One smart cookie

Today Gwen was playing with Vi (her best friend and nanny) and Vi asked her to get the ladybug book. So, Gwen reached up on the bookshelf and got the ladybug book. Then, Vi asked her to get her foot book. So, Gwen reached up on the bookshelf and got the foot book. Dude, my kid is not even 11 mo yet and she's WICKED smart! She's also already going up and back down the stairs on her own.

Now, if only she'd say mama in reference to me, not just as a general statement.

Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted and a LOT has been going on! Let's see...house first (it's shorter): We're fully moved in. Mom and dad spent a few weeks with us helping us unpack boxes, keeping Gwen entertained, etc. All in all we were fairly box free in under two weeks which was pretty amazing. We decided that a formal living room was a useless room for us so we moved the dining room into the front living room and changed the former dining room into Gwen's play room (it's close to the kitchen and out of the line-of-sight of my office). It was the best decision we've made since moving in as we spend more time in her play room than any other room in the house. Since I was able to keep my job we splurged and bought a beautiful 56" LED TV and the box has been almost as much fun as the TV as it is a perfect play house for Gwen (we cut a little door and windows out). I've painted ONE room but I have a plan for the rest of the rooms so I just have to slowly but surely knock one room out at a time...those white walls don't stand a chance.

Now, the good stuff....Gwen. She has completely blossomed since moving. All this space has brought out the adventurer in her. She crawls like a speed demon all over the house and has been standing and 'cruising' with the help of furniture for awhile now. she's even stood on her own for a few seconds several times now. She's babbling all the time and, while she doesn't yet know exactly what it means, says mamamama and dadadada (on command). She's waving and clapping too. Her favorite things: her big brown bear (she hugs and kisses him when you say his name), all of her books (she flips the pages for us....laughs every time I read 'no Pat no, don't sit on that'), any dog (real, picture, stuffed), climbing up anything she can get a grip on, climbing the stairs, and shoes (she walks one shoe around the house, stares at her own shoes, tries to eat our flip flops....). Her favorite music is anything from Lady Gaga (she bounces whenever her songs come up on her playlist...yep, she has a playlist), her favorite books are her brilliant baby word books, anything dr. seuss and her noisy farm book, and she loves to play with her big bouncy balls (she bats them across the floor and then chases them).

Last week gramma and happa sent gwen a little walker toy. Here is a video of her first use...she's a pro already!

The big move

Well, it's official. The Rouse family is moving to Richmond. We closed on the new house yesterday. We'll be living in Chester, which is about 12 miles south of Richmond (close to James' office, the airport and closer to Deven...about 1.25 hours which is a HUGE improvement on the 4-5 hr commute from Northern Virginia). The moving van is coming to clean out the Fairfax townhome next Thursday and we'll be officially moved in on Friday, May 21.

I've been really lucky that ACRP has been so open about the move. I'll be starting my telecommuting arrangement on June 1, driving up to the office for important meetings or when needed. The thought of not commuting 1.5 hours to the office EACH WAY gives me butterflies in my belly.

We'll post photos as soon as possible!

7 months

Here are some recent photos of Gwen. Just this morning she pulled herself up to standing in her crib. She's been standing with help for awhile now and pulling herself from laying to sitting but going all the way to standing was big-time for her! Way to go kid!

April Update

Well it's official, the Rouse family is moving to Richmond. Some of my work folks know but the rest will know tomorrow. They have been really cool and are open to a telecommuting arrangement so I'll be able to keep my role but ditch the 1.5 hour (EACH way) commute. YAY!!! The house if half way packed and we can't wait for the moving van to get here on the 20th!

Here are the new digs:

Gwen's 6 months of smiles video montage

Thanks to mom's donation of a mac computer (god I love mac), I was able to get a little creative with our collection of videos...enjoy.

First tooth

Gwen's first tooth surfaced this weekend. James and I were just playing around with her on Friday night and low and behold...the little chomper has broken free! Maybe that's why she's been kinda cranky all week.

