We have a swimmer!

In preparation for our trip to Florida next week, I took Noelle swimming today.  She LOVED it!  The lifeguards mentioned how rare it is to find a baby that loves that water as much as she does. Ellie Bird giggled/screeched the whole time.  It was so much fun.  I am going to start taking her swimming a couple of times a week.  She took such a great nap afterwards too.  I will take plenty of photos next week of her in the pool.  Stay tuned...

PS:  What is up with the darn fire alarm in our building?  It went off AGAIN (while I writing this post).  The dog is flipping out.  He first was on top of Noelle and then jumped on the back of my neck.  Jeepers creepers.  You think they could give us a little warning.  I will need to get the doggie some anxiety pills if this keeps happening.

PSS:  The ladies in the gym's daycare keep telling me how blessed I am and that Noelle is such a good baby.  I know:)

Love,
Noelle's Mommy

Gym - What's that smell? Oh my daughter...

Noelle and I joined a gym to meet new people and be social.  I put her in the daycare (on all the workout equipment you can view the daycare room).  I thought that she would cry when I left.  We are together 24/7 - literally.  Noelle didn't even know I was gone.  She just played on the exersaucer staring at the other kids. The ladies in the daycare mentioned that they do not change dirty diapers.  If she needed a diaper change, they would come and find me.  Well wouldn't cha know...  After 30 minutes they had to come get me because her diaper had an explosion.  And did it smell!  

Love,
Noelle's Mommy

The Big Debate

So we officially moved to NJ!  I am missing the city; however, we have more space for the baby and animals.  My goal is to head to the city at least once a week.  The big question...where will Noelle sleep?  She has her own room now, but she is just so comfortable in ours.  Daddy feels that she is old enough to sleep in her own bedroom (5 1/2 months old).  I really can appreciate his thoughts on this one...however, she likes sleeping in our room.  I can just pop my head up and see her precious little body sleeping (breathing, crying, smiling, did I mention breathing?).  Is it really that big of a deal to have her sleep in our room forever?  I don't think so.  Right now I am winning the debate... I don't know for how long:)

Love, 

Noelle's Mommy

Save the Nipples!

The truth about breastfeeding... When I found out I was preggo, I decided to breastfeed.  I read everything I could about the best techniques.  I even took a class that reviewed these techniques.  I had heard that it might be "uncomfortable" for the first couple of days while mom and baby got into a rhythm. While I was at the hospital, I felt like a failure because Noelle wouldn't latch on correctly.  I thought - okay it hurts because we do not have the proper latch.  We did get into sync after a few days.  All I can say is "SAVE THE NIPPLES!"  Wow - I am pretty sure Noelle chewed my nipples off and I had to regrow them.  Whomever says it doesn't hurt has nipples made of steel.  OMG!  I will tell the truth...  think of it this way, you get chapped nipples and then the child latches onto these chapped nipples (starting the healing process all over again).  I had to count to ten every time I had to feed her.  I completely understand why mommies decide to formula feed.  Pain - think of the pain!   I would chose childbirth over the first week of breastfeeding any day.  It took a good couple of weeks for open wounds to heal.  Now I feel like Gumby.

Love,
Noelle's Mommy

Brown floaties in the bathtub...

It was bound to happen one day!  Noelle and I were taking a bath tonight.  She kept tooting.  I thought the little bubbles were cute (must of been the carrots).  Then I noticed little brown things floating on top of the water.  I did what any mom would do... called my hubby to scoop them out!  What a nice guy!!

Love,
Noelle's Mommy

Jersey Girls

Life has definitely changed!   As I was on the phone with the pediatrician the other day discussing Noelle's poo (or lack there of), I thought of my old city life.  My clubbing nights have now turned into praying Noelle poops - checking out the color of it when she does.  I am not complaining.  I feel blessed every minute of every day that Noelle entered our lives.  However, sometimes a mama has got to go out!  This weekend we are going to a engagement party (yeah Kelly and Marcus).  We hired our first babysitter.  We will see how long I stay out!

Next week, we are moving out of NYC (it's been a good six year run) and moving to Hoboken, NJ.  Yep - we will officially be Jersey girls.  I don't know if I am more of a Snookie or J-Woww.   Any who...  We are moving into a two bedroom apartment that is so much bigger than our current one bedroom.  The apartment complex also has two dog runs.  Oscar will be so excited.  I thought that if I could train my dog to go "outside," it would be good practice when it's Noelle's turn.

Noelle's milestones:

-She started real food this week!  Sweet potatoes (she loves my cooking).

-She screeches all the time - adds to the conversation.

-She reaches for her toys.

-She laughs all the time - mostly at Oscar the dog and Kosmo the kitty.

Love, 

Noelle's Mommy

Solid Food = Solid Poop!

Wow - I had to light two candles this afternoon after I changed Noelle's diaper!  I thought her "milk" only diapers smelled ripe!!  I am very proud to say we moved into the next milestone - solid foods.  We started giving her rice cereal last week.  I didn't know how she would react to the cereal.  Would she like it?  Would she eat it?  To my surprise she liked the taste, just didn't know how to eat with a spoon.  Noelle kept trying to suck on the spoon like a bottle.  It was so cute.  It only took her two days to figure it out.  She now opens up her mouth and grunts when she is ready for another bite.

Next week...VEGGIES!  The pediatrician recommended bad tasting vegetables first, so she will eat the veggies plus yummy fruits.  Hmmmmm...what ones to start with?  Also - stay tuned... I will be making my own baby food.  Baeba - check, recipes - check.  So excited!  I love being a mommy!

Love,
Noelle's Mommy