Category Archive: Dear Sirena…

Dear Sirena… (2.5 year old update!)

Dear Sirena,

It’s been 6 months that you’ve been a full-fledged 2 year old and it has gotten so so so much more fun with each passing day. Here are some snippets about life with you in this moment:

  • The Peacekeeper: At our Parent/Teacher conference at preschool we were told by your teacher that you like to help keep the peace at school. When kids try to take a toy from you or from another kid, you tell them no, that they need to wait until you’re done. This is exactly what I’ve tried to teach you by example! When other kids try to take a toy from you I’ll model that exact same thing saying, “No, so-and-so, Sirena is playing with that. 5 more minutes and she can share with you if she wants to,” and I am so beyond proud that you are standing up for yourself (and others!), sticking to your guns, and doing the right thing.
  • The Negotiator: I am big on giving you countdowns to use the potty, to finish playing, for dinner time, etc. so that you are aware of my expectations and there are (hopefully) no tantrums (or minor ones if so!)  I usually start with 5 or 10 minutes and try my best to keep tabs on the time that passes to give you incremental warnings until it’s time to do XYZ (although I’ve been told that sometimes my 10 minutes in reality are 15+ minutes. What can I say, I get distracted too sometimes, haha!) You’ve begun giving me your own countdowns for different activities, telling me, “2 more minutes, ok Mommy?” sometimes without me even prompting you!
  • The Big Girl: It’s been 3 weeks now that you are officially diaper-free during the day and I could not be more proud. Like I mentioned in one of the pregnancy posts it was a random day that I came in after nap time and you were stark naked and hadn’t peed in bed. I asked if you needed to go potty, you said yes, and the rest is history! Of course we’ve had our share of accidents but you are getting better and better about telling us when you gotta go. Many times at home we’ll hear you getting the potty ready yourself and you’ll be sitting on it doing your thing by the time we get to you! You like your privacy (who doesn’t when it comes to potty time?) and occasionally you’ll tell us, “Leave me. I go ‘self” (translation: Leave me alone, I go by myself).
  • The Clown: Your sense of humor is becoming more and more distinct and you are quite the character. You like to make us laugh and you love it when we make you laugh too. You find it hilarious to say, “Hi Lola” to me or Daddy or Auntie Jessie. You seem to be taking after Mama in the potty-humor department which we find hilarious at home and, ahem, blush-inducing out in public. We’re working on when it’s an appropriate time to talk about poop, pee, farts, etc. 😉
  • The Parrot: Like all kids your age, you soak new vocabulary up like a sponge and repeat things that me and your Daddy say…sometimes regretfully! It’s fun to hear you say things like, “Wow” or “Aw man!” or “Are you okay?” or “You’re welcome” or any number of small phrases that you pick up.  And I guess I say, “Oh Jesus” a lot because I was having trouble with our gate and you immediately said, “Jesus,” lol! Better watch what I say more…
  • The Performer: You love to show us your new tricks and talents, calling out, “Look a’me!” (translation: Look at me!) A few weeks ago your Auntie Jessie, Uncle Derdo, Auntie Laura, Daddy, and Mommy were all hanging out in the living room and you hammed it up all night! It was the first time I really saw you putting on a show for a group and it was such a delight. You’d come out, stand in front of the fireplace, and sing (at the top of your lungs) as many songs as you could think of. Here are my favorite renditions of yours:
    • Itsy Bitsy Spider: “Itsy bitsy ‘pider, come out in the waaater…”
    • ABC’s: “A, B, C, D, H, I, J, K, LMNOP, Q, R, Esss, TUandV, W, X, Y, and Z. Now I know my ABC’s, next time won’t you sing wid me?” You know the whole alphabet but recently you’ve been skipping right past “E, F, G.”
    • Twinkle, Twinkle: “Twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are. Up, up, up, up, up, up high, like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.”
    • Row, Row, Row your Boat: “Row, row, row your boat, gently in the boat. Mini, mini, mini, mini. Gently in the boat.”
    • Holiday favorites:
    • Jingle Bells: “Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. What fun it is ride in horse sleigh. HEY!”
    • Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet: “Trick or treat, ‘pell my feet. Ginnee someping good to eat. [Inaudible…don’t…inaudible…care]. I’ll pull down your u-n-d-e-r-w-e-a-r [super exaggerated].”
  • The Mama-in-Training: You still love all things baby doll. Honey and Nine are your babies of choice and you take such good care of them (never mind the way you grab them by the throat or head sometimes, haha!) You’ve moved from only changing your baby’s diapers on a daily basis to now putting them to bed. You’ll lay a blankie out flat on the floor (justright), put down a little pillow, lay the baby down, and cover the baby from head to toe (we’ll need to talk about how that can’t happen with your baby sister!) You then go around your room getting things ready, turning the starry night light on, turning the nursery rhyme music on, turning your Ok-to-Wake alarm clock on, turning out the overhead light, closing your bedroom door, and then going around the house and closing every other door for some reason, haha.
  • The Big Sister: It’s becoming more and more real to you that Mama’s growing a little baby in her belly (you like to tell me, “Baby get bigger!” when you see my belly some days) and you are just the sweetest future big sister. You love to say hi to the baby, kiss my belly, and talk to her. Warms my heart to no end.

