It's A Boy!

No, not for us! Our little girl is more than enough for us right now. But my baby sister is due in September and they just found out yesterday that they're expecting a little BOY! I am so ecstatic for them! I love my little girl, but I think a little boy would be so fun too, in such a different way! I can't wait to meet my nephew and spoil him rotten!

If you read my post yesterday, you know that my sister and her husband were here for Easter because they are Audrey's Godparents. My sister's little 20 week baby belly was so cute that I couldn't resist taking some photos of her!

Easter

We had a very special Easter Sunday this year - Audrey was baptized! It was a perfect, beautiful day and I'll just let the photos speak for themselves.

 The cake I made for my sweet girl.

 Homemade blueberry muffins & lemon cupcakes.

 Sour cream coffee cake.

 Adorable Easter basket cupcake wrappers.

 Baby girl and Auntie getting ready to go to church.

 Being baptized!

"The water went right in my eyes and I didn't even cry!"

 My sister and brother-in-law are Audrey's Godparents.

 Audrey is the 3rd generation to wear this Christening gown!

My mother and her siblings wore it.

It was worn by my sister and I, along with our cousins.

It was worn my my cousin's daughter, and now Audrey!

 My sister and brother-in-law bought her a beautiful gold bracelet and my parents bought her a cross necklace. She looked so precious!

 Me and my perfect baby girl!

Smiling at Daddy in her polka dot Easter dress!

A new chapter

Today, a new chapter starts for our family. My husband started his first day at his new job this morning. This job is a tremendous opportunity for him to further his career. In his starting this new job, I have started my new job as a stay-at-home mom. With the location of his new job, we are starting a new life near our families. All wonderful things.

There are many other changes for us starting today too. We woke up this morning giving ourselves a clean slate. Allowing ourselves a fresh start. Its hard to do - leaving the past in the past and moving forward, believing in ourselves and believing that we deserve a fresh start. And we do deserve it. At any point in time, if we are unhappy with the direction our life is going, we have the ability to change course. It takes courage and faith, but we are the creators of our own happiness.

And so we've changed course. We're looking forward instead of back. And there are so many good things ahead for us.

Audrey - 3 Months

Audrey,

You turned 3 months old on Monday and I'm just getting around to writing your letter now. It has been one crazy month for all of us, and I'm amazed at how well you have transitioned!

At the beginning of the month, Mommy went back to work and it was definitely harder on me than you. You stayed home with Daddy and took the bottle like the perfect little angel that you are. I still nursed you at night and in the  morning before work, and we never had any problems going back and forth between bottle and nipple. Mommy wasn't fond of pumping at work, but I'd do anything for my sweet baby girl.

Speaking of nursing, this month you started putting your hand behind your head with your little elbow sticking out like you are maxin' and relaxin' while you're nursing. Mommy thinks its the cutest thing on God's green earth! And Mommy's milk is definitely doing your body good because all your 0-3 month clothes are getting too small. 6 month clothes are still a little big, but at least you're not all scrunched up in them!

Not only did you give us the easiest time with nursing and the bottle, but you're now sleeping a 7-8 hour stretch when we put you down to sleep at night. Usually we put you down about 10pm and you'll sleep until 5 or 6am. Mommy will change you and nurse you and you go right back to sleep until around 9am! Mommy is very, very grateful for all the uninterrupted sleep!

All that sleep and milk are making so strong and you can sit up in your Bumbo without any help! You are also starting to like tummy time more and we see a difference every single day.

The faces you make are so stinking cute Mommy and Daddy can't even stand it. We smile at you and laugh with you every single day!

We also survived the whole month with only one car because Grammy and Grampy brought Mommy's car back to their house to get the power steering lines fixed. You and Daddy drove Mommy to work every day, and you loved that Mommy sat in the backseat with you. It was selfish really - Mommy wanted to spend as much time as possible with you seeing that she had to spend all day at work. But it was on our morning drives to work that we discovered you LOVE  Taio Cruz's song Dynamite. You smile like crazy and love when Momma sings it to you.

 

 

While Mommy was at work, you and Daddy were packing up our whole life. The day Mommy went back to work, she gave her notice. Being the nice person that she is, she gave 4 whole work weeks worth of notice. She worked until the 27th and we drove away from our old apartment on the 28th. Crazy, I know! Luckily, Grammy and Grampy helped us take all of our stuff back to their house in a few trips so that on that last day we just had to pack a few things up in the car, clean the apartment and leave.

And now we're at Grammy and Grampy's house for a little while. Daddy starts his new job on Wednesday and Mommy gets to be a stay-at-home mommy! With everything happening so quickly, its nice that Grammy and Grampy are letting us stay with them while we look for just the right place for our little family. Mommy is so excited to be close to our family again, and for the opportunity Daddy has at this new job!

But like I said, you've handled the transition like we didn't change a thing! The last few days while Mommy and Daddy were unpacked and settling in, you slept in your swing or smiled at us happy as a cute little clam! Today you even had a big milestone, but we'll save that for next month's letter since Mommy is so late writing this one!

We love you so much our smiley little peanut!
Love,
Mommy