Eyelashes

You were born with 6 of them. 3 on each eyelid. I remember staring at them in the hospital, the first days when we first became a family. 6 of them. I remember thinking to myself... "hmmm.. only 6... I wonder why only 6. I wonder if she'll get more. If she has any Dorazio blood in her, she should have more."

One day, when I wasn't looking you decided to sprout the rest. BANG! There they were! A million eyelashes.

Now I stare at them every day.

And tonight like every night, I kiss them goodnight, over and over, until those beautiful eyelashes stop fluttering, and you're dreaming with the angels.

I wonder when it'll be appropriate to teach you about mascara? hmmmm...

and now there's calm...

My baby girl is 4 months old! How did this come to be? I remember when you were 6 weeks old, and we started our Kanga Bounce exercise class (very short lived), I looked at the four month old babies and thought "wow, they're old". I think at the time I was in denial that you would get that big. And here we are.

The supportive new moms in my world were often reminding me that at three months things will get so much easier, that the first three months were about survival. Well it was about survival all right (an understatement) but it didn't stop there. Three months came and went, and things were still tough. But then the magic happened. As we approached the four month mark together as a family, we were able to see the light (and our pillows more often).

You has started sleeping longer stretches. We've found a daily routine of feeds and naps. Daddy and I have figured out a workable system so we both get enough sleep. And you have continued to develop such an amazing personality.

There are so many little quirks that Daddy and I just adore about you.

• You fall asleep with a chooch in your mouth, but as soon as you're done with it, you spit it out and shape your lips into the most adorable little squiggle and smack them together. My gummy girl is practicing for when you're turns 80 years old.


• When you roll in your crib, and get "stuck" in a corner, you'll call for us to come and "save" you. I just love how when you hear our voice, or our footsteps getting near, you'll stop, as if to say "okay, you heard me".


• Daddy's favourite is your kicking legs and feet to show your excitement. That's usually followed by a squeal of delight, and our hearts pore out of our fingers and toes.


• The way you toss and turn your head to find a comfortable spot as you go to sleep for the night in your crib. But you do it so quickly, not even giving yourself enough time to see if that's The Spot.
  

• How Sophie the Giraffe and the bars in your crib are your bestest friends in the world.

• When you finally fall asleep in our arms for a nap, and we are courageous enough to put you down in your playpen, you'll all of a sudden open your eyes, flap your arms, give us a huge gummy smile, as if to say "HA!!! Gotcha!"
  
• How you only like to see either mom or dads face when we greet you in your car seat in the truck (if anyone says hello before us, you get PISSED!)

• You like to put your feet up, whether on a table when you're sitting in my lap, or on the toy bar on your bouncy chair.

It has only been four months. FOUR MONTHS! Daddy and I talked about this just yesterday. Four months ago, you were shell shocked (and so were we). A diaper was a foreign object. A onesie was torture. So many faces, and blurry objects. And now, you pick up toys in amazement. You recognize peoples faces who love you the most. You go to people when they put their hands out to you (except your mother, but we'll keep working on that), you're doing crunches daily to learn to sit up (you're going to have a six pack in no time). It amazes me each and every day how quickly you are transforming.

The holidays are coming up and we have so much to look forward to. You watched your first Santa Clause Parade (even though you fell asleep as the first float approached, but woke up for Jolly St. Nick) and we just can't wait to introduce you to him for your first picture (maybe you can ask him for the coffee pot that mommy really wants?) I can't wait to pull you around the neighbourhood in a sled, stay up late with you on Christmas Eve (maybe we can make it to 8pm!) and wake up with you on Christmas morning!

With such fun times ahead, we're also so very excited for your upcoming Baptism, and possibly most exciting of all, the birth of your cousin Dallas!

Happy Four Months Birthday baby girl!

Mommy Loves You♥

everything

Dear Solana,

Tonight, as Nana was feeding you your Goodnight Bottle, and I cut your finger nails, I looked at her and said "I love being a mom. I found what my purpose in life is. I don't want to do anything except be with her, and love her, and watch her grow, and love her some more".

You are everything that I need. I have everything, because I have you.

Love Mum.

Dear Solana,

Dear Solana,

It's almost 11pm and yet another day is coming to an end. I feel like so many changes have happened in the last few weeks, for the both of us. For example, I have figured out a system between you and I that allows me to take a shower before 5pm; I've learned how to make lists of things to do (although adding to the list is much easier than striking things off of it); I've firmly spoken to a customer service agent, threatening to take away our phone business, where in the past I would ever so kindly say "please"; and I've come to love tea again, just as I did during those first nights when it's already four a.m and we still haven't slept. Daddy and I have come full circle, and now make an excellent team. We should start a teamwork seminar on how to bath, feed, and put baby to sleep, all while preparing bottles and diaper bag for the next day at the same time.

And you have changed too. So many first still continue to occur that a pace that I still think is unbelievable. You are a rolling over queen, you LOVE to tell stories especially about what you dreamed about the night before, you've discovered how to pull the bone in your rocking chair (you shocked the hell out of everyone at Sunday Dinner, when all of a sudden we hear "de de deee de dum dum dum" as we all look down, and you're smiling as if to say "HA!!!"). But my most favourite is that you very easily transformed into a Chick Monkey on your very first Hallowe'en!


After Daddy and I got you dressed we started our "Monkey Tour". First stop was Grandma and Grandpa Aikens where we discovered your first ever Jack O' Lantern, next was Nona and Mundo's house where you were introduced to the Italian version of Hallowe'en candy (a box of cookies), next was Gino and Tracy's where you discovered that yes it is okay to BBQ in negative temperatures, next was Nana and Nono Dorazio's where you discovered that it is possible to say goodbye at the entrance way and not forced to be shown something interesting, and our final stop was at Uncle Dave and Auntie Leash's where I'm sure you and Baby Dallas had a chance to catch up through real world/utero discussions. You were adorable, and soooo good. It took you quite awhile to fall asleep but worth every photo.

Above all, it's your personality that has developed that makes my heart melt every day. Things I've learned about you:

• You have officially made friends with the crib slates as blocking your legs from going through brings you complete devastation.


• You like holding up your own bottle, although you need some help when it's a bit full.
  
• You sleep differently for mommy and daddy. Mommy rocks you and sings her lullabies, while daddy shushes you to sleep.


• You can't decide if you want to laugh or cry sometimes, and it's hilarious watching you make the decision.
  
• You have different smiles for different reasons. The "GOOD MORNING" smile, "I love you too" smirk are our favourites.


• You love flying through the sky, and have learned to eat mom's nose when I give you Mommy Kisses.


• You appreciate the ring of formula around your mouth after every feeding since you love sticking your hand in it before mom can wipe it off.
  
• You HATE having shirts pulled over your head. You just might miss something in that one millisecond that you can't see!


• You look for mommy when you're around someone that you don't see often.
  
• You Love to burp now, and have learned the art of Secret Poops.





• You love mommy and Solana time, listening to Sarah MacLachlan before we go to bed.

I love you more today than I did yesterday and know I'll love you more tomorrow.

My heart still skips a beat when I see you and Daddy napping together, and I miss you so terribly when you are away from me.

During your sleep overs, I find myself constantly waking to look at the monitor, having to remind myself that you are bringing love to one of your grandparents homes instead. My heart is bigger with you in it, my voice is stronger because it's your voice too.

I love you baby girl. Sona con los angelitos (Dream with the angels).

Love, Mummy