Sarah (her nanny) has been doing a great job of working her into solid foods though and now she wolfs down her bananas, beans and sweet potatoes. It still takes her awhile to get used to new flavors but once she does, she's devoted!

Almost crawling

She's working on it!

Solid Food update

We're getting much better! So far we've tried banana's (big fan), an apple/prune mix, a pea/pear/mint mix (big fan) and sweet potatoes (eh, not so much). She's eating about two ice cube sized servings every day mixed in with some cereal and formula. As for finger food...not yet. She does grab at whatever I am putting in my mouth but when we tried little pieces of banana she spit them back out. We'll keep toying with it though.

She's still not a 'neat' eater by any means. When she's done with the food she wipes off her tongue with her hand and then rubs her food laden hand ALL over her face...evidence below.

Gwen's newest thing

Gwen has learned that if she smacks her lips together in the 'ma ma ma' motion that we'll do it too and it cracks her up! so now we have back and forth 'ma ma ma' sessions....I like to think that she's just really excited to say ma ma...if only that were true. Here are some recent photos of Gwen at 6-months

Gwen and Grandma

Gwen and Uncle Justin at Red Robin (yumm)

Gwen's first blog

x8x8h cm  7m mm  yhhukitgf

Solid Foods

About two weeks ago we gave Gwen her first taste of rice cereal. We had read that when they start obsessing about watching you eat and reaching for that food that you're eating they might be ready for solids. Gwen definitely obsesses and I think she wants to eat what I'm eating but that part is hard because she eats (or put in her mouth) absolutely everything...including the cat.

Her first experience with rice cereal resulted in that scrunched up 'I don't like this' face. Second time (a week later) the same. This week, still not liking it. I thought that maybe a little more flavor would be enticing for her so I tried a tiny bit of peas mixed in with the cereal....still yuck. Last night I experimented with some mashed sweet potatoes thinking maybe something sweet would be the ticket....yuck again. So, we'll keep trying some new flavors every week or so until she finds something she likes. Her little personality sure is stubborn!

First haircut

Tonight I gave Gwen her first haircut and in doing so learned a few valuable lessons:
1) Start small, you can always cut more hair but you can't cut less....I may have over cut a tad
2) When your husband says don't cut it or she'll look like a boy, he may be right
3) It's important to remember that the baby wants whatever you have in your hands and scissors are not good toys for babies (no worries, she didn't get her hands on them...geesh!)
4) When you maybe over cut you naturally try to even it out all over...don't. It just gets worse

In all seriousness, it's not that bad...she'll just have to wear a lot of pink for the next few months. Photos to come soon.

The new video camera

James bought me a new video camera for christmas which was awesome. Finally I can take video of Gwen and inundate everyone with mindnumbing videos of Gwen smiling, eating, playing with her feet...anything. It's very cool so enjoy!

Our Snowed In Weekend

Ugh, snowed in all weekend. We got about a foot of snow on Saturday...while I hate being stuck inside all day long, I really enjoyed having a full day of Gwen time (and staying in my PJs all day). Gwen is 4 months, 1 week now and she's doing great. She has started to get sick of her play mat and she wants to be sitting upright all the time now. The bumbo seat works great for a little while but James and I decided that it was time to invest in one of those baby gym things. It's hysterical. Her little toes just touch the ground but she can get enough momentum to bounce and spin so she bounces and tries to grab the little toys on the ring around her but the bouncing inhibits her coordination a little...I suppose it's a learning experience!

Gramma and Happa sent Gwen an adorable valentines day outfit so we took advantage of the day inside and took some great photos...enjoy.

Gwen in the 'wind tunnel' (James blowing on her...she loves it)

Gwen in her valentines day outfit

On her play mat

....still has that boufant hair. stylin. It's starting to lay flat(er) though.

