Where did the summer go?

Seriously?! This summer flew by. Doesn't it seem like every year they get shorter and shorter? Ugh! Well, it went by incredibly too fast and that is scary. It really seems like yesterday we were bringing Myla home from the hospital, so tiny and small. She is now 4 months old and has grown so much. Here are a few pics I took on her 4 month birthday...


Everyday she amazes me on new things she can do and learn. I love watching her interact with life around her. Now, it may be more passive in nature as she looks around intently at everything, full of curiosity. Either that or she tries to put everything she can grasp in her mouth. I'm sure it won't be long before she is running around to explore all of these things firsthand.

I was recently reminded on how much Myla has grown the other day when we visited my friend Christi and her newborn baby boy, Caden, at the hospital. He is so adorable, weighing 7lbs 14 oz at birth, he looked so tiny next to Myla. It's hard to believe that Myla weighed that when she was a month old! Cade has the cutest little face and is just perfect. It was so great that Myla got to meet her future boyfriend! Here are a few pics from our visit:




They would make such a cute couple one day. ;)

Seeing Baby Caden and looking through newborn pictures of Myla just reminds me how fast time flies and how precious life is. So, with this last week of summer, I plan to soak up as much time as possible with my baby girl because every little moment is special. She'll be off to college before I know it...geez....I'm sure every parent has said the same thing but it's just weird that now I actually understand and know what they mean! If only life could have a Pause button or at least a slow motion feature, that would be nice...

Our Little Squealer

So, we've always considered Myla a "squealer" from time to time, but recently this has been her ongoing form of communication. The best is in the morning right after her first feeding. She squeals in delight and lets us know she is having such a great time. She squeals so loudly at times it could pierce your eardrum. But we are just glad she is such a happy baby so whatever. She hasn't squealed all that much in public yet. For now it just seems to happen in the comfort of our own home, or Nana B's house, since she has fun toys! I'm just dreading the day when I won't be able to take her anywhere because her squealing will be out of control and strangers will give us dirty looks. I will just smile and say, "Hey, at least she's happy!" Although...when she starts getting tired or "overstimulated", instead of crying like most babies, she squeals out of crankiness. Some people may think she is actually still having fun but when we listen closely we've been able to interepret what she really means... "Ok, enough is enough and I am exhausted. I need my sleep STAT!" So really...happy or sleepy, she's our little squealer.
Here is a video I took the other day of Myla squealing away at Nana B's house, having the time of her life. Enjoy! And, oh...you may want to turn your speaker volume DOWN just a tad! :)

Myla's First Boat Ride

On Sunday, we went out on the lake for Myla's first boating experience. Unfortunately Jeff couldn't be there as he recently hurt his back and could barely stand so we went with mom, Kimberly, Clay and Olivia. We had a great time and Myla seemed to really enjoy riding in the boat. We bought her an infant-sized life jacket that kept her feeling snug and safe.
After Kimberly skiied, we stopped for awhile to get the girls in the water. Myla wasn't sure at first what she thought about being in the nasty lake water but it wasn't long until she was smiling and trying to splash. Since my tendonitis is still bothering me, I decided not to ski and just enjoyed riding around as well. The weather was a little overcast which was perfect in helping protect the babies from the hot sun. Myla took a great nap on the boat and missed much of the excitement but still had a fun time. We made sure to take a lot of pictures to show Jeff so he didn't feel like he missed out too much. Jeff's back is doing better today so hopefully he can join us the next time we go. ;)

Hooray for Myla!

Last night Myla "moved in" to her nursery to sleep in the crib for the first time. She has been in the bassinet in our room since day one so we figured now that she is 3 months, it was time.
I was so nervous she wouldn't sleep and just cry the whole time since she didn't nap very well yesterday. But she did great! We did not hear a peep from her all night until 6:30am, which happened to be the time we were planning on starting the day. I'm sure you are thinking that should mean that I also got some sleep but no such luck. I woke up at 1:45am staring at the monitor and listening intently but heard nothing. From that point on I could not go back to sleep. I kept thinking, " Is she ok?", "Is her blanket over her face?", "Is the monitor really turned on?" etc. And, yes, I did go in and check on her twice and she was sound asleep. So good news is that Myla got some great sleep... but I am pretty tired today. I'm hoping she will do good again tonight! Maybe I can actually sleep too. :)

