Red, White and Cute

We had a great Memorial Day celebration at Grambie and Grandpop's yesterday. Mommy had the day off of work so we spent the day relaxing and catching up on things around the house.

Our long winter has finally ended and yesterday sure felt hot and summery!! Katherine dipped her feet in the cool water in Grandpop and Grambie's baby pool. We're excited to set up our own infant pool for our happy splasher to enjoy!

Set in Stone

After 5 months of waiting, at least half a dozen phone calls and worst of all an accident resulting in a broken foot for Grambie, we are excited to report that landscapers finally came out to repair our walkway and yard today. When we moved in, the water company had dug a hole to repair the water line going to our house. We are very thankful that it was successfully repaired, but have been frustrated with how long it has taken for them to finish the job (the original estimate was 6 weeks).

We tried to take advantage of freshly poured concrete to set Katherine's footprint in stone, but the concrete was too dry, and Katherine didn't provide enough force to leave her mark. There's a small smudge in the corner of our new step, however, that will forever remind us of Katherine's tiny toes and how happy we are about our new walk. :-) We're excited to finish renovating our lawn as the weather continues to warm, and we're looking forward to many happy days on our new lawn.

Terrific Two Months

Katherine is officially 2 months old today, and checked in fantastically at her 2 month check-up! She weighed 11lbs, 4oz (43rd percentile) and was a lengthy 24 inches long (87th percentile). Katherine also withstood 2 shots and an oral vaccine at her appointment, and the doctor reported she's as healthy as can be.

Katherine even showed off at her appointment-- rolling from front to back (for the first time) when the doctor put her on the exam table! The doctor was impressed with her strength and head control, and reported she's even ready for the jogging stroller. Now Mommy and Daddy have no excuse to put off training for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon. :-)

Happy Birthday Uncle Dante!

Katherine wants to wish her Godfather, Uncle Dante, an especially happy birthday! We enjoyed celebrating last night with delicious pizza, cake and ice cream. 

Katherine sends big cheers to Uncle Dante, and hopes his birthday is a grand slam!!

Date Night!

This Friday Mommy and Daddy got to go for a date night out, while Katherine and Grambie had a date night at home. Mommy and Daddy enjoyed dinner, some games at Dave and Busters, and a Coldstone treat to top off the night.

It's hard to say who had more fun-- Mommy and Daddy enjoyed the time to reconnect, and Katherine sure loved playing with Grambie. It's still a little hard to leave our Sweet Pea, but knowing she's in great hands makes it a lot easier, and we were able to enjoy ourselves and have a great time! Thank you Grambie for a great date! :-)

Breast is Best :)

As I do nutrition counseling for pregnant and new moms, babies and children, I spend a lot of my day thinking and talking about breastfeeding. I have plenty of reasons why I support breastfeeding as a nutrition educator, but I have even more important reasons why I support breastfeeding as a mom. Katherine and I would like to share some of our top reasons that we love nursing with you...

10.  Breastfeeding moms are legally entitled to 2 breaks a day to pump milk. This gives me time to unwind and refocus which helps for a smoother transition back into the workplace.
9. Breastfeeding helps me lose my pregnancy weight more quickly and healthfully (even as a nutritionist I gained almost double the recommended weight while pregnant)
8. Breastfeeding saves money. Formula costs about $1,000 in the first year, while breastfeeding is basically free.
7. Breastfeeding decreases my likliness of getting breast and ovarian cancers. It als helps protect my bones from osteoporosis.
6. My immune system protects Katherine and she is less likely to get sick as an infant. She is also less likely to develop allergies, asthma, diabetes and several other complications as she grows up.
5. I get more sleep as a breastfeeding mom. When Katherine is hungry at night I just have to pull her in bed, feed her, then drop her back in her cosleeper. With no bottles to prepare it only takes a couple minutes and no one has to get out of bed.
4. I get to give Katherine all homemade, unprocessed food (what's more natural than food my body makes for her?)
3. I get extra special snuggles with my baby. Nothing melts my heart more than when she pauses while nursing to smile up at me.
2. It's a great excuse for Katherine and Ted to visit me on my lunch break (I get to nurse her at work almost every day).
1. It helps keep me connected to my baby, especially as a working mom. Breastfeeding has been one of the biggest helps in going back to work because I feel connected to Katherine even though I have to spend hours away from her.

Plus, she just looks so cute:

Although I know breastfeeding doesn't work for every family, I can't recommend it highly enough to any new mom who is able. :-)

Fantastic First Mother's Day

Mommy had a wonderful day celebrating her new life  as a Mom.  Daddy spoiled Mommy and made sure she didn't have to do any dirty diaper changes all day. He also cooked her a fantastic feast for dinner complete with blackberry champagne. :-)

 All of the celebrating sure tuckered Katherine out...

 and she gave Mommy her own gift of sleeping like an angel last night.

Katherine also wishes a happy Mother's Day to all Mom's, especially her GG, Grambie, Oma, Aunt Mary, Aunt Kari and her Godmother Aunt Mary Beth.