Gwen's 4-month check-up

Gwen had her 4-month doctors appointment yesterday. It included her second round of immunizations which meant two shots for her and an oral goop. She did MUCH better with the shots than she did at her 2-month appointment...she cried during the shots but was back to smiling and cooing as soon as they were done and unlike the last time she didn't feel yucky and lathargic afterwards. She did sleep a bunch all day and was running a slight fever before bedtime but she was still smiling, playing and eating like a champ. She continues to be a long skinny baby despite all of my efforts to fatten her up:
Weight: 12lbs 13oz (33%ile)
Height: 25in (87%ile)

Apparently she's quite the advanced little tike though with all of her rolling over (both ways) and her ability to hold her own weight on her legs when held in the standing position...to me that just means that I'll need to child-proof the house before I thought.

Gwen's newest discovery...her feet. She can't take her eyes off of them. She grabs them and it looks like she really wants to put them in her mouth but she just can't get them there....either she's too tall or her diaper is in the way. I'm sure she'll figure something out eventually.

She's started to hold her own bottle...big steps for a little girl!

She loves Margot...cause she has lots and lots of hair to hold on to. Fortunately Gwen hasn't tried to put it in her mouth yet...it's only a matter of time though.

This isn't the best photo but it's the only one I have of Gwen and her giraffe lovie which she LOVES. She'll rub it all over her face before falling asleep.

Gwen update

Well folks, the little monkey is officially sick. It's only a cold so it's nothing major at this point but she's full of snot (I had no idea so much snot could come out of such a small nose) and had this tiny delicate little cough that wakes her up at night. When Gwen doesn't feel good she just gets very quiet and kinda lathargic rather than crying which somehow just makes me feel horrible for her. She's getting plenty of rest and she's still eating well so I'm sure she'll pull through like a champ.

She is officially FOUR MONTHS today...can you believe it! She has her 4-month dr appt on Monday which means more shots for her. yuck. But I'm excited to see how she's doing from a growth standpoint...she's one long baby (she's in her 6month clothes already)!

Here are some of her latest and greatest:

Gwen loves her little fuzzy bunnies in her car seat. She's a tactile baby...loves to run her hands over anything soft.

Her favorite new snuggly towel (thank you Marilyn!!)

Out on our walk on Monday. her hair is getting lighter!

James and Gwen playing airplane, one of her favorites.

Gwen not feeling so great last night...aw.

The life of this working mom

For my own memory down the line, I thought I would document and share my current schedule:
3:30-4:00am - Gwen's typical wake-up and eat time
5:00am - wake up to get ready for work (that one hour of extra sleep is TOTALLY worth it) and pump
6:00-7:00am - drive to work...hope for really good music that can wake me up (the book on tape requires too much mental engagement that early in the morning)
8:30am - pump. Now, it's worthwhile to note that pumping in my office to 100% akward. Not only do I feel it's just weird to have my boobs out at work, I hate thinking that other people know that I have my boobs out at work....it's a lot to adjust to. Fortunately I had a lock put on my door last Friday cause that chair wedged up against the door handle just didn't provide enough emotional security for me. Can you imagine anything more horrific than someone walking in and seeing me sitting there in my hands free pump bra and funnels? god.
11:30am - pump
2:30pm - pump
3:30pm (ish) - leave work to go pick up Gwen
5:00pm - pick up Gwen from Rachael's house. Usually she's just getting up from a nap, well fed and HAPPY (thank you nanny Sarah!). This is absolutely one of the best parts of my day. That first smile is enough to wipe away any stress or bad remnants from work. Man she sure is cute.
5:00-6:00(ish) - play play play.
6:00pm (ish) - Gwen will usually take about a 30 min nap at some point in the early evening. This is when I make my dinner attempts which I have to say have been pretty darned good lately. I'm not going to go so far as to call myself a good cook but I'm pretty proud that I'm able to get food on the table and usually eat in about 30min or less. I''ll admit that I do rely on frozen meals about half of the time....sometimes I just don't feel like cooking.
7pm - 8:30/9:00pm - I get another hour or so of Gwen time and while she's not as bright and shiney as she usually is in the morning, we still have a great time cause by this time dad is usually done working and he is brilliant at making her laugh. We also give her a nice bath about every other night...she loves it. This is another one of my favorite times of the day.
9:00/9:30pm - Time for bed. Too often I get sucked into something and end up staying up till 10pm but I need more than 6 hours of sleep so I'm trying to get to bed earlier these days.

