2 months

Dear Sadie~Rose,

Who can believe that two months have gone by since you came into our lives?
Not me! The past 8 weeks have flown by with all of the comotion that normaly accompanies having a baby, celebrating two major holidays, and have all of the grandparents come to visit.
It has been so nice to have the past few weeks to try (try being the operative word here) to get back to our new"normal." I'm finally starting to see some patterns and repeat habits emerging and I'm learning how to work yours with your sisters. It's been no easy task, let me tell you, but so worth it to have you in our life. You are living up to your name and being a total joy every day in so many ways. I'm loving being your mommy and being a mommy to two little girls.

- This month you have grown! You now weigh 12 lbs and your little cheeks hang down and your little legs have plumped up and are starting to get dimples in them. Your face is so kissable sweet that Olivia and I can't resist most of the time which results in you being "covered in kisses" hourly. :)
- You have discovered your mobile and love to lay in your co-sleeper and "talk" to Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger. Whenever the music runs out, you make some very mad faces at them and give them a very hard time until Mommy comes and winds them back up for you. Daddy and I lay in bed and love watching you watch the mobile.
- You are still not so sure about baths. You can't decide if you love them or hate them. But we love watching you in them. Seeing you naked is not something we get to do very often since it has been so cold. So, we make the most of the opportunity and love your little wrinkly back, your fuzz covered shoulders, and kicky little legs that never stop moving, even in your sleep.
- Your 1st tooth is all the way in and the corner of the 2nd one has poked through. And due to the amount of fussing you did last week (you are most never fussy!) I think you are working the rest of that 2nd bad toothy in. You did lots of biting. Your fist, your fingers, my fingers, others parts of mommy too, Ms. Victoria's hand, your pacie, lots of chewable and not so chewable things.
- You are such a friendly baby! You sit and wait for anyone to come by and offer you a friendly look and then your face lights up with the most beautiful grin and every person who sees you melts. And when you offer a few delighted squeals and sighs everyone nearly swoons. We can't think of anything sweeter. Our whole world stops when you start smiling and talking to us. Your mommy, daddy, and sister all come running as soon as one of us says, "Ohhh!!! that's such a pretty smile!"
- You've been very social this month with Christmas parties, a New Year's Eve get together, two dinner parties (in your honor) and a wedding (most definitively not in your honor), plus our weekly visits to church and Bible study. You've even been going to the chiropractor's with us and you do so well.
- You are quite the strong little baby. You hold your head up all the time, and try to sit up on your own. You get so mad when I won't let you sit up. I'm not quite sure what to do with you since I've never seen a baby who thinks that she ought to be able to sit up on her own. I have to keep an eye on you constantly since you somehow manage to roll and scoot your way around the bed, off pillows, and out of your bouncy seat.
- We still struggle with the car seat issues. You don't mind riding in it so much during the day so that you can watch the shadows move and look out the window and see Olivia making faces from the seat behind you. But, riding in the car in the dark is a whole different story. So far you haven't asphyxiated yourself from screaming so long without drawing a breath, you haven't burst any blood vessels, nor swallowed your tongue. But we have all been in mortal fear of all of those things happening and probably all at the same time The only thing we have found to work upon occasion is to feed you really well right before we stick you in the seat and then start praying that you fall asleep. All in all, Mommy has taken to riding in the back seat next to you so I can hold your hand, talk to you, and hold your pacie in.
- Your doing really well with sleeping at night and Mommy and Daddy have gotten a routine going which we think is pretty slick. Daddy get's Olivia routed from whatever she is doing at bedtime (this usually takes awhile) while Mommy feeds Sadie~Rose. When Rose is finished, we switch. Daddy takes Sadie~Rose and they snuggle in bed together and both fall asleep while Mommy takes Olivia and brushes her teeth, reads her bedtime stories, tucks in, says prayers, and fetches the occasion glass of water. Then Mommy comes back to bed, finds her little Rose snuggled in her Daddy's arm, lays her in the co-sleeper and finally crawls into bed with everyone else tucked in, snuggled in, and (get this!) sleeping in their own beds! (for those of you who don't know, we co-slept with Olivia until she was over 2 years old. I loved co-sleeping but it's been very frustrating arguing with Mike who is constantly worried and wanting his own bed back. Hence the "co-sleeper" next to the bed) We all stay this way until about 4 am when Sadie~Rose re-joins us for her first breakfast of the day. From then on it's anyones guess who could be in the big bed at any given time. But for almost 6 hours it's everyone where they are supposed to be. Amazing!

I'm so glad to be your mommy, Rose. And I know your Daddy feels the same way. He has officially dubbed you "Peanut." Sorry. I can't seem to help him get a grip on this nicknaming business. But to most of us, you are Sadie~Rose or just Rose. It suits you perfectly. Your eyes are still blue and you still have all of your hair (still brown) except for a little bald patch in the back. And when left to it's own devices it lays all wavy on you head. Same rosebud lips, little pug nose, and now fat little cheeks. Lovely and delicious. I'm so delighted that you've been with us two months, it seems like you've been here always. I can't wait to see the changes that this next month will bring.
Love you forever and always,
Mommy