RAISING THE LITTLE BARR'S

Baby E {2 month photos & favorites}

Charlene9 Comments
For some reason, I thought we did last months in just the Tee and a diaper. Turns out she was wearing pink pants and it looks way better! So next month, we will return to the pants and leave the no-pants party behind ;)

For real? 2 months? (on the 13th!) Ahh, my lil baby is growing up ;)

Not only is it a celebration of our baby girl turning 2 months old, it's also a celebration of us being parents for 2 months. And every moment has been amazing. (perhaps the diaper blow-outs haven't been the greatest moments, and neither were today's round of shots at the doctors, but everything else!)

Having this baby to love, this face to admire, and this lil body to cuddle is a-freakin-mazing!



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Today, we visited the pediatrician for her 2 month check up. And shots. My poor baby :( She did great though, thanks to my sister's recommendation of having a bottle set and ready..popped it in her mouth after the shots, and boom, settled :) Momma got a shot too, just so baby knew she wasn't in this alone! haha..(and maybe because I'm trying to avoid this nasty flu going around like it's my job)

2 month stats:
9 lbs, 11 oz.
24 1/4"

"Wooohooo, I'm 2 months!"


Tall and skinny. A little too skinny according to the "charts" but the doctor says he has no concerns and to keep doing what we're doing. Apparently breastfed babies don't get those extra rolls I'm used to seeing on all my baby loves, so we'll just have to bundle up with layers of snuggly clothes instead of relying on chunky thighs ;) He says she looks great, acts great, and is doing wonderfully on the cuteness chart. :) So not to worry.

Baby girl has recently started sleeping through the night. There have been 7 hour stretches and 2 nights of 8+ hours. And how wonderful those nights are!!

She's met all her milestones, that 2 month old of ours! So let's check out our 2 month favorites!

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Let me start by saying that everything listed in the 1 month favorites are STILL a current favorite at 2 months. We literally still use everything from the 1 month list and I'd still recommend it all!

But moving right along...

1. Bright Starts Activity Gym - She is LOVING this activity mat! It's comfy, plays music and flashes pretty lights, has a mirror hanging from it, and toys hanging down for her to bat at. She does tummy time for a little on the mat, and then switches to her back once she's over tummy time. She will lay on it and just smile and everything going on! And it's fun to watch her, of course :)

2. Baby Mittens- Great for 2 purposes! One being it stops her from scratching her face which she's pretty good at doing (those dang nails are hard to clip!) and two, it stops her from yanking out all my hair (which she is very good at doing!)

3. Gumdrop Pacifiers- She isn't big into paci's, but we always try as I know it calms her down and she's always trying to suck. It soothes her if we put it in for just a little while, and she'll spit it out when she's calm. These ones are her favorite, and I believe it's because they are most similar to the slow flow bottle nipples we use, which are pretty similar to the real deal she normally eats from!

4. Tiny Love Take-along Mobile- This one is a definite favorite! I bought this for Baby E for Christmas mainly to use on all of our road trips we were venturing on. It worked wonders. Aside from the arm in the photo above that clips onto cribs, bassinets, etc., it also comes with a clip to allow it to hang from things such as the car seat, stroller, etc. It is pretty small so I can just bring along the mobile part in the diaper bag and attach it to her car seat for longer car rides. On all of our adventures in month 2, such as to South Florida, Tally, Atlanta, etc., this hung from her car seat and kept her entertained and calm!

5. Lil Sleepers - Oh, how I love to dress her in these footed jammies! Like, ALL DAY AND NIGHT! It should be acceptable to wear these everywhere, and it makes J and I wonder why it isn't acceptable for adults to wear footed jammies everywhere! haha

6. JJ Cole Pacifier Pod- This hangs on the outside of our diaper bag. Makes it very easy to quickly grab a paci without having to search when baby starts fussing in a store or some quiet location. Also can be washed in the dishwasher or washing machine.

7. Skip Hop Diaper Bag - I have this diaper bag and love it. My sister got the same one, too :) It's cute and functional, not "baby-ish", but carries all her baby gear wonderfully!

8. Medela Harmony Manual Pump - I got this manual pump from the hospital when I delivered baby girl, and I stuck it in the closet thinking I wouldn't ever have a need for it since I have a double electric pump. Last minute, I threw it in the car before our 7 hour road trip to S. Florida. So lucky I did! I used it like crazy while traveling, and I am constantly using this on car rides when I need to pump and have a bottle ready for her in the car. What a lifesaver it became while traveling. Or should I say breastfeeding-saver!

9. Angelcare Movement Monitor - This monitor is great. Sound is great, quality is great, and most importantly, it detects movement/breathing and alerts you if necessary. It tells you the temperature in the room as well. For some reason, I like that feature when I wake up in the middle of the night?! Also, on the nursery unit, it has a halo nightlight -- works great for diaper changes in the middle of the night so that you don't have to turn the bright lights on.

10. I Love My Daddy book- Very cute book that J reads to our baby girl nightly :) Simple book - I think he has it memorized, but cute and I'm sure Baby E will have it memorized by the time she can talk, so her and Daddy can read it together!

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Baby E certainly jam-packed month 2 with as many adventures a 2 month old can handle (and then some)! She got to visit Florida for the first time, travel many hours in the car with mommy and daddy (get used to it, baby!), meet the rest of her family, and mucho more!