Here are some photos I was able to snap of you in some of your day-to-day activities recently:

2.5 collage 12.5 collage 2

2.5 collage 3

My little mermaid, you make me so proud to call you my daughter. I love all of your talents, your charm, your cuddly nature, your pure sweetness, and your good heart.

Love,

Mama

Sirena’s Monthly Photos: 2 Years Old!!

Dear Sirena,

It happened.  You’re TWO.  I can’t quite wrap my head around how that actually happened but somehow it did!  You partied hard (and I mean hard) at your big kid, airplane-themed birthday party–right in the middle of the party we had to rush you to Urgent Care because you were injured and might’ve had to get stitches (thank goodness you didn’t)!  You were such a tough cookie and so brave and you returned to your party and made the very best of it–you were laughing and dancing and goofing around as if nothing had even happened!  You were the perfect host for all of your little friends and what you enjoyed probably the most (after the rainbow cupcakes) was everyone singing your most favorite song to you, “Happy Birthday!”

Your actual birthday happened a week later because your Mama’s graduation was scheduled for the weekend of your birthday.  It meant the world to me that you, my precious little munchkin, were able to attend my graduation and cheer me on with the rest of our family.  Four years ago when I started my master’s degree program I thought it’d be neat to possibly have a child in attendance at my graduation some day and that dream finally became a reality.  You have been such a big inspiration in my finishing the program, so thank you, thank you, thank you for that.  Your birthday landed on a Monday, the day after graduation, and I decided to take the day off of work because I remembered how emotional I was on the day of your first birthday.  It was a pretty low-key day (including a little visit to the doctor’s office because of a nasty cough you had developed, oy!) and the whole day I was so grateful to be able to spend so much time with you, Daddy, and Lola, our little family.

Although we’ve gotten a taste of the terrible two’s already, I know there’s so much more to look forward to during this next year of your life–not only do we have two times the terror ahead 😉 , we’ve also got two times the silliness, two times the entertainment, two times the sweetness, two times the amazement, two times the love, and two times the joy ahead as well.

Sirena, your Daddy and I are so proud of you for being such an all-around amazing kid and it is a true privilege watching you grow and being the biggest influences in your life.  We are truly fortunate for each and every day that we are able to spend with you.  Happy birthday, my little love!

Love,

Mama

Monthly Photos

See past photos in her mini armchair here:

One Month ::  Two Months ::  Three Months

Four Months ::  Five Months ::  Six Months

Seven Months ::  Eight Months ::  Nine Months

Ten Months ::  Eleven Months ::  Twelve Months

Thirteen Months ::  Fourteen Months :: Fifteen Months

(No Sixteen Months!)  ::  Seventeen Months ::  Eighteen Months

Nineteen Months ::  Twenty Months ::  (No Twenty One Months!)