All in all we're making it work. Being back in the office is fine. I really like the people I work with so it makes the days enjoyable. My perspective on the work has certainly changed though, but I think it's for the better. I'd say I've definitely been forced to be more efficient with my time as I can't work into the wee hours of the night anymore and I think my team is starting to get used to me not being available 24/7 via blackberry. Yay! I always hated that blackberry anyways.

So I'll leave you with this latest working mom learning moment: Last week I rushed back to my office after a meeting as I was late to pumping and I felt like I had rocks on my chest. I whipped out my pump, plugged in the funnels, got my 'hands free' bra thing in place and started her up. I was a good 3 minutes into the process when I felt wetness on the top of my legs. I had completely forgotten to put the collection bottles on the funnels...milk everywhere. Not cool with black pants on. As any good mom does, I had a stash of wet wipes in my purse though so all was well...except that I lost a good 2 ounces which sucks cause that milk is like pure gold.

Gwen's new trick

On new years day Gwen discovered how to roll over from her back to her belly. Now, this would be a great thing if she actually liked to be on her stomach but she lasts about 3 mintues before getting irritated. The problem is that while she used to know how to turn over from her stomach to her back (which was aggrivating when we were trying to make sure she got adequate tummy time), she has since forgotten so we now find ourselves in a constant cycle of laying down on paymat, flipping over, crying, returning her to her back, flipping back over to her tummy, crying...and so on. Super.

Fortunately Happa bought Gwen a bumbo seat.

Gwen feeling pretty proud of her ability to roll over

Still pretty happy on her tummy

In the bumbo seat after getting frustrated on her belly (I love that look of concentration....she's going to get that stuffed bird!)

Christmas 2009

Gwen had a fantastic first Christmas! I (Jenna) was able to get an additional 2 weeks of maternity leave so I didn't return to work until the 28th but mom had already made her plans to come out and be 'nanny' for a few weeks so we were able to get some good quality time in (and some shopping) before christmas day. Happa and Deven joined us the week of Christmas. We've never had so many people in our little townhome at one time but I have to say that it was pretty comfortable! Dad helped us get the house in order, mom helped us stay well fed and organized, Deven made Gwen laugh (Deven can make her smile and laugh like no one else can) and James and I just sat around and watched it all (ha! right.).

Gwen is continuing to be an amazing baby. She's still sleep throught he night regularly and she's always quick with a smile. Gramma has had quite an effect on her though, causing many 'firsts' during her visit. On Gramma's first night in town (her birthday) she got Gwen's first laugh and on Sunday, Dec 20th James and I were out running errands and came home to a Gwen who had found her voice! Ever since she has been a gurgling singing machine!

We missed our Thanksgiving post so I've included some photos from that day as it was pretty funny how Gwen discovered sticking out her tongue. She's a funny kid!

(our christmas card photo)

Gwen on Thanksgiving (pretty funny photo though)

Gwen found her tongue on Thanksgiving too!

Gwen eating her Elf on the Shelf doll....mmm.

A snow storm hit the weekend before xmas and dumped 24" on us. Of course James donned his bermuda shorts and crocks to shovel (surprising he didn't wear his flip flops!)

 Gwen's new hat from Nancy...it's the only way to control that hair!

Footy PJs with glow in the dark skulls...awesome.

Happa brought Gwen her first fleece vest...she's a snow bunny already!

Heading out in the cold to play with some of Deven's new xmas toys (he got a mini-motorcycle this year)