Grandpa!

At the land to see Grandapa and have dinner!! I love these two ;)

Tchau,
Sara

Sick Baby :(

While I did get a full nights sleep last night I know that my luck is catching up with me! Belle does for sure have a little bit of a cold and running a little fever. Fingers crossed that she starts to feel better soon. I read a statistic that infants get around seven colds before they turn one and each cold lasts seven to ten days. Blah! Tchau, Sara

Sleeping in Tulsa

This is me the past two nights.

The past few days have been great for me and Belle! Turns out that my outlook on life directly relates to how much sleep I am getting or not getting. I feel great with 9 hours of sleep in me for two nights in a row... I am actually contemplating having another child :) 

Belle has even been sleeping in until 7am!! I cannot believe it! I would have been happy with her sleeping in until 6am so I am really excited and I hope it lasts. Of course now because I mentioned the two day spurt of rest I will pay for it tonight I just know it.

I am not really sure if the allergy medicine is kicking in or it's the air purifier we put in her room but whatever is causing her to get the rest she needs I will keep doing forever!

Her allergies/cold still seem to bother her and her nose turned into a snot faucet the other day causing her frustration while eating. At least her outlook on life seems to be pretty happy so it makes me happy.

Well off to do some cartwheels around the living room while she naps. Oh I am so not getting any sleep tonight!

Tchau,

Sara

Popular Baby Names

When Nate and I were deciding on Belle's name we both wanted something that would translate well between Portuguese and English and nothing too crazy. Although Isabelle is very popular because of all the Twilight movies and the movement of classic names making a comeback we both agreed and loved it. So there you have it- despite popularity we decided on a name we loved and would stand the test of time. Besides we really didn't want to name her Apple or Orange....

Once we named her it was very clear that the name fit her well and I have zero regrets. I did however wonder if she would be one of 5 Isabelles or Isabellas in her class in elementary class. In Brasil the name is considered beautiful and not very many people name their little girls this name. The popular girl name in Brazil for the moment is Beatrice (based on what I hear around the play grounds).

This morning I came across an NPR article that makes me feel so much better about Belle being an individual instead of 'just another Isabelle'. 


Check out some of the article:

But, as demonstrated by the Social Security Administration's latest annual list of the most popular monikers, the percentage of newborns given the trendiest names is much smaller than it was a generation ago.

At the height of the baby boom, nearly 25 percent of all boys and girls had the 10 most popular names. Now, only about 8 percent of all children are given one of the 10 most popular names.

So, there likely will never be as many Isabellas and Wyatts running around as there were Marys and Jims.

So there you have it. Just because the name is popular doesn't mean that the entire population is following the trends.... just a small percentage!

Even if all her friends have the same name I know that she will stand out and I cannot wait to meet the girl/women she will become!

Tchau,
Sara

Speed Demon

Although this video was taken about three weeks ago it still makes me smile. Belle in a walker outside in my parents driveway holding a silver spoon wearing her pajamas and blue bandanna! She was loving hiking up the driveway and then running down it... needless to say she burned a few holes in her socks and even skinned up her big toes. That's what being a kid is all about though!




Tchau,
Sara

Mother's Prayer

Tina Fey wrote the poem below to her daughter and I thought it would capture the gratitude I feel toward my own mother. Also because I am a new mom coming up with something witty on my own time would just take too much time.... Oh yea- Belle decide to pick up a cold for mothers day and she had a poopy blowout all over her Nana Harris. 

Enjoy :)

 “First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

 May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty. When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

 Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

 Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

 May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers. Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen.

Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

 O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

 And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

 And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back. “My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes. Amen.”

 -Tina Fey Happy Mothers Day to all and I love you Mom!

 Tchau, Sara

9 months

Yep. 9 months already and moving quickly to 12 months. So many changes have happened in the past month. She just seems with it mentally these days and not to mention completely mobile!

Sweet face

Eating little puffs so she will sit still....bribery has already begun.

Whacha doin?

Playing. She loves to open and close things right now. 

Whacha doin again?

Hahaha. Momma your funny with that funny little flashy thing.

I am bored with you so I shall play with my ball.

I lost the ball under the couch but I must reach it.