Twenty Two Months ::  Twenty Three Months

Sirena’s Monthly Photos: 23 Months Old

Dear Sirena,

We are blown away by the little-big-kid you are becoming each and every day.  You are so independent–wanting to do things on your own (like putting on and taking off your clothes, combing your hair, bathing yourself), but at the same time you are also so clingy with mommy lately–needing her at sometimes the most inopportune moments, demanding her attention and that she pick you up righththismoment (and with that quivering lower lip and those tear-filled eyes, it is sometimes so hard to resist!)  I have to remind myself (a lot) in those stressful moments that these days will be over in the blink of an eye and one day I will long for your constant need for your “Mommy.”  <3

You have got a BIG personality that shines ever-so-brightly.  Here are some of the fun things you’ve been up to lately:

  • You order your big sister “Lalo” around, telling her to go outside or get her ball or stop biting herself (just like Mama and Daddy, haha!)
  • You want to tell us stories so bad, babbling away, making up words and using hand movements to share all of your wild thoughts with us
  • You have become quite the jokester: huge belly laughs after something funny happens, you love it when you make us laugh (and continue to do whatever it was to try and get the same reaction from us), and your Nani taught you some fun tricks that you enjoy doing:
    • High-Five fun: “High-Five,” “Down Low,” “Cut the Pickle” (putting the tips of your index fingers together and having someone “cut” down the middle with their finger), “Tickle, Tickle!” (tickling yourself instead of tickling the other person, haha!)
    • Lil’ Trickster: Pointing to someone’s chest and asking, “What’s that?” then as they look down you run your finger up to their chin and nose (and then you proceed with cracking up because you always get a good reaction out of people doing that!)
  • You sing all the time, from sun up (we hear you signing to yourself in your bed over the baby monitor as soon as you wake up) to sun down. Your favorite songs lately are “Happy Birthday” (you know all the words!), “Itsy Bitsy Spider” (with hand movements), “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” and your old standby, “Old MacDonald.”
  • You’re a true dancing machine. You really feel the music and get down with your bad self and you rocked out with your friend Sadie at your Aunt Sarah and Uncle Rob’s wedding this past month, tearing up the dance floor!
  • Your favorite activity still is changing your baby doll’s diapers but nowadays as soon as you put a new diaper on you say “Eww!” and proceed to take it right off saying “Poo poo” each and every time.  I think we may need to take your baby doll to the doctor for the amount of diapers she soils in any given sitting…
  • On a similar note, this past month we started potty training!  You love your big girl chonies (Elmo and Dora designs that you picked out yourself) and you love the concept of using the potty (even taking your babies to the potty and reading to them like a good little mama)

Less than a month before your second birthday…  It’s so hard to believe but you are most definitely a little big kid now and I know that 2 is going to be a ton more fun!

Love,

Mama

New words: “Chubbies” (strawberries), “Rella” (Cinderella), “Yeah” (You don’t say “Aye” anymore!), “Lola” (this is what you call Dora, but yet you call Lola “Lalo,” ha!)

Monthly Photos

See past photos in her mini armchair here:

One Month ::  Two Months ::  Three Months

Four Months ::  Five Months ::  Six Months

Seven Months ::  Eight Months ::  Nine Months

Ten Months ::  Eleven Months ::  Twelve Months

Thirteen Months ::  Fourteen Months :: Fifteen Months

(No Sixteen Months!)  ::  Seventeen Months ::  Eighteen Months

Nineteen Months ::  Twenty Months ::  (No Twenty One Months!)

Twenty Two Months

Sirena’s Monthly Photos: 22 Months Old

Dear Sirena,

Your little life has been flashing before our very eyes–case in point, I completely forgot to take your 21 month photo, oops!  It’s hard to believe that there are only two more of these “Dear Sirena” monthly posts/photos left.  I’m sure the letters will keep coming but not on the same schedule and not accompanying the chair photos any more (which I guess is a good thing because it’s starting to take bribes [gummy bears] to get you to sit on your bottom on the chair long enough to snap a photo!).

You have really blossomed these past two months into more of a social butterfly–even though it still takes you a while to warm up to new people or to a crowd, once you do warm up there is no stopping you!  You wave and say “hi” to just about everyone you see, you will sing or tell stories on command, and you LOVE LOVE LOVE to dance no matter who’s looking.  Last month your Uncle Thomas married your new Aunt Ashley on the royal Queen Mary ship and that’s where we really saw you start to change–you warmed up really quickly to some out-of-town family you’d never met before, Aunt Quincie and Uncle Mo, even giving hugs and blowing kisses to them, and you partied the night away, shakin’ your stuff to the music and making your presence known on and off the dance floor.

