4 months

We can hardly believe that our little girl is 4 and a half months already! She is such a joy and we thank God for this amazing blessing every day. Right when I think it can't get any better, it does! Sienna has become so aware of everything around her. She wants to touch everything and put everything in her mouth. When I feed her, she reaches up and strokes my face, plays with my hair, and touches my mouth. She loves her play gym and is so interested in playing with the dangling toys and putting her feet up on the sides (I'll have to get a picture of that soon!). She loves laughing and giggling. We tickle her and she loves it when Garth kisses her neck-she squeals with delight. Sienna also LOVES her bath! She sits on her little chair and kicks her legs around and if we hold up a bath toy in front of her, she concentrates so hard to grab it with both of her hands...and then it goes up to her mouth. Her favorite bath toy is a washcloth-she tries to grab it from me when I wash her.

At her last doctor appointment, things went great. She weighed in at 12 lbs. 15 oz. and was 23.5" long. She is doing great and was a trooper taking those shots. Poor baby! I hate seeing her cry in pain. But she did great afterwards as well. She was a little fussy that evening, but slept for 12 hours that night!

I'm back at work now and things are going well. I miss my baby so much, but I am blessed to only have to work part time, 2-3 days a week. Once I'm at work, the day flies by, so it's not too bad. The hardest part is getting us both ready in the morning. She is being watched by either my mom or my friend Alexus. I feel so fortunate to have their help!

Here are some recent pictures of our little love:

She's getting bigger on her chair!

Sienna and her daddy

Sienna just started reaching for the mobile last week. It is so sweet to watch her.

She loves her soft books! Hopefully she'll love books as much as I do when she gets older!

After bath last night, I was trying to get a picture of her snuggling with daddy, but every time I went to take a picture, the flash made her open her eyes all huge, it was so funny!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! We wish you many blessings in 2011!!

~Garth, Vanessa, & Sienna

Christmas time

Here are some pictures from the last few weeks! We've had a busy December, but it's been full of laughter, friends, family, and good times. Also, Sienna's become very active lately. She can now lift her head and shoulders off of the ground, she giggles and laughs a lot, and loves playing with her toys. She grabs them and puts them in her mouth. We think she is teething, because she has started drooling like crazy and everything she touches, she wants in her mouth. We have a doctor appointment in a little over a week and we'll see what he says. She's still so sweet and we continue to dance, sing, and act crazy non-stop to see her huge smile and hear those precious giggles.

Here is Sienna lately:

Hanging out with cousin Kimu

Lily and Sienna (BFF's)

Sweet girl

Look who can lift her head now!!

bundled up

bundled up to go out and do some yard work with mom

precious

visit with Santa

cuteness (thanks to Nana)

Christmas Eve

Loving her sleepsack from daddy

opening gifts on Christmas Day

Best gift ever!!

Gipson family

loving her new giraffe toy from Santa

3 months

Here are some pictures from this previous month. We are so looking forward to the holidays and the beginning of new traditions, now that Sienna is in our lives. Just having her in our family makes the holidays more exciting and I know it's going to get even better. Hope all is going well during this fun, busy season.

Our baby girl is 3 months old now! Crazy how time flies by. It's amazing to look at her "monthly picture" and notice how she's grown since last month and even how much better she holds up her head. Last month is was bobbling all over the place and this time she sat up against the chair with a lot more stability!! I'm so proud :).

Every time I am feeding or holding Sienna, Colby comes and lays down right next to us...often on my lap! He loves to get in on the action and likes to be wherever Sienna is. It's pretty sweet.

Garth decided to try on the Bjorn...with our dog, not our baby. Although Colby didn't care for it, Sienna loves it!

Our precious Charger Fan

Great-Grandma and Sienna on Thanksgiving Day

Sienna's first time wearing a skirt and tights...so darn adorable. I made her the Turkey onesie, it was my first sewing project. I love how it turned out and I think she looked just adorable. However, as soon as we showed up to our second destination that day, with Garth's family, she had a massive blowout-up to her shoulders! So we had to change her clothes. At least we got a couple pictures of her looking cute!

Bundled up for a walk after all of that yummy Thanksgiving food

This month, we also had my 10 year reunion. It was a great time to visit with old friends and catch up. It was way better than I thought it was going to be, we had a great time!!

Garth and his little girl hanging out.

Sienna hanging her first ornament. It's a little glittery baby "peanut."

Putting up our Christmas tree. We had hot cocoa, watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and decorated the tree. It was a perfect night with our little family.

Sienna's stocking

Much love during this Christmas Season!

