Because Thumb Sucking is Sooooo Two Weeks Ago...

Well, folks, Sody seems to have temporarily moved on from thumb sucking as her favorite pastime and moved on to the glamorous world of feet grabbing. The girl can't get enough of her own feet lately. If she is laying down or sitting on my lap or chilling on the couch - she is just always trying to grab her toes (and wants to get them in her mouth too, it seems). Don't get me wrong, she still views her hands as a gourmet meal...shoving that fist in there, sucking away on those fingers...it's just that lately she hasn't been ordering the thumb appetizer.
Have I taken this metaphor too far?
Methinks so.

Aunt Beth Comes To Play

Hi, folks. I will make up for the lack of entries by writing a nice big juicy post this time. It's been a big week for us as Beth, my bestie from the Pacific Northwestie, came to stay with us last weekend. She finally got to meet Miss Isota, who decided to show off and learn a new skill in Beth's presence: sucking her thumb. She finally figured it out and gets some really good slurpy sucking action going. I could watch that forever, it cracks me up so. Anyway, we were very excited to show Beth our new digs. We saw the sights of Sacramento (the Capitol! the zoo! Old Sac!) and ate our way through it, too (Pancake Circus! orange freezes! Indian food!).

The highlight of her visit (for me...hopefully for her too!) was the March of Dimes Baby Walk we did last Saturday morning. Joe joined us as well. It all kicked off bright and early at the steps of the Capitol building. They had two routes, one shorter for families that we thought we would do because we didn't know if Sody (or the stroller) would make it through the 6 mile route. But when we got to the end of the short route, Sody had fallen asleep and we were all pumped to keep walking so we went for it. It went through downtown, a little bit of Old Sac, and midtown. It was nice to be able to see the city in a new way instead of just rushing through driving as we typically do. We finished the 6 miles in about three hours (with one pit stop at Temple Coffee to refuel, natch) and Sody slept a lot of that time. The stroller is a bit of a narcotic for her, actually.

It was really energizing and great to see so many people out and walking to support the cause. What was hard was all the homemade "In remembrance of" t-shirts with tiny baby pictures that had birth and death dates far too close together. I hate that any family has had to go through that and every time I saw one of those shirts I just wanted to hug and kiss Isota even more than usual. (The girl is gonna get sick of me soon, probably.) Thanks again to everyone who donated to the March. We were all really happy we did it and I hope to do it again next year.

Come back soon, Beth! We miss you already.

Uhhmmmmm...

off the top of my head:

Nuggety
Puncherty
Muncherty
Punchy Munch
Butter Bean
Nutter Butter
Soders
Soda Lou
Bunchin
Munchin

We have a really narrow strike zone when it comes to making up baby nicknames...

Nicknames Isota has acquired in three months of life

Sody
Sody Lou
Sodylicious
Babers
Nugget
Nugs
Nug-Bug
Monkey
Monkey Munch
Munch
Munchers
Punch
Punchers
Punchy
Butter
Butters
Buddy
Angel Food

Joe, am I forgetting any?

March for Babies

I recently read about a "March for Babies" event that the March of Dimes puts on to help raise funds for babies who are born too early. This year, my best friend Beth, Isota and I are going to be participating in the walk. I thank my lucky stars every day for getting a healthy, happy baby, and I just can't imagine what families who don't have that luck are going through. So it's time to do something about it. If you want to help us out and donate to the cause, here is my web page. Thanks!!

http://www.marchforbabies.org/aliciapeterson

Easter Sunday

She is going to hate me when she is older for doing this...

...but I cannot resist putting up this picture. Those eyes! That tush! The amazing ability to hold her head up so well!

Party Down

So my little darling dear Payton (whom I used to take care of before I had my own darling dear) turned 4 over the weekend and we headed to the East Bay for the festivities. The party was of course full of children and parents and yummy food and sugar rushes. The picture underneath Payton, Isota and Joe is of Payton's adorable little bro Cash, who is (incredibly!) 18 months old now and patiently waiting for cake in this pic.

Baby's First Drive In

One advantage of suburban life: close proximity to the drive in movie theater! It's the same one my parents used to take me when I was a kid. $4.75, double feature, bring the baby along, can't beat that. Plus, I learned to change a diaper in the car in the dark. Good times.

