Halloween - Maya Style!

"This paci is not part of my costume."

Today is Halloween, and Maya is resting up for her big night. This morning, we went to my old school to visit the Halloween party. The sixth graders usually plan and run the party, so we wanted to go hang out with them, since they were my fifth graders last year. Maya had a great time visiting all her new friends, but was absolutely exhausted after we left. She fell asleep in the car, and is still fast asleep, an hour later. Tonight we are heading to Alex's house for some trick or treating in his neighborhood. I think we're going to leave some candy on our doorstep for the kids in our neighborhood. We usually don't get anyone though. It's a bummer. That's why we're getting out of dodge for trick or treating tonight! It's more fun with lots of kids running around!

"Happy Halloween!"


"I'm just thinking about all the candy I'm going to eat tonight..."

Ha!

Recently, Maya has been a little upset that some of you have been insinuating that she just isn't ready to sleep through the night. In honor of her 7 months birthday, she decided to retaliate and show you that she can, in fact, sleep all night long. Well, guess what? She slept from 8:00 last night, until 6:50 this morning! She woke up a few times, but put herself back to sleep like a champ! Happy 7 month, Maya! Or should I say, "Happy 7 months, Mommy!"

Maya's Prosthetic Chin.

Does anyone else think Maya's chin looks fake?

Hi! I'm 7 months today!

I have a very sleepy 7 month old on my hands today. Why is it that she can sleep so well one week, and then the following week, she is up 3-5 times a night? I don't get it. Sigh. Anyway, we're working on it. The reality is, she is big enough, old enough, and full enough to sleep through the night.

That said, our little girl has made huge strides in the past couple of months. Last night, Kevin and I were talking about whether or not she's changed this month. Here are the fun things I've seen this month:
1. She's eating 3 solid meals a day, in her high chair.
2. She's sitting up on her own, and has lost most of her wobbliness.
3. She's pushing up higher on her belly.
4. She's swiveling and scooting on her belly - maybe she'll crawl soon!
5. She's babbling up a storm - lots of mamama, dadada, gagagaga, blahblahblah.
6. She's sleeping on her belly.
7. She's drinking water out of a sippy cup.

I think that's it... I'm anxiously awaiting a crawling Maya with teeth!!!


"Yeah, I have furry shoes on, you wanna make something of it?"


"Happy 7 months to me!"

Grampy's Maya

Check out Maya's hood, Grampy! This one's for you! Maya didn't want to cooperate for this particular photo shoot, but I think you get the idea. Also, on a side note, check out Kev's new Obama shirt, lurking in the background.


"What? You want to take a picture of me???"


"Look at my hood, Grampy!"

What's the deal...

...with winter coats for babies? I am so confused, I don't even know what to do with myself. Maya tried on 2 buntings yesterday. Now, to me, it seems like this is the best option. She'd be warm head to toe, right? Well, the problem is, will she be hot in the car? Will it be easy to take on and off? Is it safe to wear something that bulky in the car seat (you aren't supposed to wear puffy, bulky clothes under car seat straps, for safety reasons)?

So anyway, the other options are a run of the mill winter coat, a Bundle-Me (a fleece car seat cover up), or a light fleece jacket. I think the Bundle-Me is out, because I don't really carry Maya around in the car seat if I can help it. It's too laborious and heavy. That said, I don't want her to be freezing when she gets in and out of the car. What to do? I'm at a loss...but doesn't she look cute, modeling these buntings?


"Um, this one says 6-9 months, but I think it might fit a newborn. It's so tight and my head doesn't even really fit into the hood!"


"Get me a fan, Mommy! This thing is hot!"

Maya's First Biscuit - Part I: What in the World is This??

You think she likes it? I'm not sure, and neither is she...

Maya's First Biscuit - Part II: I Think I Like This!

Maya's First Biscuit - Part III: I'm Done Here

I think Maya is finished with this particular biscuit... She seems to have lost interest.

Someone Come get Me!

Maya had a rough night last night. She woke up a whopping 4 times, and was less than thrilled about it. I happier news, she woke up at 7:30 this morning. At least I think so. I heard her babbling away in her crib, so I crept in with the camera, knowing that she was waking up happy. She was lying there in her fleecy wearable blanket, totally relaxed and playing. I love when she wakes up happy. There is absolutely nothing like it. Next week we visit the sleep specialist, in the hopes that she can help Maya sleep through the night. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

"Good morning, Mommy! I missed you last night!"


"I love this aquarium."


"Please don't leave me. I might fall!"


"What's for breakfast? I hope it's yogurt with blueberries..."

Maya's playdate

Maya had a playdate at Cooperella this morning. We met Ayler and Susie, and Christina and Charlie for some coffee and playtime. I know Susie and Christina from school, and both of them are going back pretty soon, so it was time to get the babes together. This was our first time meeting Ayler, and she sure is a beauty. Her middle name is "Blue," which is very fitting for a girl with giant, beautiful blue eyes. Charlie is absolutely adorable too, and he has grown exponentially since the last time we saw him. He slept almost the whole time we were together, which makes me insanely jealous, since Maya isn't the best sleeper... After our date, we went to school to visit the teachers and some of the students. I miss school sometimes, but going there does reinforce my decision to stay home this year. There is nothing better than spending all day with my baby!

"I'm resting up for my big playdate!"


"The floor of Cooperella is not my friend. It's very hard..."


"I'm a drooling machine today."


"Charlie! Open those eyes!!! You look so adorable and toasty today!"


"Ayler, Can I have some of that?"

Our Busy Weekend.

Maya had a very socially eventful weekend. On Saturday she was a hit at the Halloween Party, and on Sunday she had a lunch date with Daddy's friends, and capped off the day with a visit to Nash and Margot's house. She is very tired today, and is already on her second nap. I'm glad we go out a lot. It seems like Maya sleeps better when she has more going on during the day. She has lots of little friends, and she thrives on a hearty social life.


