A Girl Named PJ

levi goes pumpkin picking!

September 20, 2011

Full disclosure: No pumpkins were picked on Saturday at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch. Disappointing, but true. Levi may have been a little too young for that activity, but he wasn’t too young to chill in his stroller while we mingled with friends from JB’s squadron. We chowed down on freshly popped kettle corn, ate some hot dogs and roasted a single s’more. And when the temperature dropped and it started to drizzle, we covered up Levi’s autumn-appropriate plaid shirt with a Mr. Rogers-style cardigan from Baby Gap. He looked so dapper!

While pumpkin picking is fun (when you’re actually picking pumpkins), my favorite fall activity is apple picking. I heard there are orchards out here in Omaha, but we’ve yet to visit any. The best part about apple orchards? Fresh apple doughnuts and hot apple cider!

Will you pick pumpkins or apples this season?

{my iPhone photos}

levi’s monthly baby photo (two months old)

September 16, 2011

Dear Levi,

You are two months old! It has been incredible to witness your transformation from a newborn into a baby. Some of the changes seemed to happen overnight, and once or twice, Daddy and I each thought that you looked bigger in the evening than you did in the morning!

You started wearing size 0-3 clothing early in the month and soon after jumped up to size 1 diapers. Now that you are 9 weeks old, we think it may be time to move to size 2 because you’ve been having diaper blowouts after waking up these past couple of days. So gross! You’ve been exercising other bodily functions this month, too. You introduced into your repertoire projectile-style spitting up, and when you cry, you sometimes have tears in your eyes, which is so sad!

But you’ve also started doing some really, really cute things. I’m pretty sure I got my first real smile from you when you were one month and one day old, and now you smile and coo in response to so many things! You love when we sing to you while moving your arms and legs like you are dancing. You find the lights on your play mat fascinating and seem to enjoy it when we watch your Classical Baby DVD together.

You’re also becoming a real ham for the camera and seem to be aware of when we’re taking your picture! We took lots of photos this month because we did so many things, including taking you on your first road trip to the Iowa State Fair and on your first plane ride to the East Coast. You probably won’t remember your sightseeing adventure in Philadelphia, but we have pictures of you next to the Liberty Bell to prove it!

And I’m very happy that you are beginning to sleep in longer chunks through the night. (Your daddy, on the other hand, can sleep straight through the night even when you’re making noise in the bassinet next to our bed.) You have just started to go about 6 hours between feedings in the middle of the night, but that is usually followed by only a 2.5 hour chunk. We need to work on that because Mommy is not a morning person!

In the meantime, keep on growing, learning and smiling. I love you!

xoxo

**************

I’ll be photographing Levi on the 12th of every month to document his growth this first year. He’ll be wearing a numbered white onesie corresponding to his age in months, sitting in a chair next to his blabla doll for continuity.

Of course, indecisive me can’t decide which of these three should be his “official” two-month-old portrait. He looks slightly different (older?) in each one! I think the top shot most closely resembles last month’s photo, but I like how you can more clearly see the “2” in the middle photo. Then there’s the bottom picture with his teensy grin that just melts my heart.

So I look to you again for guidance. Which photo is this month’s keeper?

up all night

September 15, 2011

Did you catch the series premiere of NBC’s new Wednesday night comedy, “Up All Night?” It’s waiting to be watched on my DVR. After a day of feeling under the weather, I had too many things to catch up on last night to sit and relax in front of the TV. But let’s be honest here–with a 2-month-old, there’s not much relaxing going on in my home in general!

My friends and I have high hopes for the new Christina Applegate and Will Arnett show about modern parenthood. One of my girlfriends even said she’d like it to become the next “Modern Family.” Those of us with babies have found the previews to be hilariously relatable. What about you?

{image via nbc}

nine weeks

September 13, 2011

Levi is nine weeks old today! There’s no denying that he’s officially outgrown the newborn stage. Look at the little rolls of chub starting to develop on his arms and legs. Aren’t they delish?

The bandages on his sweet lil’ thighs are from the vaccinations he received at his 2-month exam this morning. He was such a trooper…until it was time for the shots. I’ve never heard that particular type of shriek from him before. He even screeched when he was given the rotavirus vaccination by mouth. The nurse said Levi was the first baby to not like the sugary sweet drink. *Sigh*

Oh! And it turns out our bathroom scale did give us an accurate measurement of his weight last week – he is officially 12lbs!

Also, I took his monthly portrait yesterday, September 12th, but haven’t had time to edit it yet. It’ll be up this week, though. I have to say, it’s absolutely insane how much bigger he looks in it compared to his one month picture. Just wait til you see it!

View past weeks here:

8 weeks
7 weeks
6 weeks
4 weeks

{blabla doll from Layla Grayce}

eight weeks

September 6, 2011

Yesterday was Levi’s eight week birthday! He recently outgrew the mesh sling that came with his bath tub, and we noticed last night how much better he’s gotten at holding up his head while sitting in the infant seat. He still has a bit of work to do before he’s ready for a Bumbo, though!

We also noticed that some of Levi’s footie pajamas are getting to be too short on him. However, his 0-3 month-sized clothing comes in all different widths and lengths, which is equally frustrating and beneficial! We attempted to weigh him on our bathroom scale last night (JB weighed himself with and without Levi in his arms), and our non-calibrated digital scale indicated he currently weighs 12lbs. We’ll see how that compares to the doctor’s scale at Levi’s two month appointment next week.

I’ll be taking monthly photos of Levi (see one month here) and am still debating whether to also continue taking weekly shots. What do you think?

7 weeks
6 weeks
4 weeks