Happy 4th Month, Maya!

Well, Little Miss Maya is 4 months old now! It's hardly believable! She has become quite animated this month. When she fusses, she purses her lips together and makes a long "mmmmmmmmm" sound. She often "fake fusses", too. She'll be in one of her sour-puss face "mmmmmmm" modes and just by mocking her or talking to her, she'll stop and smile, as if to say, "Just kidding... I'm fine!". She also started crossing her ankles when she sits. She looks like she's so relaxed! It's really adorable! She's started scooting around in her bed a little, too. Sometimes I'll go in her room to get her, and she'll be laying sideways in the crib. We think she may be getting teeth sometime soon. She is constantly drooling and chewing on her hands or anything else she can get in her mouth. I bought a million plastic backed bibs, so she wouldn't be soaking her shirts all the time. I bet we change her bib 3-4 times a day! She's a drooling machine! One little melt-my-heart move she does now is explore my face with her little hand while I nurse her or while she's falling asleep. Her little fingers just travel all over my mouth, nose, and eyes, very gently just feeling my features. I love it!

She's becoming quite the monkey. She LOVES to hang upside down! If she's laying on our laps or being held, she'll just throw herself backward, arching her back. Apparently it's quite thrilling to observe the world from a different angle because when we try to bring her back upright, she resists with all her might! She's a strong little bugger! She'll hang herself upside down until her little face becomes good and red, then it's time to come up! She does this several times a day. Will made the comment that we can no longer hold her with just one arm... it's far too dangerous!

She's been practicing rolling from front to back, and she's very good at it now. It's funny to see because she arches her back (for you yogi's... it looks like a very intense cobra pose), then she tips to one side and falls over onto her back, with her head leading the way. It seems as though it would hurt her little noggin', but I guess she's hard-headed like her mom because it doesn't ever phase her! Soon, she'll be rolling back to front. She has very strong abdominal muscles, so I don't think it will take her long to figure it out. One night, I was giving her a bath. I turned away for 1/2 a second to straighten her towel, and when I turned back around, to my surprise, there she was, sitting half way up in the bathtub!! I couldn't believe she had pulled herself up like that! That was the end of laying her towel on the floor. Now, I tuck it under my chin, so I never have to turn away for anything! I can't trust that she'll even stay laying down!!

We did a lot of traveling this month. She took her first trip to Iowa, where she met tons of family for the first time. I'm pretty sure she won everyone over with her infectious smile! We also traveled to Detroit and St. Charles for a weekend with our best friends, the Collier's. We had a blast with them, and Erin (their oldest) got Maya to laugh again! She would cover up with her blanket, then pull it off of her head and scream. Maya thought it was hysterical! She laughed and laughed! I told Mary, Erin's mom, that I may need to borrow Erin, so we can hear Maya laugh more often! She really loved watching Erin and Ashley play. I don't know how babies her age can tell the difference between adults and kids, but she clearly prefers to watch kids! Maybe it's because children are so much more animated and energetic than adults. They are more entertaining! It amazes me that she definitely can tell the difference and shows preference at such a young age.

Our bedtime routine went pretty well for awhile. I would give her a bath, then we would go upstairs to put on her jammies, then rock while we said prayers and sang. After she fell asleep, I would put her in her crib usually by 9p, dream feed her around 11p-12a, then she wouldn't get up until 5-6a. Well, with all the traveling and being away from home, we got away from the routine. Now, she's waking up at 3a and again at 5-6a, so I just keep getting up, feeding her, and putting her back to bed. We get up for good around 9-10a. Hopefully next month we can get her sleeping better. It's just difficult when we're always on the go! I guess that since we're always going somewhere, we're just lucky that she travels well. She doesn't cry in her car seat (unless she's hungry), so we're very fortunate in that aspect.

As far as growth goes, slowly but surely, she's getting bigger. I weighed her after our first infant massage class at the end of this month, and I was shocked to find that she weighed 10 lbs. 1 oz., just about 2.5 pounds more than she weighed at birth! For a couple of days, I really worried. I couldn't believe she hadn't gained a full pound since her 2 month check up. However, the more I thought about it, the less I worried. She's hitting all of her developmental milestones, both physically and socially, so I decided there wasn't a reason to worry. She has her 4 month check up in a week, so we'll see what the doctor says! She is still wearing her 0-3 month clothes. By the way, thanks to everyone who said that she would outgrow her 0-3 month clothes quickly. We wanted to prepare for that, so we bought all kinds of summery 3-6 month clothes that will never be worn! Now, we've been buying warm 0-3 month stuff because the nights are chilly, and she has nothing to wear! I guess it's just another reason to go shopping!