On the academic front, you’ve made some pretty big strides lately.  For quite a while when I would ask you to count you would only say “one,” then that morphed into skipping “one” and only saying “two, three,” and just last week you skipped “one, two, three,” and went straight into “four, five, six!”  You also named one of your baby dolls “Nine” so it seems you are very fond of numbers.  Colors are also coming along just fine.  For a while everything was “boo” (blue) and lately everything has magically changed to “burple” (purple).  Sometimes you’re spot on with orange or yellow or green but most times if I ask you what color something is, it’s either “boo” or “burple.”  You also recognize letters/words and you’ll point to something (like a license plate) and say “E.”  It’s so amazing to witness your little brain at work!

Lately when people ask me how old you are I’ve been telling them, “She’s just shy of 2.”  It’s really, really hard to believe that in less than two months you’ll be a big 2 year old!  But you seem ready for it–just this morning I said something about you being my baby and you said, “No.”  I asked you, “Oh, are you a big kid then?” and you replied, “Aye” (yes).

No matter how big of a big kid you become, you will always and forever be my baby.

Love,

Mama

Monthly Photos

See past photos in her mini armchair here:

One Month ::  Two Months ::  Three Months

Four Months ::  Five Months ::  Six Months

Seven Months ::  Eight Months ::  Nine Months

Ten Months ::  Eleven Months ::  Twelve Months

Thirteen Months ::  Fourteen Months :: Fifteen Months

(No Sixteen Months!)  ::  Seventeen Months ::  Eighteen Months

Nineteen Months ::  Twenty Months ::  (No Twenty One Months!)

Sirena’s Monthly Photos: 20 Months Old

Dear Sirena,

You have such a caring, empathetic soul and it warms our hearts how much you show care and compassion for others, especially babies…you LOVE babies!  You got a baby doll for Christmas and you care for her better than any parent could (other than when you drop your baby on the head on the wood floor, haha).  Every time you see a picture of a baby, you have to point it out and say “Baby” in a very sweet voice.  If you ever hear a baby cry (like in a store) you call out “Baby!” and pout your lips because you feel so bad for the sad baby.  And you love (and I mean love) changing your baby’s diaper over and over and over again.  You say “boo boo” (which is anyone’s booty/privates according to you) and grab a new diaper and a wipe, wipe the baby’s boo boo, put on a fresh diaper, and then repeat.  You’ve put diapers on not only your baby doll but your monkey doll, Dumbo doll, and you’ve even suggested putting a diaper on Lalo (Lola) which I quickly put a stop to knowing Lola would not be a fan!

For all the sweetness lately there is definitely a side of you showing through that, in a word, has been difficult.  You have been testing us like any 20 month old does and at times it can be pretty trying.  You have been showing your defiance more and more, outright saying no to something we tell you to do or running away when we ask you to do something.  Sometimes it’s hard not to laugh because in a way it can be pretty comical having this little person show so much independence and defiance but we don’t want to encourage the behavior.  At your worst you’ve hit me and Daddy with your little hands when you are so frustrated with us and luckily it was only a couple of weeks with you doing that consistently and you haven’t done it much lately, but boy do those little hands have power behind them!  And lastly, it took us a while to figure out how to tame your wild behavior at mealtimes (demanding [and I mean demanding] food, screaming for more, not being able to wait a few minutes for us to put a meal together for you, crying inconsolably for mealtime, etc.) but your preschool teacher enlightened us to the fact that we weren’t feeding you enough throughout the day!  We have since been following your preschool’s feeding schedule (breakfast at home, morning snack, lunch before nap, afternoon snack, dinner at home) and you have been a dream at mealtimes!  Poor thing, you were just too darn hungry to focus and be calm.  So thank you for your patience with us as we figure this whole parenting thing out!

Love,

Mama

New words: Me, Mine!!, ‘xcuse me, “Aye” (She says this instead of “Yes”), “Mow” (Minnie or Mickey Mouse), “Mow mow” (Hello Kitty or any cat)

Monthly Photos

See past photos in her mini armchair here:

