santa, robes, and water. lots of water.

We had a low-key and fun weekend- my favorite kind. Weekends can get a little hectic during the holidays, so it was nice to have one with no obligations and plenty of rainy weather that gave us a good excuse to stay in.

On Friday night we decided to be ambitious and take Mills to see Santa. He was making an appearance in our town's community center, about two miles from our house. We figured if it was a bust (and since it was during her normal nap-and-bottle time...it easily could have been), we'd head back home and try again another weekend. But as it turned out, Millie was perfectly happy to be handed off to a strange man in a very soft outfit. 

Why am I wearing this bizarre outfit? Who is this person holding me? Was this sequined headband really necessary?

 I was so excited to receive this extremely ruffled and fancy boutique Christmas tree bubble thingy at one of my showers. I'm not really a ruffles and boutique-y girl, and Millie's wardrobe reflects that...but Christmas is a great occasion to wear something a little out of the norm.

But when I went to put it on her, I was like...what is this outfit?? It's sleeveless (well, like kind of button-up overall thingies...with bows, of course), so I put a white long-sleeved onesie under it. But then the leg thingies are...below the knee but above the ankle. Like capris, but elasticized? Huh? I mean, it was cold and rainy outside. Bare legs weren't really appropriate, but I think tights would have looked really weird. Socks? I have no idea. So if her outfit is totally wrong, I take all the blame and am happy to return to the world of jeggings and moccasins, a land where I feel a lot more confident making choices.

Mrs. Claus looked kindly on as we shunned her in favor of the Mr.

It was the most painless Santa experience ever. There was no line- we walked right in and plopped her in his lap. There was no photographer, so I took my own (not amazing, but FREE) pictures with my phone. And even though Millie is clearly far too young to eat anything but milk, they still gave Matt and me a totally legit treat bag with an excellent candy selection inside.

My parents ate the candy Santa gave me. I will remember this for therapy one day.

  All in all, a great first Santa experience. I'm sure next year she'll lose her mind and possibly care if we eat her candy (??? do one-year-olds notice this?), so I'm glad we really relished this year.

Saturday was delightfully uneventful. It rained. I went to the gym. We mailed our Christmas cards. I could go on, but you'd fall asleep.

I like how Matt's reading her really boring stories with no pictures (Aesop's Fables) and how she looks like she's so interested. That's sweet. She'll probably be the kind of person that acts interested when some random person at a party is telling a really long and boring story. I guess that's a good character trait...or something.

But then on Saturday night, we did get a little crazy. I remembered that there was a robe somewhere in our boxes of hand-me-downs...and there's no time like the present for some Baby in a Robe action!

First she laughed at the impossibly adorable baby in the mirror:

Aaaaand then she had a hoedown. Natural progression.

Matt and I watched Harry Potter movies 1 and 2 on Friday and Saturday nights! I borrowed the movies from a friend ohhhhhh, back in September...and didn't manage to watch any until now. But we loved them and can't wait to finish the rest now! Also, now I kinda want to reread the books...

Sunday was similarly uneventful. Millie hung out with one of her boyfriends at church. He likes a girl with good shoes, I guess. Couldn't keep him away from the shoes...

And I completed my first full week of successfully drinking a gallon of water a day.

I get a sparkly star sticker if I drink the whole gallon. I'm motivated by the same things as a four-year-old. I'm also motivated by the thought that maybe I'll miraculously lose 10 pounds or 10 inches or live longer or something, so that's another good reason to try. Anyway. After a full week of gallon-a-day-ing, I can report that I feel and look no different than I did last week. I just spend 20 times more time in the bathroom.

It's my birthday week, so I'm looking forward to reminding everyone incessantly plentiful celebrations! I also get to make a long-procrastinated trip to the DMV to renew my license, so I'm in the throes of my every-five-years ethical battle regarding how much to lie about my weight. Wish me luck! 

four months!

Mills, how old are you today?

Silly girl, come on. Show us how old you are!

Going to play coy, are you?? Milllllssssie...just show us how old you are!

I can almost see it! Is that a fo-

FOUR MONTHS?!?! Aaaaaahhhh!! Cover it back up, quick! Say it ain't so! Yikes.

Let's just get to it quick, before I cry.

Aliases: Millie, Mills, Nugs, Snugs

Stats: Her four-month appointment is 12/22, so weight and height are guesswork...and I'm guessing she weighs 85 pounds-ish. Give or take. This baby is a CHUNK! She's also grown taller than many of her footed one-piece outfits lately, so she's maybe 25 inches or so now?

She wears mostly 3-6 month clothes and is a size 2 in disposable diapers still.

My mom is indoctrinating me into her passionate love for stripes. I'm a victim!

Habits: Her habits are all exactly the same as last month, oddly! I guess there's something to be said for consistency and predictability- two things I very much love, so...high five, Nugs!

-drinks five 6-oz bottles per day; one every 3-4 hours
-sleeps 10-12 hours per night; goes to bed around 8:30-9:00 and wakes up at 7:15 (on weekdays; we wake her up) or 8:00ish when left to her own devices
-bathes every other night and it is still the highlight of her day and life
-takes a lot of naps, usually between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours long...if her daytime sleep totals about 4-5 hours, she seems pretty happy and content with life. Less than that equals less happy.

Pleeeeeeeease don't make me get out of the bath, Mom! PLEASE!!!!!

