Little Mermaid

Today we had Eva's first swimming lesson! I know, it sounds crazy...swimming lessons for a 7 month old, but we really wanted to do it to make sure she gets used to the water early. She loves bath time but being in a big pool is much different. Plus this was something we could both do together with her and after a long winter, we were looking forward to pretending it was summer by getting in a pool.

 She loved the pool! We were a bit worried as it wasn't as warm as bathwater, but once she was in and moving around, she was having a blast! She was smiling, screaming, splashing and kicking the whole time. The lesson was about 45 minutes and it was about getting her used to the water and trusting us. We had her float on her belly and back, with our support of course, and then we'd raise her in the air and put her back in the water, up and down, and this was definitely her favorite part. The instructor taught us how to get a baby to go underwater (blow on their face and they automatically hold their breath and close their eyes and mouth) so J gave it a try and she looked a bit shocked but not phased by it.

 We just might have a little mermaid on our hands....

Homesick

This week was my first trip away from Eva. I've been away from her for a night here and there, but never more than for one night and never out of state.
I was in Boston for work from Monday afternoon until Thursday afternoon. Three LONG nights. And let me mention I had to fly out on my birthday. And if you didn't already guess, I really like my birthday, so spending it alone at an airport, on a plane and in another state away from my husband and baby was not cool. However, I did get to have a birthday lobster dinner in Boston so that definitely helped.
Tuesday and Tuesday night went by pretty fast; I was really busy with meetings so I didn't miss her as much as I thought I would. And then came Wednesday night. I would've done anything to have gotten home to her. J and I Skyped so I could see her, but not sure if it made it worse to see that chubby little face. As soon as she saw and heard me on J's phone, she got a huge smile on her face, as did I, but she got pretty confused so we didn't chat for long. I didn't want her to get upset knowing it was close to her bedtime. So I had another glass of wine to ensure I'd sleep good. I needed Thursday to get here!
My flight on Thursday was at 2:28pm (Eastern) and I was standing at the gate, ready to board for over a half hour because the flight coming in was a bit late. Thankfully the flight went by fast and we weren't delayed at all coming back because I was determined to make it home before Miss Eva went to bed. I HAD to see her little face! We landed at 4:30pm and I was in my car by 5pm. Let's just say I pretty much ran from the gate to my car.

After sitting in 45 minutes of rush hour traffic, I pulled into the drive and got into the house as fast as I could..and there waiting for me was the biggest smile ever. Man oh man did I miss her! After tackling her and smothering her with kisses for about 10 minutes, I finally turned to J and said "Oh Hi!" Poor guy, I pretty much pushed him out of the way to get my hands on Eva.

Momma and baby reunion pic! (sorry for the bad quality..bad lighting)

I gave her a bath and rocked her to sleep and I myself slept better than I had all week. Funny how you think you'll sleep really good when you're away from home and don't have to get up in the middle of the night, but it's really not the case. I apparently sleep better at home when I get up once or twice for feedings (sshh! don't tell Eva that!)
I also got up a half hour early on Friday morning, sneaked into her nursery and scooped her up and rocked her while she slept for about twenty minutes. I had to soak her up to make up for lost time! Momma was homesick!

Lucky Charm

When I was a child, my mother used to tell me that I was left by the leprechauns for her. You see, my birthday is the day after St. Patrick's Day. She said I would get sad and upset and ask her why they would leave me and didn't want me?? Of course she was trying to be sweet; I was her lucky charm! And now I have one!

I celebrate my birthday all month long (something I'll have to teach Eva), and I especially like to celebrate on St. Patrick's Day. This year J and I decided to go out and Eva could have her first overnight at Oma and Papa's (my parents). Not sure who was more excited...but pretty sure it was Oma and Papa. We had a blast with friends and as much as we tried to sleep in knowing we could, we were up right at 6am...eager to see our little leprechaun!

Thanks Mom and Dad for letting us have a night out! As you can see by the picture, we had a great time!

Seven Months: We Be Rockin'

Eva is growing like crazy! She is well into her 9 month clothes and the pants already seem short; she's going to have long legs like her momma I think. I feel like this last month has been one of her biggest months in milestones. Every few days we notice she's doing something new, discovering something else and surprising us by her development. She has started clapping her hands, is able to put her grab her pacifier and put it in her mouth by herself (huge win!) and can completely sit on her own with no support. Her smile and giggle are infectious. We just cannot get enough.

We are getting closer and closer to crawling...and not sure if this is a good thing or not yet. She gets on her belly, then pulls her knees under her and rocks....and rocks...and rocks. But then she's stuck.

We have no doubt what is coming next....cats beware!