This post is going to be so emo

My dear friend Heather V. used to have a poem about babies and all their utter sweetness (I think it was hanging in the laundry room of the Bellevue house...right, Heather?) and I can't remember all the words anymore but I do remember the end: something about not wanting to be disturbed because "I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep." And I just so feel those words lately. I am so painfully, acutely aware of how precious and fleeting this time is right now. Sody is almost three months old and I already feel like she has gotten to be such a big girl. Not like she is ready to march off to college or anything...but just the little things like growing out of her newborn outfits or moving up a size in diapers are a teensy bit sad because it's a reminder how babies are only babies for such a short time. I know that it's all just going to get better and better and she is going to get more and more fun because I have seen this firsthand with all the kids I have taken care of over the years. It is just awesome to watch them grow into these amazing little people, and of course I can't wait to see that with Sody as well. But the present with her is just SO sweet right now. Watching her figuring out her hands, making the most absurd slurping sounds while she sucks on her fingers, smiling back when you smile, just being so happy to see you, laughing at her own image in a mirror...it goes on and on. She is delicious and fun and adorable and chubby and so happy and making us so happy and it's going by fast. Babies are awesome. Especially ours!

And this is what we call Milk Drunk

Whew!

Sorry for the long delay in posts, people...but we are moved! I am now writing this from good ol' Sacto, amidst more than just a few boxes. It was definitely a challenging move this time around but if you are lucky like me you have: a) a saint of a husband who takes on most of the work - including multiple trips back and forth to Oakland to get all our stuff, b) an amazing baby who seems pretty content to just chill out all day, watching her parents pack and clean and unpack again, and c) great parents who not only let you store stuff at their house but also let you crash there for almost a week because your own place is too messy to live in! But it is finally (mostly) done and the new place is shaping up.

Now we are dealing with some sleep issues with Sody. i.e. she is not really sleeping as well as she did - not wanting to be in her bassinet, up more during the night, etc. I don't know if the move messed her up or what, but I guess we all have new things to get used to now. Or this is just the fun of having a baby: once you get into a nice routine, they change it all on you. Any moms out there with tips for us - just yell!

Also, this post is dedicated to Lucky, my parents dog who is up in Doggie Heaven now. He was a great dog who had a great long life and we are all going to miss him terribly. This is one of my favorite pictures ever - my dad and Lucky about to head out for one of their daily walks.

First Shots!!

Waaaaaah! Sody got her first vaccinations yesterday at the pediatrician's: two in one fat little baby thigh and one more in the other. She didn't like it much but recovered much more quickly than her mother. She isn't much of a crier so it makes it just that much more startling to hear her howling out in pain with that look on her face like, "WHY are you letting them do this to me??"

Hanging Out With Dad

Sleepyhead

Isota slept for a SEVEN hour stretch last night!!!! This is monumental. I woke up for a 5 a.m. feeding and she didn't!

I am learning to smile

...and sometimes I still go cross eyed...

Tummy Time

It's hard to hold that big head up!

We Are Moving

It's official - we are moving to Sacramento in a couple weeks! Sacramento...the land of cheaper rent and free babysitting. (thanks in advance, Mom and Dad!) This is what Isota's room (more like a nook instead of a full room) looks like right now. She'll never remember it but it's cute!  Now I have to go dismantle it and pack it up for the new place.  Moving with a newborn in tow...yep, we are nuts. But very lucky to have such a good and calm baby. She is easy breezy. 

Mom Mom and Pop Pop Come For a Visit

happy family

mom mom

pop pop

musee mechanique

grandma and grandpa

Well, things have been quiet on the posting front because we have had quite a busy week. Joe's parents (known now as Mom Mom and Pop Pop) came out from New Jersey to meet their newest granddaughter and a great time was had by all. We threw a little month-old birthday party for the baby, had a San Francisco adventure at Fisherman's Wharf, Musee Mechanique and the Golden Gate, and drove to Sacramento to hang out with the other set of grandparents too. Most importantly, Sody got to get lots of love and hugs and kisses from Mom Mom and Pop Pop. We miss you already!!

Am I Really A Month Old Already?!