XOXO

2 months

Sienna just had her 2 month doctor appointment this week and she weighed 10 lbs, 14 oz! She was 22 1/2 inches long, coming in at exactly an average height and weight for babies this age. She's in the 50th percentile! At this appointment, she also had to get her two month immunizations. While we were at the appointment, she was so happy and content. Daddy was holding her and she was just smiling and talking to him, since she hadn't seen him much that day. Then came the time for shots. She instantly turned into the saddest, unhappy baby. It broke my heart. She did NOT like the shots and she actually bled a lot from one of them :(. But right after the shots, I nursed her and she quickly calmed down and fell asleep--for a long time! She was a little fussy in the evening, but after some pain medicine, she was much better.

2 months old!

Our little bumblebee

our little sweet skeleton

bundled up

Forgot to post this from her first month

Never Grow Up

I recently heard this new Taylor Swift song called "Never Grow Up". After my last post "Can we please make time slow down?," this definitely reminded me of how quickly time flies by. Garth and I are trying to cherish every moment with Sienna, not only the milestones, like smiling, finding her hands, and sleeping through the night (yes she's done that 4 nights in a row now..but who's counting?!?!), but also the simple things like watching her sleep, listening to her endless noises, and even changing her diapers! If you haven't heard this song, go to youtube and listen to it. It's very sweet and makes me think and dream about Sienna's future as she grows up...even though I want her to stay this little!

NEVER GROW UP-Taylor Swift

Your little hand's wrapped around my finger

And it's so quiet in the world tonight

Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming

So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light

To you everything's funny, you got nothing to regret

I'd give all I have, honey

If you could stay like that

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up

Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up

Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple

I won't let nobody hurt you, won't let no one break your heart

And no one will desert you

Just try to never grow up, never grow up

You're in the car on the way to the movies

And you're mortified your mom's dropping you off

At 14 there's just so much you can't do

And you can't wait to move out someday and call your own shots

But don't make her drop you off around the block

Remember that she's getting older too

And don't lose the way that you dance around in your pj's getting ready for school

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up

Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up

Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple

No one's ever burned you, nothing's ever left you scarred

And even though you want to, just try to never grow up

Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room

Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home

Remember the footsteps, remember the words said

And all your little brother's favorite songs

I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone

So here I am in my new apartment

In a big city, they just dropped me off

It's so much colder that I thought it would be

So I tuck myself in and turn my night light on

Wish I'd never grown up

I wish I'd never grown up

Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up

I could still be little

Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up

It could still be simple

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up

Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up

Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple

Won't let nobody hurt you

Won't let no one break your heart

And even though you want to, please try to never grow up

Oh, don't you ever grow up

Oh, never grow up, just never grow up

Can we please make time slow down??

I can't believe our baby girl is 8 weeks old!! That went by WAY too fast for me. It makes me sad that Sienna is growing out of her newborn clothes. I tell her everyday that she can't grow anymore...she doesn't listen. She's already starting to disobey her mother! It's been so much fun being a mommy and parenting with Garth. He is an amazing father, it came so naturally to him. He deserves an award because he wakes up every night to change her diaper before I feed her. After he went back to work, I thought that would stop, but he told me to wake him up because he wants to do it and says he loves his time with her during the night. How sweet is that? He loves her so much and I love watching him be a daddy.

I don't know how it's possible, but I swear I fall more and more in love with her everyday. She is a lot more alert now and is smiling all the time. Every time she's awake, I spend my time trying to make her smile by singing silly songs and making silly faces. It's amazing what you'll do for a gummy smile!

Sienna just discovered her hand this week and it is hilarious to watch. She will sit and stare at her right fist for several minutes at a time. Her left hand is flailing about, but she is focused on her right hand and will bring it close to her face and then move it away from her. I have captured it on video, but I need to get a picture though!

This week, she made the big bold move from the co-sleeper next to our bed to her crib in her own room! She's growing up (sigh)! It was probably more difficult for me than it was for her. She's doing great. I was just so used to reaching over and feeling her chest to make sure she was breathing, looking at her sleep during the night, and attending to her when she'd be fussy or make any noise. I have to say, technology does make it easier, thanks to our video monitor! I can easily check on her with a click of an "off/on" button! It is a lot of fun to watch her in the middle of the night. After her 4ish feeding, I'll put her back in her crib, go back to my own bed and watch her on the monitor. She lays there all content, looking around, and sometimes talking to herself. So precious!!

Anyways, once we have our 2 month doctor apt. next week, I'll update you on her stats...I am guessing she's around 10 lbs. already! In the meantime, here are some pictures from the month of October. She grew so much in a month!

Daddy rocking Sienna to sleep (Colby always lays next to us on the chair)

Sienna looking at her daddy

Smiles!!! Does that not melt your heart??

little bum and leg rolls

beautiful baby

Sienna's first trip to the pumpkin patch!

Family time at the pumpkin patch

Daddy and Sienna taking a nap

Sienna checking out the Colbster

Spooky Skeletons-Dottie, Finn, and Sienna

Fun family time!