I'm so glad when daddy comes home...

Chris will be returning tomorrow from a BYU business trip in San Francisco and I am SO HAPPY. The night he left I caught a bad cold (which is difficult with a new baby who still wakes up 2 to 3 times a night). Maren and I will be waiting with hugs and kisses!

Maren's 8 Week Update

Eight weeks have flown by and Maren is getting cuter each day (which I didn't think possible when she first arrived). She is incredibly ALERT and is fascinated by everything in this new world. She has been "talking" like crazy and gets all worked up when she wants to say something. Her little body wiggles around like she's storing up energy and then she babbles a big mouth-full. Maren has discovered her hand and apparently is tastes great. She is also realizing she only likes to sleep in Mom's arms and quickly wakes up if I try to put her in her crib. At times I worry I'm teaching her bad sleep habits, but mostly I don't care and just want to cuddle her while I can...we'll worry about the rest when she's a bit older. You'd be amazed at how many things I can do holding a baby. Happily, blogging is a one-arm activity (unlike a lot of housework and cooking). Mom and Dad are definitely smitten and still can't believe they get to keep her!

Three little things...

"I have been impressed recently with the thought that this life is made up of little things—little things that are very important." -Joseph B. Wirthlin

These three little things cheered me up today!
1. Maren slept SIX straight hours before waking up to eat! (I used to put her in a laundry basket on top of the dryer to calm her down during her fussy time...)
2. Made a pot of chicken noodle soup last night...my favorite winter comfort food.
3. I ordered a set of three hand-crocheted pot holders (which come in a polka-dot pouch) from cspost.com. They arrived in the mail last week and look like they came straight out of Grandma's kitchen.

Six Weeks Old!

Maren turned 6 weeks old today. Quite the milestone in a baby's life. We've noticed she is a lot happier and I can even put her in the swing while making dinner without her crying immeditately. Most importantly, she said her first real "ahh" today. Chris and I were so excited and proud!

Grandma's Dresses

Well, I finally (almost) finished my "Grandma's Dresses" quilt for Maren! (Read about the REAL Grandma's Dresses quilt here...kind of a cute idea!) I still have to bind it, but thanks to Maren's longer naps these last few days I finished machine quilting the top today. I am a huge fan of Denyse Schmidt and found a picture of one of her custom quilts online, and I fell in love with it. One thing I love about DS Quilts is the simplicity...which in turn makes most of her quilts pretty easy to copy. I also love the colors! Sometimes I feel a little bombarded with PINK so the yellow and green is a nice, cheerful alternative (especially in dreary January). There are some obvious mistakes. I am still trying to figure out how to NOT bunch the fabric when machine quilting, but overall I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.
And here is a little peak into M's room. The crib is a hand-me-down from Aunt Cari and we found the changing table at Down East (a Pottery Barn Second).

...and I highly recommend this book!

Maren's Baby Blessing

On Sunday, we had Maren's baby blessing. Maren was darling in her dress and the perfect angel all day. Chris gave also offered the most beautiful blessing. Mama was sure proud of her little family!

Happy Belated New Year!

Who wouldn't love waking up to this sweet smile every morning? Morning Maren is alert, loves to smile, and has been trying her best to coo...she's almost got it! Night Maren can still be a little cranky, but we love her anyway. Happy New Year to all!