4th of July in Steamboat

We got back from visiting my dad and Cindy in Colorado on Tuesday. It was really hard to leave. The weather was perfect, unlike the steamy 100 degree weather here in TX. It was so great just relaxing. Every morning Myla and I would go for a hike then take a nap in the hammock. Myla LOVES being outside. As long as we are moving in some way, she is a happy camper. Dad and Jeff worked so hard. One of their projects was building a bridge. They worked on it for 3 days and it turned out great. Here is the final product... With Dad and Jeff working most days, Myla and I had a lot of quality time together. She has been more and more expressive lately, smiling and giggling. She has also become quite the "mommy's girl", which just melts my heart. On the 4th, we had 28 people over at Dad and Cindy's, mostly family but also some close friends. The food was incredible and the time with family was even better. > Cindy bought the girls matching Ralph Lauren dresses. They were certainly the most stylish babies around. After the feast, my dad thought it would be nice if my cousin Tiffany sang and then my cousin Anthony, former injured Marine, would ring the bell overlooking the property. It was less than a year ago when Anthony was injured in Afghanistan. To see him standing before us all, so strong and proud, and listening to Tiffany's sweet voice... it was a beautiful moment. Then Dad and Cindy's dog, Petie, got really excited about all the bell ringing and tried to ring the bell himself. Here is the video that captured it all!

So just a little recap of our trip. I took about 300 pictures during the 2 weeks we were there. More pics on Facebook!

Fun in Colorado!

We are having a great time in Colorado. We've been here 10 days and its gone by fast.
Last Saturday night we went out to see a few live bands play. We brought BBQ and blankets and relaxed while listening to some great music. Myla was awake the whole time and seemed to have a good time! A couple of days ago, Jeff and I were driving up my dad's driveway and as always, looking around for animals. We usually see deer or chipmunks so that was what we were intending to see when all of a sudden...we saw him!.....

A BEAR!!! He looks like just a cub and so cute! We luckily snapped a few pics in time before he ran off. I'm now a little hesitant to go on our morning hike knowing that Mama Bear and her cubs may be out and about. Scary!

Yesterday was our 3 year anniversary. It's hard to believe it has already been 3 years! We had a great day. We took Myla shopping in the little town of Steamboat during the day. Then Dad and Cindy watched Myla while Jeff and I went to dinner and a movie. Dad had made us reservations at this great restaurant by the river. The food was delicious! After dinner we went to see The Proposal which is now on my all-time favorite movie list. It was a fun time. :)
Now we are waiting for the family to arrive for the 4th of July festivities. We have cousins, aunts and uncles, and good friends all arriving over the next couple of days. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone! We will be here until the 7th and then it's back home. Until then good food and quality time with family. Nothing better!

Colorado Day 3

Hello from Steamboat Springs!! We arrived on Monday afternoon and are enjoying our time here so far. First of all, I must brag that Myla did great on the plane! She was awake the whole time but very content, thank goodness. Jeff and I thought for sure she would scream the whole way. Once we landed in Denver, Dad and Cindy picked us up for the 3 hour drive to Steamboat. Again, Myla was an angel!! Several times I thought to myself how blessed and lucky we are to have such a good little traveler.
I think Myla is giving herself a thumbs up here. ;)

Now that we are settled at the house, we are adjusting to the time change and altitude. The first day here Myla had a pretty rough day. She wasn't eating as much and definitely not napping. I'm thinking it will just take her some time to get adjusted. The good thing is that she is still sleeping about 5-6 hours at night, waking for a feeding, then back down for an hour or so. Today she seems to be doing a little better but will not nap for more than 30 minutes when put down. She prefers to fall asleep in our arms, the swing or in the hammock. At this point I just want her to get some sleep as I know she gets exhausted from being up so much during the day. Here's hoping she doesn't get too dependent on needing the swinging motion since they don't make swinging cribs!
Each morning we have been going on a hike around dad's property. After just two days, my legs are getting sore but it's such a good workout. Myla loves the baby carrier too!

Last night we went to this great mexican restaurant with really yummy margaritas. Jeff and Dad have been working really hard cutting down trees, making bridges and clearing land so a night of margaritas was a perfect end to the day. Tonight we might go see Transformers or maybe we will just stay in and relax. We are here for 2 weeks and looking forward to the family reunion over the 4th!