She continues to bring us enormous amounts of joy every day of our lives!

Maya and the Kangaroo Pouch!

In anticipation of our trip to Seattle, including 4 airplane rides, I wanted to find a comfortable way for Maya to travel. I had been using the Baby Bjorn front carrier or stroller to take her on walks or to the mall. The BB seemed to make her tip out away from me, and it was really difficult for her to fall asleep in it. The stroller worked pretty well, but if I needed to nurse her, I couldn't hold her and push the stroller at the same time. Plus, she's such a social bee, I wanted her to be closer to eye level with everyone in her world! Often in the stroller, she seemed to be overlooked, and truth be told, that bothered me a bit. I knew that going to Seattle, she would need comfort, and I would need convenience. Enter the HotSling.

Maya and I spent 2 days and several hours at Baby Beloved, a wonderful breastfeeding store, trying on different slings and wraps to find the perfect fit. We finally picked the HotSling for its ease of use, versatility, and Maya's comfort! She fits in it snug as a bug in a rug! Then for the test drive... we went to the mall and walked for a few hours. It was fabulous! Several different people approached us and started talking directly to Maya! They would talk and talk to her, then several seconds later, say hi or ask me a question about her. I loved the attention she was getting, and she was clearly pleased with it, too. She was all smiles to everyone we came in contact with... melting hearts across the mall with a single grin! I was amazed how much more included she was in just regular daily transactions. I loved it. She loved it. We found the perfect sling! Now, I will just have to go on lots of walks with her before the trip to get her used to being in it for extended periods of time. Also, I'll need to practice positioning her for naps and work on conditioning my body for longer periods of wearing. With frequent use, those things should come with ease!

She did take one nap in the sling while we were in the mall. I just tipped her back farther into the sling, pulled the outside fabric (or rail for those of you in the know) up, and she settled right in and took a snooze! She seemed pretty comfy-cozy! I think the HotSling was definitely a good investment. Now, if I can convince Will to let me get just one more pattern...

(Thank you to Jill, the master of baby slings and wraps, for teaching me a lot about baby wearing!)

Weekend at the Collier's

This weekend, Maya and I travelled over to Pontiac to see our friends Eric, Mary, Erin (age 3), and Ashley (age 2). Will was working the entire weekend, so I thought instead of staying home by ourselves, it would be a good opportunity to spend some time with some really great friends. We arrived on Friday night, shortly before the girls went to bed. Mary and I stayed up late into the night chatting about our lives... mainly about our girls! It was so nice to have time to catch up. She's chock-full of great advice and good stories, so I really look forward to spending time talking with her. She's someone that I know I'll be best friends with for the rest of my life, and it is going to be tons of fun to raise our girls together. We're very similar in our personalities, beliefs, and parenting styles (well, as far as I can tell... my "parenting" has been very short-lived). The love she has for her family just radiates off of her, and she visibly lights up when she watches, cuddles, and plays with her girls. Those two have a wonderful mother, and it's very clear that they know that. They just adore her (and so do we!!). She has treated Maya like she is her own since she was born, and she has seen Maya every month since she was born. It's really cool, and I hope that we can continue to see each other so much. I really want our girls to grow up being the best of friends. After this visit, I think they are well on their way (you'll see what I mean later...).

