March Madness

Elaine turned fourth months!

She had her 4mo. doctor's appointment yesterday.  Here's her stats:

13lb. 13oz. (~50th percentile)

25in long (80th-90th) 

Head...(in the 80th-90th)

She can now roll over from her stomach to back and can get from her back to her side, but hasn't quite made that last quarter of a turn.  She reaches with both hands and tries to put everything in her mouth.  She loves peek-a-boo, reading books, falling backwards (she's an adrenalin junkie), and watching the TV.

During the days at daycare and Mom's she's been fussier than normal.  Some days she hardly eats or sleeps...I think it correlated with me putting her on the medium-flow bottles.  We will probably go back to slow flow for now until she's ready for the faster ones.

Elaine has such a little personality.  She smiles and giggles so much, especially when Daddy lifts her up in the air and when Mommy kisses her belly.  She's so easy going and good about going new places, seeing new people, and lying peacefully on her play mat.  Recently she's gone so many places...

• To Bucksmont indoor sports complex to watch Daddy play soccer and win a game :) (except she slept the whole time, thank goodness).
• St. Teresea of Calcutta where we played music for the stations of the cross.  I found out that night it's on Mike's bucket list to go up into the steeple of a church.
• The King of Prussia mall, where we spent the day.  I never realized how many parents with strollers were at the mall on the weekend until we became one of them.  Mike and I both got new shoes.  Woohoo!
• The bank so Mommy and Daddy could sit down and talk finances.
• A friend's house for a ravioli party.  She was awake and happy to look around.  She fell asleep in my arms around 9:00PM, then stayed asleep when we finally left at 1:00AM and didn't even wake up for the carseat transitions or when I laid her down.
• Out to dinner two times.  The first time was after the mall, so she was exhausted, but she couldn't sleep with all the commotion. We all took turns walking her around.  The second time she was an angel and slept through it.

Inside the new Catholic church
where we did the Stations.

Her most recent routine has been to go to bed between 7:00PM-8:00PM and get up 1-3 times to eat or just cry a little.  It has been nice to have a few hours in the evening to myself to get things done, relax with Mike or hang out with friends.  It feels so strange to be with our friends with no baby!  I get anxious and have to keep checking on her.  I've also pretty much broken the habit of letting her sleep in bed with us...occasionally I do, when I can't get her back to sleep.  I have to go on a three day work trip the first weekend in April, so I'm trying to prepare her and Mike for that.  :(  ::gulps::

Elaine's baptism in February was wonderful!  So many of our family came out to support her in this big event (thank you all!).  Father DeLacy did a terrific job and she was blessed to have her great godparents, Kelly and Sean, present.  We had a reception afterward at the same restaurant that hosts Theology on Tap (I have pictures of one of those events here). 

My cousins helped with the homily :)

This is the only picture anyone sent me
of Mike's family that day

Mike's family drove all the way from Pittsburgh for her special day.  They arrived on Friday and were able to join us for dinner on Saturday.  It's not often the whole Muckian family is together, so it was very special.

Last month, Elaine met her Super Gammy for the first time!  It was really special.  Gammy stayed for the whole week so we got to see her several nights.  We also got to have her over our apartment for a quick visit to see our first place.  She very sweetly said she liked my taste.  :)  Kelly, Sean and cousin Mark were over a little bit that week too, which is always so nice.

 

It's hard to even write about Mike and me separate from Elaine, because our lives are so inextricable.  Today she has napped for 3 1/2 hours (and counting) after sleeping 9pm-9am last night (with 2 nursing periods).  I was able to workout, clean up, have lunch, do some laundry, blog, and respond to emails that have been sitting around for a month.  It is so therapeutic for me to catch up on (some) things and to exercise.  Mike is out helping Chris work on his house and tonight we're going over to Chris and his wife Elizabeth's place for dinner.

Day-to-day we do our best to keep on top of household chores, eating well, getting ready for the next work day, and spending time together. This month we hope to watch Villanova in the Big East tournament and the NCAA tournament.  We're making weekend plans with Kelly and Sean and sometime in the near future with  Mike's parents.

Until next time!  God bless.

Herbed turkey in the slow cooker  This was easy and yummy

Brothers, if anyone is caught in a transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.  Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.  Galations 6:1