Best Big Brother Ever

Henry is so kind and thoughtful when it comes to Bea which is surprising because he destroys and doesn't think about everything else in his path. He is so sensitive to Bea's needs. When she's crying, he gives her a toy. He wants to watch shows with her, play with her, sit with her, put his arm around her, kiss her and hold her all the time. He laughs so hard just looking at her and her funny faces, especially because she has a tendency to play with her tongue and it can be hilarious. Bea is so lucky to have Henry who loves her more than anything in the world. Right now she's trying to sit up and Henry thinks it is so funny when she tips over and I catch her in mid tip to sit her back up again. It's like trying to keep a ball in one spot, but just keeps rolling around. She has almost no desire to sit up, roll, move or do anything but play with her toys and grab anything in sight. She also grabs the skin on my neck and chest when she's nursing so hard that I have red marks all over me! Those hands are so grabby!

New York Trip for Baby B

Justin and I went to New York with a couple friends last weekend to basically eat good food. We had a ton of fun, saw some old friends and did a little shopping. Bea was such a trooper since it was FREEZING cold and we had to bundle her up a ton which she hates doing. Hilights of the trip for Bea were Grandma Hohl twisting her diaper so the front was backward getting pee all over herself(ay yai yai), meeting Uncle Sunny, eating GROM gelato (pear flavor), spending time with her adopted big sister Eva and Aunt Emilie and being admired all over town by stylish New Yorkers. Everyone LOVED her name and her propensity to smile at anyone who caught her eye. What a little doll.

The saddest girl in town

Saturday Night Fever

Bea has been sick since last Wednesday morning with a fever, cough, cold, and probably an ear infection. We went to the pediatricians two days ago and they said she didn't have an infection but that there was a little fluid in her ear. Last Night, however, her fever spiked at 105 and she has been grabbing her ear, screaming, and screams even harder if I hold her poor little head. She hasn't stopped crying for days, she cries all night long and I haven't had more than four hours of sleep since she got sick. Every hour she wakes up and I have to hold her for at least a half hour to calm her down and sometimes she nurses, but usually she doesn't want to eat anything. It seems that as soon as I put her down she's up again. When I have to re-administer her medication, it usually takes about an hour to change her diaper, calm her down, feed her and get her back to sleep. I am impressed though that through it all, she still manages to find her toes while I'm changing her diaper and plays with them while she's screaming. Please keep her in your prayers and hopefully her fever will break and she won't be in so much pain. My heart breaks when I see my darling baby girl suffer so much.

I don't even remember more than two times total that I ever had to stay up with Henry all night long. He was always really easy when he got sick and just slept right through everything. I NEVER had to lull him back to sleep after feeding him and I can only remember ONE TIME he woke up after a nighttime feeding and had to stay up for more than 15 minutes with him AND that time he was totally happy and cute. I am realizing more and more how easy that boy was!

Bea's First Christmas

Bea had tons of fun this Christmas hanging out with all her cousins, grandparents and especially Courtney, Justin's sister, who couldn't get enough of her smiley chubbiness. Bea's spotlight was playing Baby Jesus in the live Nativity. All the kids were surprisingly good and luckily it was so warm on Christmas Eve because she only wore her diaper in the manger. I was very blessed during this week because my prayers were answered and she slept great through the night and even slept for most of the day on Christmas while I was preparing dinner. She is becoming very smiley and every time she wakes up from her naps she gets a gigantic smile on her face, even if she's been sobbing for five minutes (because her cry is so soft I can't always hear her right away. Even the monitor doesn't pick her up) she immediately stops crying and smiles for me. Bea got some fancy new toys from Nanna B, which she loves to play with, and she was entertained by all the family who came to visit which made her very content with life. Bea is such a sweet little thing. We just love having her as an addition to our family!