On Saturday, we got up and headed to Mary's mom and dad's house in St. Charles for a "Scarecrow Tea Party". Everyone was supposed to dress up as a scarecrow and arrive at 12pm for the festivities. When we arrived, Grandma and Grandpa Adams had wagons waiting out front for the children to ride in. There were 7 kids total, our 3 plus 4 cousins of Erin and Ashley. After a driveway song and dance, the kids rode in the wagons two by two, and I carried Maya. As we walked around the house, the kids were to spot scarecrows along the way that were hanging from clotheslines, propped up on trees, and stuck in the ground. Around back, there was a line of pumpkins that lead us to the tea party. Gma and Gpa Adams had decorated their 4 seasons room with tons of scarecrows and leaves. They even had bales of hay to sit on and for the kids to use as tables. They were arranged in a triangle, and each set of kids shared one hay bale to eat on. They feasted on snacks such as apple slices, grapes, cucumbers with cream cheese, and special scarecrows made out of several different foods. After snacks, we went outside, and the kids stuffed a scarecrow. By this time, all the "dancing and eating" had wore Maya out, and she fell asleep laying in the grass (see above picture and note the scarecrow stuffing going on the background). After a quick nap, Maya woke up just in time to decorate a pumpkin (with a little help from her Mommy). The pumpkins were Styrofoam, and there were a bunch of different Mr. Potatohead-like face pieces to stick into the pumpkins. Maya ended up with a silly-looking neon green monster face. Erin's pumpkin looked like a pig, and Ashley's was a silly purple, black, and red monster face. They were all very cute. After the pumpkin decorating, the kids lined up and walked around to different adults, where they got a different party favor at each one by saying "scarecrow tea party". The party ended with running and jumping on the bales of hay and tossing hay high into the sky. The kids had a really great time. Gma and Gpa Adams sure do put on a great tea party!!! I personally couldn't get over how warm and welcoming they were to Maya and I. I think I have only been around them one other time for Will and Eric's med school graduation. Plus, it was last minute notification that we would be there, and they made sure that Maya was included on everything. She got her own invitation, name on a place-sitting card, pumpkin, and party-favors. Gma Adams even held her while I ate my scarecrow snacks. We had such a great time. They made us feel like we were just as much family as everybody else there. When we left, they gave us goodbye hugs and kisses, not once, but twice! I just love everyone in the Collier's and Adams' families. I always feel like I am amongst family when I am with them. That is definitely something special. Thanks for EVERYTHING, Gma and Gpa Adams!!!!

The girls all slept on the way home, as they were all worn out. That evening, we ordered pizza, then went on a walk after dinner. We went to bed a little earlier that night. On Sunday, we all went to a cider mill and ate fresh delicious donuts and apple cider. It was a beautiful morning. After the cider mill, we drove to Flint to party at one of Eric's friend's houses. The boys watched football while the girls watched "The Little Mermaid" (one of my all-time favorite Disney movies, by the way). We ate more yummy food, sat around and chatted, and watched the girls play. We left for home in the evening, and all three girls were a little worn out and starting to get a little cranky. Once we got home, we all played for a while. Around 8pm, we put the girls in their jammies, and Maya and I got ready to head back to Grand Rapids. We gave and got hugs and kisses to and from the girls, then Mary helped us out to the car. We said our goodbyes, then Maya and I hit the road. We got about 30 minutes into our drive when Mary called to see how we were doing and where we were. Maya had fallen asleep before we got out of their neighborhood (or quite possibly, their driveway), so we were doing great! Mary said that after we left, she went into Erin's room to talk to the girls. When Erin found out that we had left, she started crying and sobbed, "I'm never going to see Baby Maya (that's what they call her) again... I want her to stay here... I love her so much!". I guess she went on and on, until Ashley started crying, too. They both were going to miss Baby Maya terribly, and I think they wanted her to stay with them forever! It was so cute. It's amazing that at 2 and 3 years old, they became so attached to Maya, even though, she was unable to really play with them. She did give them lots of smiles, whether they were playing with her or not. She loved watching those girls! Sunday night, shortly before we left, Erin got Maya to break her laugh strike. She would put a blanket over her head, pull it off, and yell out. Maya thought she was hysterical! She was laughing the laughing. I couldn't believe it. I had done that a hundred times without anything more than a smile! I guess she thought Erin was much more funny than me! I have a feeling that these girls are going to grow up being the best of friends. I'm so glad.

Maya's First Trip to Iowa!

We took Maya to Iowa last week for the first time. We stayed at my mom's house in our own room with a crib! It was so nice! Thanks, Mom! Maya felt right at home! It was a busy week, but we had 9 days to get everything done. We had a shower for my cousin and his new baby, a bridal shower for Will's sisters, wedding rehearsal, their wedding and reception, and my aunt had a baby while we were there! I'll cover all the topics and include pictures as I go along!