Our little family on the Deerfield Beach pier.

She was baptized!


...celebrated her first Christmas!






...left milk and cookies for Santa :)


Yes, we used Oreos for Santa :( There just isn't enough time in the day when we're in Florida. One year, one year - we will get around to making some fancy cookies for Santa out of our Christmas cookie cookbook!


...went to the park!



....and got to play with her cousins!



She went to South Florida (where Mommy & Daddy are from), Tallahassee (where Mommy & Daddy went to college), and Atlanta (twice! -- where Mommy & Daddy lived when we found out we were having lil E).

She saw the beach, met some new friends, and felts tons and tons of love from everyone! (Especially Mommy, Daddy, & Puppy!)





She started smiling at us -- because, you know, we are just hilarious, obviously! ;)



And more recently, she became interested in TOYS! Oh boy...it starts!




Who knew 2 month olds could be so busy?! It sure was a fun month :)

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Until next month... hope you've had fun catching up with me!!!

{Project 52} Week 2 :: This makes me laugh

Charlene2 Comments
Baby E is 2 months old today! Ahh, crazy. Check back for her 2 month photos tomorrow! :)

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My Project 52 Challenge by Paint The Moon

Week 2 Theme: "This makes me laugh"
My photo of the week:
Daddy making funny faces at Baby E

Why I chose this:
Well, the plain and simple answer: watching this makes me laugh! J will make the funniest faces, make up songs to her, play peek-a-boo -- whatever he can do to get our girl smiling and cooing. Some of the stuff he does really cracks me up and some of it is pretty ridiculous. Haha :) He gets her to stick out her tongue too (photo below!) This activity plays into our daily routine and I know it will only get cuter and cuter -- especially when she gets the belly laughs going! I love them both, and I love watching them play together :)

project 52 this is our life; this makes me laugh

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The top contenders:



Happy 1st Birthday, sweet Krissy!

Charlene4 Comments
Doesn't seem like it's already been a year since I was anticipating the arrival of my second little niece Kristina! 

Such a sweet, happy, always smiling beautiful girl! A mind of her own, that little one, and loves exploring the house while trying to keep up with her big sis (and boy, does she do a good job at keeping up!) Next year, we probably won't even be able to notice the 13 month gap between the 2 sissys!

A little look back on little Miss's first year!

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Newborn:
newborn diy photos


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6 months:
6 month diy photos

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1 year:

firefly action photo samples

You have the most beautiful blue eyes, sweet girl!
And your sissy loves you like it's her job. Really. She's helped hold your bottles, she pats your back when you're coughing, and tries to make you all better if you're crying. She is so delicate with you, and while you may not be delicate back, we know you'll always have her back! Sisters are forever :)
sisters are forever photo

1 year old photos at beach

1 year beach photography

12 month photos at the beach


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You are loved, little one! 1 year olds were definitely made for fun! Enjoy it, sweet girl :)
1 year olds were made for fun photography

My Little Newborn {Baby E photos}

Charlene9 Comments
I want to remember all of our snuggles and kisses. And looking each other in the eyes while drawing a smile on each other's faces - making that connection and just knowing we have that bond of momma and baby. I want to remember her Daddy time and all the stories he tells her, including the random facts she'll grow to spit out herself. And I'll wonder, "how the heck does she know that crap?" and then remember where it came from. Her Daddy time. Same way J apparently learned all of his random tidbits of useless, yet fascinating information.

But all of those moments, those will have to be tucked away in that 'memory jar' section of our minds. And I'll remember it! But her physical details - and how beautiful they are! - well those are easier to capture and look back on. From her nose to her toes and her hips to her lips. I want to remember all aspects of her newborn wrinkly skin and her tiny little nails that top her tiny little fingers. She's my little beauty, after all!

newborn detail photos

It's hard to believe my little girl is already 8 weeks old. Oh time, where do you go? I'm already missing her skinny eency weency legs, but loving the soft little chunk growing on them! Missing the sweet little newborn sleepers she's starting to grow out of, but loving the new ones we get to show off. I'm slowly realizing that while I miss her first few weeks and newborn-ish ways like crazy, with each little phase we pass, she gains some amazingly cute new traits, features, and habits. I know these cycles will only continue so I'm embracing each new milestone she reaches while kissing the old ones goodbye and tucking them into that little jar of memories in my head.





I want to remember those beautiful blue eyes that are full of curiosity and wonder.





And the way her bottom lip sticks straight out when she's starting to get sad. Oh, it melts my heart! But her silly faces make me feel all better.



Her calm demeanor that the hospital nurses spoke about will always be one of the first qualities I think of when meeting my baby girl.




I want to remember those tiny, cute little lips that love to blow bubbles!



And the day they started cracking smiles when Mommy or Daddy make fools of themselves by singing made up songs to you.



I love the way she fits so perfectly in Mommy and Daddy's arms - like she was meant to be there. And those arms will always be here to wrap around her, no matter her size!




And most importantly, I want to remember the way it all felt. The love. The bond. The gratefulness. I want to remember the way it felt to meet our little creation and know that we are bonded for life as a family.



I want to remember our beautiful little girl - the one who stole our heart in an instance.



We love you, Baby E!