Get used to it Marylou...

I tried to explain to Marylou...don't fight it...it only makes life more difficult and the photo shoot take LONGER. This is what Momma does. EVERY DAY.

Don't worry folks. None of these are the images Momma decided on for the birth announcement...so she is not ruining the surprise.


Momma calls this series the "Easter Basket Photos"




We call these the "Pea Pod Photos"





See? Even I couldn't escape (of course).
What have I learned? Just cooperate and get it over with!

And these are called the "Elf Hat Photos"

...and you KNOW there will be more to come!

April - HIGHLIGHTS

Here are some of the other things that happened in April...

I LOVE doctors! The last time Daddy had to take me to the doctor I lifted my shirt right up and said, "check belly, please." And then, each time the doctor was done with whatever he was looking at I would say, "thank you doctor." The trend continued at the hospital when Marylou was born. Every time a nurse came in I would say, "Check belly. Check belly please." After they checked me I told them, "Check Baby Sheeshter" and watch to make sure they checked Marylou too. Well, I am in luck because Meme is a nurse and she brought me my own REAL stethoscope. Awesome.


My new favorite phrase? "Go garage." I like to help Daddy work on his ya-ya (Memphis translation: hot rod).

"Hamma. Oooo! Ooooo! Hamma stuck."

"Look Momma! I drivin'! I beat the horn."

"Turn it. Turn it. I spinnin' "

I have discovered my thumb...ALREADY. Looks like I am going to follow in Memphis' footsteps on this one!

I went swimming in the pool when it was 90 DEGREES outside one day.

Auntie Stefie brought over Lucy and some other dogie friend. I told Momma, "I walkin' doggies. PULL! C'mon doggies. Go!"

Momma is very busy is Marylou... but she tries to make sure she spends time with me alone each day. On this day we played blocks. Look! I was telling her, "Car buildin' Momma!" My cars were building the block towers.

My new family is fun. I definitely agree.

I learned to unlatch the gate all by myself. On this day I unlatched the gate and started walking across the yard. Momma called out, "Hey! Where are you going?" I told her, "I goin' WOODS!" What is it about the woods that calls to us little boys?

I love, love, LOVE my Baby Sheester!

Now that Momma feeds me from a bottle I have been gaining weight...and sleeping... a lot.

4-22-09...milk drunk

Momma took me to the lactation consultant. The good news is there is nothing actually physically wrong with me (tongue tie or physical defect, etc...) The bad news is we're not exactly sure WHY nursing isn't going well. I am still way under weight. I am still hovering around 5 lbs. 10 oz. but I should weigh at least6 lbs. 8 oz. today. The lactation consultant said that little girls are supposed to be back at the their birth weight by 1 week and then gain at least 1 oz. every day after...so I have some catching up to do. She said that I have two strikes against me because I was born early AND now I am underweight. She thinks that if I get a little older and gain some weight I might catch on. For now Momma has to be very patient and try to nurse as best as I am able and push the calories by feeding me from a bottle, to help me gain weight.

She told Momma all about feeding cues, and explained that is why I like to have my hands so tightly fisted up by my face all the time. It means I am very., very hungry. I need to keep eating at each feeding until there is no tension in my arms. They need to be completely floppy...and my eyes need to be droopy and rolling back into my head. Completely relaxed and happy. She calls this being "Milk Drunk." When we got home Momma fed me my first bottle and then for the first time in my life I was indeed "Milk Drunk" ...and boy, does it feel good!

4-18-09...just like Daddy

Meme has been bringing me Disney tattoos from the grocery store. She gets one form the machine every time she goes. She is trying to get me a MICKEY. Tonight Daddy put all the tattoos I have on my arm, so now I have a Disney sleeve...a sleeve just like Daddy's. I can name all the characters. I have Tee-ga, Bawoo, Bame-bee, Pee Payin, and Goosey (Memphis translation: Tigger, Baloo, Bambi, Peter Pan, and Goofy).

I showed Momma my arm and said, "Awesome Momma. Wook! Awesome."

4-17-09..."baby cryin'!"

As other parents know, life with a baby isn't all fun and games. Babies cry. They cry a lot. Momma thought that there is something wrong with Marylou because she spent the WHOLE night crying. We took her to the pediatrician (good timing because I had to be checked out to make sure my pneumonia was all better) and the Dr. discovered that Marylou has lost a lot of weight (she is down to 5 lbs. 10 oz.) and isn't nursing the right way. Now Momma has to take her to visit a lactation consultant. It's never easy, is it?

Every time she makes even the slightest peep I call out, "Baby cryin'! Oh no Momma...HURRY!!!!" I don't like it when she cries. It makes me sad too I told Momma, "Baby sad. Miss Daddy." I think she misses Daddy when he has to go to work. I know that makes ME sad sometimes. If Momma doesn't go fast enough I tell her, "Momma, pick up. C'mon, HURRY!PLEASE!"

4-16-08..."I na-nights with Baby Sheesher!"

I saw Marylou in her pack n' play napping all covered up with her B (Memphis translation: her special blanket) in her Boppy pillow. She looked so snugly that I went and found her other Boppy pillow and laid down on it right next to her and covered myself up with my B. Then we matched.

4-15-09...first whole day home

I got some snuggles from Daddy.

I met Mahoney. Memphis tells me he's going to be my good friend.

I tried out my swing and practiced being proper...like a true little lady.

I went for a ride to the dump with Daddy...we listened to "Amones" (aka The Ramones). I asked to listen to them. Then I told Daddy, "I happy Daddy! I happy!"

4-14-09...going home

...but first, one more spin in the curtain!

4-13-09...Meeting Memphis

Momma left for the hospital during my nap yesterday. She told me my baby sister was going to come out and I was SO EXCITED!!!! First thing this morning Daddy came home to get me and brought me to the hospital to meet Marylou. I was running and giggling down the hallway with a big, big smile on my face. I couldn't wait to get into that room!

I immediately wanted to look at Marylou and coo at her and give her kisses. I called her "Baby sheeshta" and asked Momma, "I kiss er? I kiss er my baby sheeshta? Owwww baby!!!!"

Next I asked, "My turn? My turn? Hold him? PLEASE?..." Momma and Daddy let me hold her. I thought she was "coot. Coot Momma." And I like Memphis right away too. I was very, very quiet and looked right at him and blinked a lot. He made me feel safe.

I was also very excited to watch out Momma's window - there were all sorts of machine BUILDING back there!

I brought Marylou the bunny I made for her (funny...I didn't even know she would be born on Easter when I chose the rabbit). Marylou got me a truck with a dirtbike in it. When I opened it I said, "Awesome. Truck. Ma ka ka. Tank you baby sheeshsta. Tank you."

Look! Marylou wore little bunny slippers! Momma and Daddy told me that was kind of funny because when I was born I wore little reindeer slippers in the hospital (I was born on Christmas Eve. It turn out that we like our Catholic holidays in this family).

I got to meet lots of other people today too. I saw Meme, Auntie Stefie, Auntie Desiree, Uncle DJ, Auntie Heather, and Matthew, Papa Lou, Momma's Uncle Tony and Uncle Arnold, and Grama and Pop all the way from NY! Everyone thought I was very beautiful and very little. Some said I looked just like a doll, and other commented on my cute "purring" noises. It feels good to have so many people that love me already!