My cousin Brian and his wife and baby, Sarah and Aidan, were back from AZ, and we had a baby shower for them the day after we arrived. Aidan is 6 weeks older than Maya, and as you can see from the picture, he's much bigger than her! They didn't quite know what to think of each other, so they just spent a lot of time staring. Once, when Maya got close enough to Aidan, he lunged forward and tried to steal her bib right off her skinny little neck! When he couldn't get it loose, he settled for chewing on it while it was still attached to her. It was really funny!

Maya got to meet several members of her new family, including her Grandma Peg! When Peg first laid eyes on her, Maya didn't waste any time charming her with her big gummy smile! She also met her Great Grandma Eula, Great-Great Aunt Sharon, and several other aunts, uncles, and cousins. She loves meeting new people, and boy, did she get her fill of it over the course of the week! Everyone was so happy to finally see her!

Sara and Tara had their bridal shower on the Sunday before their weddings. They got a ton of great stuff, and it seemed that everyone had a nice time. We played a few games and had some awesome cake! The girls got a lot of stuff they registered for and some things they didn't register for, and they will definitely be able to use everything! Maya was passed around quite a bit. Lots of ladies wanted to hold her, which worked out nice for me because that allowed me to help Sara and Tara with the gift opening. Thanks, everyone!

Will took Sara and Jeff, Tara and Jason out to take some pictures for the Gazette. They had a few to choose from for the paper. They turned out really well.

On Monday, Mom, Dee, Maya, and I went to Iowa City to do a little shopping. We were at Sycamore Mall, when we spotted a fish tank. Maya seemed to be enthralled with the eye to eye encounter with the fish. She stared very intently for several minutes. We may have to get her a tank of her own! We also visited Coley's new apartment. It's definitely a coed college kid's place. It was pretty small and messy. I have to give Coley credit, though, his room was spotless! It was the cleanest room in the house by a long shot. It's also the smallest room in the house, but it works for him! It was fun to visit, but it made me thankful that those college days are over!

Thursday night, we had the wedding rehearsal. It went very well. At first there was some confusion about who goes where and when. Nobody had ever been involved in a double wedding before, so it was a lot of brainstorming and trial and error. In the end, we got everything worked out, practiced a couple of times, then went to have dinner together. Dinner was Amish food, the same catering that we had at our own wedding rehearsal. It was delicious! There was one scary incident during the dinner that I was blame... Maya was sleeping in her car seat on the end of a table, right next to Will and I. When she woke up, I picked her up out of the seat. The second her butt was out of the seat, the whole thing flipped over backwards, off the table, and onto the floor. Everyone freaked out because they all thought that Maya was in the car seat. It took everyone a second to realize that I was holding Maya, and that her getting out of the car seat was what actually caused it to tip over! I felt really bad for causing everyone to panic, but we all had a good laugh once everyone knew Maya was safe!

Congratulations to Uncle Ronald and Daniela, and welcome to the world, Stella! She has a deep dimple in her cheek, just like her Daddy's, and it's SO CUTE! She's such a doll! Maya got a chance to "hold" her new baby cousin... aww, how cute. Don't they look like they'll make good partners-in-crime someday? Looks like trouble to me!!

We spent the better part of an afternoon decorating for the reception at the Circle of Pride Rodeo Grounds. It looked really nice. Good job, everyone!

Friday night, us girls got together at Jodie's house to paint our fingernails and make wedding signs. It was lots of fun! The signs turned out great! I volunteered Will for the job of posting them up around town (you're welcome, babe), and he did a fabulous job!

Saturday morning, the girls in the wedding party all met at Special Effects salon. We got our hair and makeup done there, then went on to the church to get dressed. Maya did pretty well for a while at the salon, but she started to get pretty fussy as the time got closer for us to go to the church. I had planned for her to go to the wedding and sit with family, but once she started getting fussy, I knew what she mainly needed was a nap. There was no way that there was going to be a place or chance for her to sleep at the church. I had to resort to Plan B. Mom took her home with her and took care of her until the wedding was over, then she brought her back for some pictures. I was sorry that she missed the wedding, but it really was in the best interest of everyone for her to go home with mom.

