety for grandpa and grandma every time they have babysat. Happy one month birthday my darling Vera.

Introducing...

 Vera Ann Marshall 

Born Tuesday April 5, 2011 and 11:09 PM.

Just after my water broke Monday (4/4/11) at 7:00 AM.

Monday Morning. Contractions were pretty mild all Monday.

Tuesday afternoon. At this point I was finally getting close to fully dilated and had an epidural.

After four hours of pushing... Bless that arm in the back ground giving me a shot of pain medicine since they had turned the epidural off and it had long ago worn off.

She is daddy's little girl to the max!

On our way home!

First night at home

First morning at home

Life Changing Addition to our Home

After three years, three months, and a few days of marriage Brett and I are proud to announce the addition to our home of a dishwasher. It is such a proud moment for both of us and we welcome it into our home with love and joy.

Oh... did you think I was announcing I'd had the baby... yeah no news on that front she is still happy as can be in my belly.