Mountains!

This weekend, we decided to take a trip up to my in-laws mountain house.  They built it a couple of years ago in the North Georgia mountains and it is the perfect weekend getaway.  We were supposed to head up on Friday, but Daniel's sister, Rebecca, had her baby...Brooks David Doster that evening!  He was 9lbs 7 oz...a big boy and has the sweetest face you've ever seen.  We were so excited to welcome him and I can't wait to watch him and Lanier grow up together. 

Saturday morning, we woke up and headed to the mountains.  The weather was BEAUTIFUL, at about 70 degrees.  When we drove up to the house, the grandparents and my brother-in-law's family were sitting out on the wrap around porch enjoying the sunshine.  We quickly fed the babies (Lanier and her cousin Chappell) and then headed out for a hike.  The owner of the property around the house had just cut a new trail, so we strapped the babies in their carriers and headed up the mountain.  It was a great day that ended with homemade pizza's and smore's by the fire.  It was so nice to spend time with Lanier's grandparents, Grandmama and D Daddy.  It's also so fun to watch Lanier and Chappell interact.  We feel very lucky to be surrounded by our family in Atlanta, and also that we are able to join them for mini vacations in the mountains.  Here are some pictures from our weekend!

Perfect place for nap time

Finally awake!

Chappell enjoying the view

Snuggling up with Grandmama and Bonnie

 

Above is a video of our hike...sorry it's a little bit shaky.

Sometimes Moms need their Mom

I have to admit, since having Lanier and making the decision to stay home with her, I've been a little bit depressed.  My days seem really long and it is difficult to get anything done with my sweet little lovebug...but really i'm just lonely.  This weekend, my Mom and Katherine came to visit and it was such a great break from my normally monotonous day.  I love it when we get together.  We jumped into their bed the night they arrived and  giggled like girls at a sleepover.  I was disappointed there wasn't enough room for me and I had to go sleep with my husband!  They are both so great when it comes to loving Lanier.  Katherine is always willing to help and loves to snuggle with her.  She drove almost 12 hours in 2 days just to come spend time with her.  What can I even say about my mom...she is so helpful when she comes.  Every morning she would get up during the wee hours of the morning with Lanier so I could get some additional rest.  She would get out the toy box and go through every toy so Lanier could touch and look at them.  She changed every dirty diaper and even babysat one night so Daniel and I could go out for Valentines day.  But the reason I most loved having her here was to be a friend to me.  We walked together everyday, went shopping and out to lunch, and just chatted on the couch with our morning coffee.  When I dropped her off at the airport, I cried the whole way home.  I am so thankful that she is willing to take off work to come see us and that she loves Lanier so much.  Everytime she leaves, I think Lanier goes through a couple of days of Grammy withdrawl as she realizes she will no longer be held every second of the day.  I know I am so lucky to have such a supportive mom and I really did need her this weekend.     I feel more refreshed today than I have in weeks, and I think I can do this awhile longer until she comes again.  Luckily, my sisters are coming to visit in April, and so my countdown begins for the next girls weekend.  We miss you already Grammy and Aunt Kat!

Lanier and Aunt Kat

Naked for bath time!

She loves her big Lovee Monkee! 

Grammy was the only one who could get Lanier to sleep...she had a tummy ache

Grammy and Lanier out to lunch!

Are you sure this hat looks ok?

Fine, give me one more kiss.

Our little teddy bear

You're right, this hat looks fabulous! What was I thinking...

Bathtime with Daddy

Lanier has always been one of those babies that loves her baths.  She's not the playful type in the tub, but she's like a lady at the spa.  She just lays back, sometimes almost closing her eyes, and sighs and yawns as we lather her up. She never cries and could probably stay in there for hours if we let her.

I always encourage Daniel to give Lanier her baths after he gets home from work so they can spend some time together.  He had a bad experience with it one time when I wasn't home, so now thinks he's "bad at it".  I think he was so nervous the water would be too hot that he actually kept it quite cold and said she screamed while her little lip quivered the whole time.  Recently, he's been reluctant but has bathed Lanier quite a few times.  All but maybe one of these times, Lanier has proceeded to poop in the tub, which of course makes Daniel panic and yell for help.  I'm not sure what he does to trigger this, but I promise it never happens when I bathe her.  I took some pictures while Daniel washed her up last night...right before she pooped again in the tub:).

 On another note, as I mentioned in my previous post, Lanier loves her play mat.  She is finally starting to really enjoy batting around the little hanging toys.  Here are some pics.  I have a video as well that would not post so go to this link to view:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkSa92DlPb4

2 Month Appt!

My daughter Lanier was born November 27th, 2010 weighing 8lbs 15oz, 20.5 inches long.  It was the happiest day of my life and I feel so blessed to be her mom.  It's hard to believe Lanier has already hit the two month mark.  She just had a doctor's appointment last week and she is growing so fast!  She weighed 13lbs and is now 24 inches long...making her in the 95th percentile for both height and weight.  I'm sure these above average numbers will normalize as she gets older, but it's nice to dream that she'll be at least 5"10' like her Aunt Rachel! 

She is also beginning to develop a personality.  She smiles all the time, and that gummy grin melts my heart whenever I get her from her crib in the morning.  She coos and it feels as though we are having our own little conversation.  She's starting to become more interested in her toys, especially her play gym or anything with a mirror, and she loves music!

The most major change that has thoroughly enhanced my quality of life is the fact that Lanier is now sleeping through the night...well pretty much through the night.  At our last appointment, the doctor said that her weight looked really good!  If she woke up at night, we could start letting her try to soothe herself back to sleep.  I still get up and put her passy back in when I hear her, but this normally only happens once or twice a night.  The mornings are much less painful now that i'm getting at least 8 hours of sleep at night. 

Our days now mainly consist of eating, playing, and napping.  I look forward to nicer weather when we can go on walks and spend more time outside. We did host our first play group with about 5 other babies at our house yesterday.  We had a great time and it was fun for me to swap stories and advice with the other moms.

Here are some pictures from the past week!

First play group

My spread, I hosted