"Who does this foot belong to?"


"Vote Obama! All the babies are doing it!"


"C'mon Mom! Let's go out on the town!"

SO not Kosher.

More lobster for you... in case you're still hungry.

"Hey there Yoda and Sharkie. You guys are awfully cute..."


"Alex, how'd you get all the way up there?"


"One day, I will crawl away."

Rock Lobster

We went with the lobster. The party was a lot of fun. The balloon man made Maya a lobster hat, and there was a folk singer who performed kid's songs. The turnout was also great - 150 people! Maya hung out with Kevin in the Bjorn while I helped with the party. I think the 2 of them had a great time. They sure were exhausted. Maya fell asleep in the car on the way home, and stayed sleeping for over an hour. Tonight Brook and Brie aand I had a girls' night (well, Alex and James were there)tonight, while the husbands had drinks with Mitch (he graduated from Kev's residency last year). It was a very eventful and satisfying Saturday. Good night sleepy Maya!


"Look at my hat!"


"Alex, we both came as seafood!"


Mommy, where's your costume?"

Pre-Gaming

Today was the annual WUMCHA (the women's group, for wives of WashU residents) Halloween party. Jodi and I had planned the party, so I've really been looking forward to it. Before we went, Maya tried on her 2 costumes, just to check out our options... The weather is whacky here, so we couldn't decide. Can you guess which we chose (don't guess if you already know)!

"Daddy, these tights are only supposed to go up to my waist!"

"This is not a costume, but, like my shirt says, Daddy does love me."


"Should I be a bumblebee?"




"Or should I be a lobster?"

The Heat.

"What's that banging noise?"

"Dress me in toasty clothes, Mommy! It's cold outside!"

It's cold in St. Louis, so I turned on the heat. Maya is too little to use a blanket, so I figured that keeping the house at 72 degrees would keep her nice and warm. The thing is, the heat is making this weird banging noise in Maya's room. I mean, it's so loud, it's coming through the monitor, and it's like every couple of minutes. Hmmmm. Curious.

Happy Belated Birthday, Margot!

So, while we were away in Orlando, Brooke, Ray, and Nash welcomed their new bundle into the world. We finally had a chance to meet Margot yesterday morning. It's hard to believe that Maya was ever that small. Holding Margot is like holding a stuffed animal - without the fur, of course. It's amazing. Brooke's parents have been here helping out, but they are leaving today to drive back to Virginia. Next up, Ray's mom comes for a visit. Nashy and Margot must be digging all the grandparent love. I know Maya loves it when the grands come for a visit. Anyway, we're home now, gearing up for the big Halloween party tomorrow morning. We need to rest up!


"My thumb is so good... so good..."


"What's going on, and who's that baby?"


"I'm so glad there's another girl baby in the playgroup!"


"Can I touch her, please? I'm neurotic about washing my hands - just like Mommy."

Back to Tubby Time - St. Lou Style.

"I'm a mess! Time for my tubby!"













What to do? Maya is still bathing in the blue, plastic tub. She likes it, but I think we could easily switch over to bathing in the sink or the real tub. The problem is, those annoying shower doors. I feel like I won't be able to reach in very well. If we were staying in this house for good, we'd remove the shower doors, but right now, it doesn't seem practical. I'll have to figure this one out. Maya is turning into quite the splasher, which, while adorable, is a little messy. We all seem to take a bath when Maya goes in the blue tub...


"Mmmmm. It's toasty in here."


"This looks drinkable. Can I have some?"


"Are we almost done here?"


"Going in the tub is so tiring..."

Medium Maya

I've been getting a lot of comments lately, asking me if Maya is always "this happy." Well, to be honest, she's a pretty happy baby. She deserves it, considering the fact that her first few months of life were very hard on her. She was one of the fussiest babies I had ever met. She's pretty delightful these days - especially by comparison! That said, she's not always happy. Sometimes she's sad, angry, sleepy, or just serious. I don't take many photos of sad Maya (who has time to take photos when they have a screaming baby?), but I have plenty of "serious Maya" photos that I thought I'd share. The serious photos seem fairly boring to me, but oh well.


"Something stinks."


"I love you, Grampy, but I'm bored."

"It always feels cold when I get out of the pool..."

"I'm feeling serious again."

I'm Maya B., and I approve this message.

"I'm home!!!"











We're home! Yup, it's back to the daily grind in St. Louis. We had a great time in Orlando, but it was time to go. Speaking of time, yesterday was... well... less than productive. Kevin had his presentation in the morning, and then we checked out of the hotel at noon, leaving us a whopping 8 hours and 40 minutes until our flight. Ugh. First, we had lunch at Planet Hollywood in Pleasure Island. We realized it was the first time we've ever gone out, just the 3 of us, to a restaurant where we've gotten served by a waitress. It was actually really nice, and Maya was such a good girl. She ate peas and brown rice. After lunch, we walked around a bit, trying to decide if we should try to take Maya to a movie, in the hopes that she's sleep through it. It didn't work out though, and we ended up at "The Florida Mall," which is a ritzy mall in what seemed like a not-so-nice-area. We walk around for a while, rested a little, and then realized we might as well go to the airport and hang out. We ended up watching "The Office" (British version - I highly recommend it) on Kev's laptop, and having a leisurely dinner. Maya slept through most of the flight, the cab ride home, and even through her transfer into the crib. Could I ask for much more?

"Back to the old high chair!"


"Wait - these aren't real people..."


"This guy isn't real either!"


"I guess we won't be going to the pool until next summer..."


"This was the best vacation ever!!!"