One Month ::  Two Months ::  Three Months

Four Months ::  Five Months ::  Six Months

Seven Months ::  Eight Months ::  Nine Months

Ten Months ::  Eleven Months ::  Twelve Months

Thirteen Months ::  Fourteen Months :: Fifteen Months

(No Sixteen Months!)  ::  Seventeen Months ::  Eighteen Months

Nineteen Months

Sirena’s Monthly Photos: 19 Months Old

Dear Sirena,

The start of your 19th month also saw the start of a whole new calendar year and you rang it in with a bang, little girl!  Lots of BIG changes for you and you’ve been taking it all in like a champ.  Not only did we move into our first home as a family, you also started preschool two days a week and you’re the newest Pixie (that’s what they call the toddler group).  The first three days at the school were rough emotionally for you (Nani was reminded of your mama when she started preschool!) but luckily you found comfort in the teachers and would want to be held all day which they said was a good start.  By day four your teachers were amazed that after your nap you joined the other Pixies at the coloring table, you helped water the garden, and you showed your independence by taking a book to a bench in the garden and reading by yourself.  They couldn’t believe that this was the same Sirena!  So even though this big change has been an emotional roller coaster for your little self, overall it has been great for you because Daddy and I already notice a huge change in your vocabulary and singing and we can only imagine how much more you are going to develop over the coming weeks and months.

For all of the millions of things that you learn from me, Daddy, family, friends, teachers, etc. every day there are also some major things that you have taught me in your short existence on this planet and one of those things really became clear to me this past month.  For whatever reason I have always cared a lot about what other people think and that has, for better or for worse, translated into me caring about what other people think of you.  It takes you a while to warm up to new people and situations.  When you would cling to me and cry when someone else (even family) would try to hold you, I used to find myself making excuses for you: “She didn’t get her full nap today, she’s tired,” or, “She’s teething and hasn’t been feeling well lately.”  When it comes down to it, though…you are who you are and there is no reason to make excuses for that.  You are 100% genuinely Sirena in every moment of the day and that is something to be honored instead of dismissed.  I’ve since stopped making excuses for you and I’m doing my best to allow you to just be you.  So thank you for one of the many lessons that I’m sure you’re going to teach me in this lifetime together.

We are so excited for all of the amazing memories we are going to make in our new home, all of them including you and your sweet, incredible self.

Love,

Mama

New words this month: “Beeee” (airplane), “Mo-mo” (more), “Ya-ya” (snack), “Oh, Daddy” (you say this when you are sad and want Daddy to pick you up, it reminds us of Shirley Temple)

Monthly Photos

First photo in your new room (your Auntie Brianne and I painted those clouds on your wall!)

See past photos in her mini armchair here:

One Month ::  Two Months ::  Three Months

Four Months ::  Five Months ::  Six Months

Seven Months ::  Eight Months ::  Nine Months

Ten Months ::  Eleven Months ::  Twelve Months

Thirteen Months ::  Fourteen Months :: Fifteen Months

(No Sixteen Months!)  ::  Seventeen Months ::  Eighteen Months

Sirena’s Monthly Photos: Five Months Old

Dear Sirena,

You continue to grow-grow-grow right before our very eyes and this month especially has seen some big developments.  You had your check-up with the doctor and you weighed in at just under 18 pounds and you’re measuring 26 inches long.  You also got your second round of shots and you were such a brave little lady, only crying (bloody murder) when the nurse gave you the shots but you quickly quieted down when Daddy picked you up and then you nursed right away which also made you feel a lot better.

Some of the amazing big girl things you’ve begun doing this month…

First, the moment I’ve been waiting SO long for–you had your first belly laughs this month!  Your first chuckle was in response to Auntie Jessie’s shenanigans of course (can’t say we’re surprised because you do see her as your favorite playmate) and over the last two weeks you’ve been a lot more generous with those goofy, drooly, belly laughs.  You also began rolling to your side and you’ve even rolled onto your stomach a couple of times.  We haven’t seen you roll from your tummy to your back yet, but I’m sure that’s just around the corner.  This past month you’ve also transitioned to sleeping the night in your crib in your room.  Me and Daddy desperately needed some more uninterrupted sleep so now we aren’t woken up every time you kick your legs or start sucking on your fingers.  You still don’t sleep through the night, though (a typical night: you go to bed around 6pm, then I give you a dream feed around 9:30, you sleep until 1 and we give you back your pacifier, you wake up again around 3 for some milk, then you’re up-and-at-’em around 7) and we’re starting to get a little more realistic and instead of hoping you’ll sleep 8 hours straight, we’re just trying to wean you off of that 1am wake-up call.  Fingers crossed we can figure it out together, baby girl!