It was a little chaotic in the dressing room. Sara, Tara, the flower girl, and the bridesmaids were all getting ready at once with ONE MIRROR! It's hard enough to get ONE bride ready for her big day, let alone TWO brides! The girls were very calm and shared the mirror quite nicely and without incident. As I recall, it was the bridesmaids who were having dress issues. All of our straps kept braking! I was REALLY stressed out about the whole dress situation, mainly because I hate to wear strapless bras. Add breastfeeding into that equation, and I was on the brink of a major meltdown. I just knew the strapless bra that we rigged up into my dress was going to come apart OR I would start leaking during the middle of the ceremony. Either scenario would have been disastrous. Thank God for Verlinda! Armed with nothing more than a travel sewing kit, she restitched all of our dresses, repairing every seam, strap, and bra that threatened to fail. THANK YOU, VERLINDA! Without her, we probably all would have been standing at the alter with our dresses around our ankles! On a positive note, THE BRIDES LOOKED STUNNING!

Will came in to visit his sisters before the ceremony. He had been given the honorable task of walking them down the aisle, and he was so very thrilled. He had been bragging for months that his sisters had asked him to walk them down the aisle. The request came as quite a shock to him. We both thought that their mom would walk them down, not Will. I swear that after they asked him, whenever the wedding subject came up, he smiled ear to ear and made sure to let everyone know that he would be walking his sisters down the aisle in their double wedding ceremony. He was SO PROUD!!

The wedding was beautiful. I cried my eyes out when Will walked the girls down the aisle. I think everyone did. Everything went very smooth. Everyone got through their vows, got the correct rings on, signed their marriage certificates, lit their unity candles, and last, but not least, kissed their brides! It was very cool to hear the couples announced for the first time: Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Wellington and Mr. and Mrs. Jason Hoyle! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

The reception was tons of fun. The food was great, the music was loud, and we danced all night! What more could you ask for?? The one surprise came when I had to give a speech! I had asked the girls if I would have to, and they told me that they were going to be the only ones talking. So, imagine my surprise when the DJ informs me that I have to say something! Since I hadn't prepared, I just winged the whole thing, on the spot, straight from my heart. I got some laughs and tears, so I guess I did okay! They had a special brother-sister dance for Will, which was very cool. They also did the traditional dollar-dance, which I had to bum money off of my dad for. He was thrilled, to say the least! Maya got passed around to almost everyone there, I think, and yet, she slept through the entire thing! Poor baby was exhausted! After all the major reception events, I was finally able to get out of my dress and back into a REAL bra! I felt human again! I couldn't have been happier to put on normal clothes!

One of the highlights of the reception was the "Find Your Bride" game. He blindfolded both grooms, set several different people, including both brides on chairs, and asked Jason and Jeff to identify their brides. The catch was that they could only touch each person between their ankle and their knee. Each groom took a turn "feeling up" the legs of the contestants. Now, imagine having to find your brand new bride, just by feeling her calf. Now, imagine that bride has a twin, who is also seated somewhere in front of you! Good luck, boys!! Turns out that neither one of them could identify their bride OR the twin. They BOTH picked Verlinda!! They were mortified. The rest of us thought it was hysterical! Thanks for the good belly-laugh, guys!

By the time they left the reception, poor Tara had been suffering with a migraine headache for hours. Of all days, why, oh why, did she have to get a migraine on her wedding day?? We all felt so bad for her. She was a trooper, though. With all the flash photography all day and the loud music at the reception, she sure hung in there like a champ. We hoped that a good night's sleep would help her feel better for her first official day as a married woman!

On Sunday, we all met up at Peg's house for lunch and gift opening. Tara was feeling much better, and both couples had enjoyed their night's stay in hotel suites. They were rested and ready to tackle mounds of presents! Both couples got a ton of really nice gifts, and the funny thing about twins getting married... they both received several of the same gifts! Yes, even on their wedding day, people try to keep it even and fair! They weren't complaining, though. They got some awesome stuff!

Welcome to your homes and your life as a married couple!! We wish you all the best in love, health, and happiness for the rest of your lives. Be nice to each other, and try hard to tolerate each other's quirks that you are about to discover! Good luck! Thanks for letting us be part of your special day. We love you all!

Wow. The time here just seemed to fly by! We stayed busy every day, and we had a great time doing it! We were so glad to show Maya off to family and friends, who hadn't met her yet. We did have some down time (though not much) just to hang out with family, and we are thankful for that. Maya is such a good little traveler. It makes trips like this very pleasant! We were so happy to see so much family, and we can't wait to come back next time! Just remember, you're always welcome to come visit us in Michigan!!