2 Month Check Up

Today was Liza Bear's 2 month Well-Baby check up, which meant yes, shots! She let out a few wails which turned into the silent cry and her cute little face got all red and then the tears came. Mommy got her calmed down in not too long of a time and overall, she was quite the little trooper! She also managed to poop all over daddy and her blanket after getting weighed! Our little girl is growing up fast! She now weights 11 lbs 5 oz and is 23 1/4 inches long. That's 5 lbs and 2 inches since she's been born! I had the afternoon off so she and I spend cuddle time at home this afternoon. We also got a lot of playing and a few smiles in! Even though I've only been back at work for 2 1/2 days, I  really really miss being home all day with her. 

Sleeping Beauty

My Owies

I survived!

Well, I survived my first day back at work, and I have to admit, even though I missed my baby girl more than anything, it wasn't as bad as I thought. I plastered the desktop on my computer, my desk, my bulletin board and my clipboard with pictures of my precious baby girl and every time I saw her big toothless grin smiling at me, I smiled and remembered what a precious gift was waiting for me when I got home!
My mother-in-law had come over during the day and started a roast with carrots and potatoes in the crockpot too so I didn't have to worry about supper when I got home either! All I had to do was snuggle with my little girl and hang out with my husband - what can get better than that?!

My cousin Laura and her husband Ted had a baby boy today! Nathaniel James Leonard. He was 3 pounds heavier than Liza when she was born and the same length. I've only seen pictures but it looks like he's a little chunker! Mom and baby are doing great! And he was born exactly 2 months after Liza Bear (Happy 2 month Birthday, Liza!!)

Wednesday is Liza's 2 month baby check-up. Hope she's growing great!

Running out of time...

Well, I'm quickly running out of my time at home with my precious Liza Bear. I'm not looking forward to trading my days of feedings, diapers, baths, playtime, reading books, and taking in those big toothless grins for dress clothes, nurses, doctors, patients and phone calls. I think being a mommy is the best, funnest job in the world and I would rather do that than anything every day. My first official day back will be Monday, October 11th, Liza's 2 month birthday. 


The family picnic at Grandpa and Grandma Swenson's on Sunday was a lot of fun! Liza got to meet the rest of her family members and of course they fell in love with her and I think Liza fell in love with her great-uncle Bruce! She couldn't take her eyes off of him and he got some of the biggest smiles I've ever seen out of her! Liza and I played it cool this week just hanging out and playing. Thursday I went to the Twins game with my mom and one of her friends. Grandma and Grandpa Filzen watched Liza because Brandon had to work and she actually got to travel to Marshall to watch Brandon's sister in Homecoming Court at Southwest State. That was the longest I had ever been away from Liza. It was hard to walk out the door but I think we both did ok. Brandon said that he could tell Liza missed me while I was gone...I'm still trying to figure out if he meant it or if he was just trying to make me feel better :-) Today Liza and I went to Lavonne's (The lady who will be doing her daycare) so Liza could meet her and the other kids at daycare. I think she had fun with the other kids!! They got a few smiles out of her even! That makes me feel a little bit better about taking her to daycare. Eventually I have to come to peace with the fact that I'm a working mom and daycare is just going to be a part of our life. I wish I just had one more month at home with her. She's starting to get to the age where she's smiling and cooing and responding to me and the things around her. I just don't want to miss any of her milestones.


Tomorrow we are having friends over and are grilling out because one of our high school friends from Wisconsin is home. I'm looking forward to it!


That's it for now! Going to go spend some time with my beautiful family of 3!

Of course I can't let you go without a few pictures of my lil cutie!

Busy, Busy Week

It has been a busy week at our house. On Saturday, Brandon had to work, so Liza and I went to the Clay Co. Fair in Spencer, IA to watch Grandpa Scott and Uncle Caleb show horses in the last show of the season. We rode down to Iowa with Mom and Dan so I didn't have to make the trek alone. It was about 45 degrees and pouring rain all day so Liza rode around in the stroller under lots of layers of blankets! She was so good though!
On Monday Liza and I met Grandma Ann and Brandon's aunts Chris and Patti for lunch at Applebees. It was good to get out of the house for a while!  
Yesterday Melissa, the Public Health Nurse came to weigh Liza. She now weighs 9 lbs. 15 oz! She's gaining an ounce per day which I'm told is super! She's starting to get a couple of chins and cute jelly roles on her arms and legs!
Today I had my 6 week check up and the clinic (Yes, my baby is already 6 weeks old - time flies too fast!). After that we ran lots and lots of errands. Liza was so good. She sat in her car seat and smiled all day. She was awake from 9:30-1:30, which is the longest stretch she's ever been awake during the day, and now she's snoozing away the rest of the afternoon. 
On Sunday my grandparents are having a potluck picnic at  their house which I am really looking forward to. I still have to figure out what to make to bring - any suggestions?! 
I finally got study materials for my LGSW exam.  Back to hitting the books!