And last, but certainly not least…you have discovered how entertaining your furry sister, Lola, can be.  You enjoy sitting with me and watching Lola chase after the ball that I throw and then you chuckle when she gives you a big, warm, wet kiss on your legs.  And you make the cutest cough/laugh noise when you see Lola and want to get her attention.  You two are going to be the best of friends, I just know it.

It’s incredible how you can be such a tiny little person and at the same time seem like such a big girl with a big personality!  Every single day your Daddy and I talk about how in total awe we are of you.  Even five months in we still cannot believe that we made you and that you’re all ours.  And I hope you know that we consider ourselves very lucky, little lady.

Love,

Mama

The five month rundown

Likes:

  • Nature: It’s amazing how quiet and observant you become when we go outdoors…you don’t even make a peep when we’re on our walks!  It is so apparent that you are as much of a nature lover as your mama and Daddy are.

Dislikes:

  • Strangers: Last month you were just beginning to get a little weary of strangers…this month you’ve become a lot more hesitant when meeting new people!  We realized that, day in and day out, you only really see and interact with me, Daddy and Auntie Jessie so we’ve got to get out and socialize you more.  We also know that around 5-6 months is when most babies go through a stage of being afraid of strangers but we don’t want it to get too out of hand. Story time at the library and mom/baby groups, here we come!

Monthly Photos

See past monthly photo posts in her mini armchair here:

One Month ::  Two Months ::  Three Months ::  Four Months

The many facial expressions of Sirena

Sirena’s Monthly Photos: Four Months Old

Dear Sirena,

You have grown by leaps and bounds this month (I have a feeling I’m going to want to say that every month of your first year, but it’s true!)  We weighed you a few days ago and you were a whopping 17 pounds (you’ve more than doubled your birth weight…you and me are a good team, baby girl!)  Your hand/eye coordination is getting better by the day–you’re able to grab different toys and put them in your mouth (and sometimes your nose).  And in the last few days you’ve started to roll to one side and I’m sure rolling from back to stomach (or vice versa) is just around the corner.

The noises that you’re learning to produce are a hoot–your laughs are getting more and more pronounced as the days go by (sometimes they’re a squeak and sometimes they’re a “mmm” sound) and you make this hilarious, low grunting sound when you’re concentrating really hard on something (I can’t help but be reminded of Edward Scissorhands after he drinks orange juice, haha!)

This month has also brought on lots and LOTS of drool which can only mean one thing…teething is near!  You’ve also started chewing on your fingers which is also a good sign that teething is beginning.  It can still be months before any tooth actually breaks through but your body is preparing itself for that time which we are so looking forward to (ha, yeah right).

The last two weeks have been rough in the sleep department.  We were doing so well with you only waking up twice to eat but lately you’ve been waking up 3-4 times a night because you’re hungry or just fussy.  It reminds us of the sleepless newborn nights and we’ve heard that this is a typical phase 4 month olds go through so we’ve got our fingers crossed that the end is near.  It’s kind of funny the way you start stirring in bed–instead of whimpering or crying like you used to, you start grunting as you pull your one arm out of the swaddle and then you start thumping your heels against the bed over and over again.  In addition to laughing at your quirky ways at 2am I have to remember to see the positive in these sleepless nights–when we’re sitting there in the dark room after you eat, there truly is nothing more amazing than the deadweight of your little body laying on my shoulder as I rock you to sleep.

Love you tons,

Mama

The four month rundown

Likes:

  • Aquariums:  We went to your Auntie Brianne and Uncle Brian’s wedding at the aquarium in Long Beach and you were absolutely mesmerized by all of the creatures in the tanks, it was so cool to watch you!
  • Television: This is not to say that we allow you to watch tv at such a young age but if it’s ever on your gaze somehow reaches it and you zone out! It’s crazy how hypnotizing it can be for such a young baby but we definitely don’t allow you to watch more than a few minutes at a time.  There will be plenty of time for you to watch tv, believe us!

Dislikes:

  • Some strangers: This month is the first time we’ve noticed you being weary of strangers.  It’s not all people and all circumstances but occasionally you’ll get scared and your bottom lip begins quivering and then the tears start welling up…it is such a sad sight to see!  We’re trying to get you used to being around new people so that hopefully it doesn’t get much worse!

