Life & Love at the Meadsters: December 2011

WOW. WOW. WOW.

It's 2 days before Christmas and there is simply too much going on between home, work and baby! But despite the ridiculous exhaustion and foggyheadedness, I'm overwhelmed and overcome with the deepest feelings of love, joy and peace I have ever experienced.

Little Lia has brought so much perspective and meaning to our lives, she really is the best Christmas present ever.

We are so blessed and grateful for this special season of hope as we reflect on the beauty and wonder of Christmas. I *love* Isaiah 9:6 as it encapsulates both the sweetness and grandness of Christmas for me.

For unto us a child is born,

unto us a son is given:

and the government shall be upon his shoulder:

and his name shall be called

Wonderful,

Counselor,

The Mighty God,

The Everlasting Father,

The Prince of Peace.

We are also quickly closing out Lia's 3rd month (she'll be 4 months old on New Year's Eve!) and we continue to be amazed at how much she's already changed and how quickly she's growing. Seriously, is there no Pause button? I'll try to summarize this month's milestones and of course include a gallery of photos (my favorite part of the updates) so you too can enjoy her cuteness.

New things Lia is doing:

- cracking up laughing (LOL, for real!) - she cracks up when Mommy attacks her with kisses allover, especially her neck and tummy. OMG. I want to bottle up her laugh. It's so adorable and very funny too. She also LOLs at her Daddy when he makes funny faces and noises
- sucking her thumb (and fingers in general) - UGH! I don't know why I feel compelled to stop her. I mean, I guess most babies do this but I keep trying to shove a Binky or teether in her mouth instead. It works for like 2 seconds and then she's back at it. Hmmmm.
- rolling her tongue - this is also fascinating and very funny. I happen to think she's just practicing for when she starts speaking Spanish and has to roll her r's...hehe.
- grabbing and holding onto anything and everything (toys, rattles, blankys, hair, jewelry, fingers/hands)!
- rolling over! We missed this event in-person as it happened while we were at work and she was with Abuela Candy (my mom). So sad. We've seen her arching her back and she almost rolled over at home the other day, but we haven't actually seen it for ourselves. Someone said it only counts if we see her do it..haha..so I'll keep you posted on that.
- sleeping through the night (consistently)...HOORAY!!!.. (except for when she breaks out of her swaddle - see next bullet). She is the best, best baby. Now, of course any time I decide to stay up late to catch up on things (like the blog, or bills or laundry) it's like she knows this and thinks its a good day to wake up at 4:00 am instead of her usual 6:30. I'm actually jinxing myself right now since it's past midnight...fingers crossed!
- finding a way out of her swaddle. We call her our little Houdini. We thought this type of swaddle (Velcro) was a sure bet, but it's not. She's figured out how to wiggle her little body and hands enough to break free from the top. If that happens, it's game over and she's awake and ready for some company. We're getting ready to ditch the swaddle and introduce her to bedtime freedom, but I'll admit - I'm scared for what that means. Hopefully she'll like it better and continue to sleep well!
- first Thanksgiving road trip to The Meads in Georgia! No turkey and fixings for Lia this year...maybe next year...but she was still the cutest little turkey there ever was.
- meeting Santa for the first time! Sweet and memorable at the same time. She did great for the first 30 seconds and then it was straight downhill (see photos below).
- celebrating Grandma and Grandpa's (Todd's parents) new home! They closed this week and will be so much closer to us in the near future.

Coming up:

- Lia's 4 month doc appointment (already cringing as there will be shots involved. Ouch. say prayers if you think of us!)
- Christmas Eve service
- Christmas Eve gathering with the loud side of the family (mine)
- Christmas Day (can't wait to soak up this sweet family time together!)
- Christmas lunch with the calmer side of the family (Todd's)
- New Year's Eve/Day 2012!!!
- Daddy's BIG (40) birthday in January

Sweet Baby Love

Mommy hood is growing on me. I think that "confidence factor" is so important and makes such a difference. To be able to trust you're doing the right (or at least best) things as much as possible is very good!

I can spend endless time captured and captivated by this little gift God has given us. I often wake while trying to sleep if I hear her moving around or "talking". I immediately begin watching the baby monitor and am just in awe that this precious little life is ours! I wish I could hold her and rock her forever. It's the best time I spend when she's asleep on my chest (or nestled in my neck) and peaceful. It's like God has personally sent His own angel to fill our hearts and souls with the greatest love of all.

Enjoy Lia's month in pictures...