Don't you dare think about tying me to this chair anymore.
I am a mobile person and I will eat on the run.

Looking at her daddy. She gives the photo kisses and
 it's so cute and sad at the same time.

Yep. The stair climbing has begun and she is a master.
You really have to watch out.

Her favorite past time of tormenting the dogs.

She definitely is keeping me sooo busy and I am beginning to love the crazy chaos. Don't get me wrong it's tough but now that she is mobile and I can play with her it makes the day go by so much faster. She started saying mamammama and dadaadada along with her usual ba's and I keep hoping for the day that she says mama and means it. I know that will probably be awhile. 

The past few days she points and says Ba. As to what Ba means I have no idea. I am still trying to teach her a little sign language but just a few words: Water, more, all done, ball, and inadvertently bye bye. She is still to young to sign back but she is watching.... always watching.

I am pretty sure that she has figured out what NO means but whether she listens depends on her mood. her little temper is unpredictable and she knows what she wants and how to get it. 

We went to the doctor and all is good with her. Her height is in the 97% percentile at 30 inches and her weight is in the 75% percentile at 20 lbs and 8 oz. 

Her little allergies are kicking her rear so the doctor added Nasonex 1 spray in each nostril a day to her already 1/2 tsp of Zyrtec a day. The nasal congestion has gone down and she can eat and breathe so much easier. Poor baby has her daddies allergies :( Let's hope she gets his eye sight too so we save some money later on!

She is sleeping through the night now. On good days it's 8pm to 6am and on bad days it's 8pm to 445am... at least she is taking 2 naps a day at 9 am and 2pm for about an hour and sometimes a little longer.

She loves little kids still and wants to run and play but can't which adds to her frustration. I bet in a month she will be running along side them at the park. Until know I am going to hug her as much as she will let me before it stops.

Tchau,

Sara

Teething Necklace

I have heard it before but now I am living it. Most parents that have made it through the first year of of their children's lives said that they blamed everything on teething. I am no different!

After a particularly long night of not being able to console Belle I broke down and spent some money on a Baltic Amber Teething Necklace. Supposedly the amber resin releases analgesic oils into the skin when the body's natural heat warms up the necklace. I WILL TRY ANYTHING. 

So far I haven't noticed any change in her mood. Although she now that I have purchased the necklace she has been sleeping through the night and life is great. (The sleeping through the night probably has to do with me and my mom putting her on a strict time related sleeping routine- Bedtime at 730-8 and Naps at 9am and 2pm)

From the pictures below you can tell how happy a baby she really is and how blessed I am! Oh and once again she is naked. Diaper rash is still lingering so I take every opportunity to air her little butt out :)

So happy!

The little red bump on her arm is the TB shot.... it's still red raised
 and who knows what is going on!

Look no hands!

Look at all those teeth! 4 on top and 3 on bottom.

I want the camera!

I double dog dare you to stick your finger in my mouth...

Today her pedi in the US is going to give her a wellness check and make sure she is hitting all her milestones and that the war infection cleared up. Nate made it safely back to Brasil without getting stopped by customs. He told me that the lady in front of him had 5 bags all to herself so she got checked and he walked right on through! Yea!! We have stuff now!

Tchau,

Sara

Baby Food

Living in the US is so easy right now on feeding Belle. I feel like I am cheating! I found these great little grab and go bags of purees that are completely organic and zero preservatives! She loves them and can feed herself which makes life for me even easier.... Ahhhhh I am going to stay forever! Just kidding, but really when we actually do move back home I give you all permission to smack me if I ever complain about how rough life is :)

Nate left to go back to Brazil today. It was a little earlier than planned but he once again had some meetings he needed to be at. This means I will be extending my trip so he can come back to the US for the rest of his vacation and help me fly back with her (I cried again telling the story last weekend). For his trip home I made sure his bags were packed to the brim full of toys for Belle, taco seasonings, spice mixtures, deodorant, and tons of their random stuff like refrigerator magnets. I wish him luck going through customs.

Tchau,
Sara

Missing her!

I have been traveling all week so I keep looking at all the photos I have of her on my phone.... Here are some playing in my suitcase. Looooove her.

Tchau,
Sara