Monthly Photos

See past monthly photo posts in her mini armchair here:

One Month ::  Two Months ::  Three Months

The many facial expressions of Sirena

Sirena’s Monthly Photos: Three Months Old

Dear Sirena,

Well, you’re officially not a newborn anymore!  It truly is amazing to see so much growth in a tiny human being in such a short amount of time and it just keeps getting better every day.  Some highlights…

The little noises you make are so entertaining (mostly “mmm” and sighing sounds) and you’re beginning to learn to get our attention through methods other than crying (hallelujah!)  Although you’ve had incredible neck strength since birth, you are holding your head up so well now that you don’t need any support from us whatsoever.  And you’re beginning to learn to wrap your fingers around things to grab them–your favorite thing to do lately is to grab the muslin blankie that’s laying on you and pull it up over your head for what I am sure will become a fun game of peek-a-boo in the near future.

In addition to being a huge milestone, your three month “birthday” was bittersweet too because it also represented the end of summer and the end of my maternity leave.  I was feeling anxious the entire week leading up to my first day back at work and that morning I felt a sadness in the pit of my stomach that I had never felt before.  Fortunately I get to work from home three days a week so I won’t miss out on too much of your precious growth this year and for that I am truly grateful.

Every parent we talk to advises us to enjoy each and every moment with you at this age because it goes by so fast.  Every day I make sure to take some time to just study you and your little fingers and toes, your chubby cheeks and thighs, your beautiful eyes and hair just so I don’t ever forget how amazingly tiny you are right now.

Love you muchísimo,

Mama

The three month rundown

Likes

  • Foot massages: You are a lucky girl in that you get a foot massage every night during our bedtime routine–I lather up and put my hands up to your face so you can smell the lavender lotion and you always pause and get an excited look on your face like you know what’s coming.
  • Long walks: When we used to go on long walks you would immediately fall asleep on our chest in the Ergo carrier but nowadays you are so much more alert and wanting to check out your surroundings so you stay awake for almost the entire walk.  Very soon you’ll be big enough to have facing outwards in the carrier and I know you’re the kind of kid who won’t want to face inwards anymore once that day comes so I am enjoying the precious time you lay on my chest as much as possible.

Dislikes

  • Cameras: Every time I bust out the camera you immediately get a solemn look on your face and just stare at the silver & black machine in your face.  This makes for getting a good shot of your new smiles difficult but don’t worry, you’ve got one persistent mama!

Monthly Photos

See past monthly photo posts in her mini armchair here: One Month :: Two Months

The many facial expressions of Sirena

Sirena’s Monthly Photos: Two Months Old

Dear Sirena,

You have become quite the fun baby this month!  Daddy and I have enjoyed seeing your first smiles and hearing your first giggles more than you can ever imagine.  You are a super happy baby when you wake up in the morning and when on the changing table.  You are starting to get the hang of copying us–either our noises, sticking your tongue out like us, or smiling–and when you see or hear us copy you, you get very excited.

You are alert for longer periods during the day and it was hard at first to figure out how to entertain and play with a 4-8 week old baby but it seems we’re getting the hang of it–right now the things that entertain you the most are reading a few books while sitting on our lap in the glider, looking at your face in the penguin mirror while listening to the fun music it plays, jumping and standing on your strong, chubby legs (with the help of Mom or Dad, of course), or just walking around and looking at things while we narrate for you what it is we’re looking at.

You have such a strong personality and although it can be rough at times trying to figure out exactly what you need right this minute you’re pretty predictable and we can figure out what it is you need after a few tries.  We love getting to know you more and more each day and we hope you are enjoying getting to know us too!

Love you,

Mama

The two month rundown

Likes

  • Reading: we’ve read just about every one of your 50+ books in your extensive library at least once through and so far it seems that Brown Bear, Brown Bear is your favorite
  • Music: it doesn’t really matter what kind of music it is, you seem to calm down whenever we put on some tunes (I like to think that your favorite is the Smokey Robinson station on Pandora since that’s basically all Mom listened to while she was pregnant with you!)
  • Bath time: still loving it (thankfully!)

Dislikes

  • Tummy time: although you’re starting to handle it for longer stretches a little better
  • Getting dressed: you do not like having a onesie put over your little head and arms but once it’s on, you’re a happy camper

Monthly Photos

See past monthly photo posts in her mini armchair here: One Month

The many facial expressions of Sirena

And a special treat for our readers…Lola’s best photo bomb to date!

I think it’s safe to say that Lola misses her monthly photo bomb opportunities during the pregnancy!

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