In the meantime...enjoy these pics of my beautiful little girl!

Lots and Lots of Smiles!

Mom Turns 50!

This was a busy birthday week in our family! On Saturday the 11th, Liza turned 1 month old! It was also my mother in law's birthday that day. She and Scott came over for a while that night and visited Liza. My mom turned 50 on Tuesday!! Liza and I went out to supper with her to celebrate! Liza got both of her Grandmas the Willow Tree "Grandma" angel. They both loved them! 

Liza and Grandma on her 50th Birthday

Today great-aunt Melissa and Mike came to meet Liza. Grandma Ann also stopped by to see Liza before her and Grandpa Scott go to Iowa for the weekend for the last horse show of the season. If Brandon doesn't work on Saturday, we may venture down for it too!

BIG SMILES!!

Liza is growing leaps and bounds every day! She has now started to focus her attention on objects and follow them with her eyes. Daddy and Mommy have also started to see real smiles! We love those big toothless grins! She also is starting to talk to us. We love hearing what she has to say! We didn't get a weight this week but we can tell when we hold her she's getting bigger! I also want to know how much  she's grown in length. She is so long!! 

Liza discovered the animals above her swing!

I have about a month before I need to go back to work yet, but I am already really struggling about going back to work and leaving Liza at day care all day. I can't even bear the thought of dropping her off at day care. I have already shed many tears about this. Today I researched about how to start an in-home daycare. I never thought that that would ever be something I'd be interested in but the more I think about it, the more appealing it becomes. I don't think I will ever be able to do it, but a girl can dream, right? 
Any working moms out there reading this....how bad is it having to leave your kids at daycare? Does it ever get any easier? 

RaTtLe

Brandon didn't have to work today because of the rain so he got to spend the day and home with Liza and me! He spent most of the day on the floor playing with his baby girl which was so adorable I couldn't stop watching them! Daddy got Liza to do a new trick - hold and shake her rattle all by herself! She couldn't get enough of it and shook that rattle all day! Now we are just hanging out and watching the Vikings. It was a fun day at home as a family of 3!

Labor Day Weekend

Brandon, Liza and I had a nice, relaxing Labor Day weekend. Friday night we went over to some friends house to hang out. We brought Little Liza with us and there was another baby there that was born the same day as Liza. It was fun to find a playmate for her - too bad that baby lives in Iowa! 
Saturday Brandon landscaped the yard all day and we took a family trip to Mankato to go to Lowe's to get some more shrubs and plants for the yard. 
Sunday we got up and actually made it to 8:00 church. That is quite the accomplishment these days! Grandma Ann came over Sunday to play with Liza while mom and dad cleaned up the house because our friends, Matt and Heather came over the see the house and to meet baby Liza, of course! It was great to see them again and we had a great time! 
Grandma Barb came over today and watched Liza for the day so Brandon and I could get out and spend some time with just the 2 of us together. We went to Lambrechts so I could use my gift card from Ann for my birthday. We got some cool stuff for the kitchen and Grandma Barb's birthday present from Liza! We also did some Christmas shopping! Last year for Christmas Brandon and I and my brother and his wife did an ornament exchange. We found perfect ornaments for both of them at Lambrechts so we bought them! Then we went to Mankato, went out to eat and bought some things to put on the walls in the house so it actually looks like some one lives here. When we were in the mall, we walked past Motherhood Maternity and there was a cute pregnant lady in there trying on clothes and it really made me miss being pregnant! I might be ready for another little one sooner than I thought! Tonight I'm finishing up my thank you cards for all the baby gifts and doing birth announcements. Brandon and Liza Bear are studying.

Brandon and Liza studying

Liza's been up about every 2 hours over night the past couple of nights, so hopefully she lets me sleep a little tonight! That's it for now!