Likes: This month she kindled a love affair with her hands and fingers. Whew. It's intense. She doesn't seem to have a preference for any particular finger(s)- it's a free-for-all love fest in there. One finger. A thumb. The side of her hand. All 10 fingers at once. Whatever. It's all good times. Subsequently she is covered in slobber 90% of the time, which she also seems to enjoy. She normally clasps her hands together (like in the picture above) and then crams the whole thing in her mouth as far as she can. It's kinda impressive, really!

She continues to love baths, the blow dryer, books, and the monkey over her changing table. Lights and fans are always good for a stare, and she enjoys bouncing in her Baby Einstein jumpy thing. She has started to really enjoy staring at faces and will smile and LAUGH (yes, best thing ever, melts my hearts, almost caused me to die of happiness) when Matt and I make silly faces/sounds. She loves going to stores and looking around at everything, which is verrrry convenient for her mama that likes to shop! She also loves being outside.

Dislikes: Tummy time, her arch-nemesis. Not happenin', Mom. Being hungry and/or overtired are also not appreciated by the wee Nugs. And I wouldn't go so far as to call it a dislike, but she seems to share her parents' feelings about crowds of people: she does okay for awhile, smiles and acts happy and will let herself be passed around. And then she is DONE. Take her out of the room for some quiet snuggles and she's just fine. Walk back into the room with lots of people (even if it's just me or Matt holding her), she buries her head into our arms and screams. I would probably be more concerned if I hadn't been feeling (and acting, sometimes) this same way for almost 32 years, ha! Introverts for the win!

Undecided About: Well, large groups of people. Car rides- which is an improvement, since in months past that's been firmly in the 'dislikes' category. Toys. 

Special Skills: Stealing my heart, does that count? She still has impressively long eyelashes and seems to be skilled in the art of getting chunky. She has a flair for drama (like when she's hungry, tired, or we dare to use saline spray or the Nose Freda on her...) and can go from RAGING ANGER to fluttering eyelashes and sweet giggles in about two seconds flat (after she gets whatever it is she wants, of course).

I never imagined life could be so full and happy. She is the greatest gift we have ever received- I am infinitely, completely, forever grateful. Truly- my heart overflows and I feel like I'm just leaking happiness everywhere and I hardly know what to do with myself. If overly happy people annoy you, I'm probably your worst nightmare right now...and I'm enjoying every minute of it.

This little girl. 

Gah.

Three Months

Two Months

One Month

three stockings

There are three stockings hanging by the fireplace this year.

Well technically four, if you count Lola's...but let's not.

I had to get new ones because our old set didn't have a third (besides the tiny one that has become Lola's). Replacing stockings (or anything) because you have a baby is not the worst thing ever. Because now there are three. Where there used to be two- and a two that felt incomplete, a two that wanted more- now there are three. My mantel and my heart are so full and happy.

I realized after sending these to the embroiderer that I possibly didn't plan ahead very well. There are three- and only three. The colors of the embroidery thread mix and match perfectly with three. And they look awesome and I'm thrilled with how they turned out- but I immediately thought (and had a friend quickly voice the same opinion) that it wouldn't be easy to add a fourth, should the need arise. Oops?

But you know what? I just don't care. I don't know if we'll ever need a fourth stocking. I don't know at what emotional and/or physical and/or financial expense a fourth stocking may come. I don't know what the future holds for us or whether one day I'll be anxious and crying for lack of a fourth stocking, or whether a fourth stocking will just appear on our proverbial doorstep and be welcomed in with open arms. I really have no idea.

But right now I am just too happy, too content, too complete to think about it much. We have three stockings- an infinite improvement over two. My heart is so full that I can't imagine ever needing anything else. And so I just can't get myself too worked up over imagining what the future might or might not bring. I spent too many years already living in an uncomfortable state of 'well, next year maybe ______' and 'I can't commit to _____ because what if ______.' I can't do it now. So maybe I could have given a little more thought to Christmases of the future and bought an extra stocking or had the embroidery all done in one color, to make future stocking additions a little more seamless. But I didn't. And it's okay. Our three stockings are perfect- especially this one:

And if we were to ever need a fourth stocking someday, or a fifth, or a twelfth (ummmm...), then I'm sure I'll be all too happy to make a return trip to Target and find a new set for all of us. 

But for now, I am totally and completely and beyond happy with my three stockings.

(Stockings are from Target; embroidery was done locally.)

holidays! yay!

We had an awesome (and redemptive, imagine that!) Thanksgiving weekend. I'm a little short on time because I need to participate in Cyber Monday before work hours begin, so I'll try to dig up a few pictures I haven't already shared on Instagram and Facebook and let my words be few.

It's a little out of control how excited I get about dressing this girl up. If you silently judge people whose children are perpetually overdressed (that is, the opposite of a rugrat situation), then I'm probably keeping you pretty busy judging. I can't help it though. When I saw this deer sweatshirt dress thing at the consignment store, I needed it. 

Also, let's all take a moment and silently reflect on the fact that she has finally outgrown those moccasins. As of yesterday, I just can't cram her feet into them anymore, try though I may.

A moment for our fallen comrades, the moccs. 

Thank you.

Millie rekindled her passion for napping on my chest this weekend. I can't say I minded.

Shame on Matt for participating in this unauthorized photo op. Also, don't be tricked. Despite browsing many Black Friday ads, we did not participate in any shopping this weekend (well, except for a very mundane, non-holiday-esque trip to Target for normal necessities). My days off are precious and few nowadays, and I'd much rather spend every minute snuggling my girl and not standing in lines. Cyber Monday is what's up, anyway!

Never pass up an opportunity to be twins with your cousins!! Timmy is so sweet to his baby sister and cousin- when asked what he was thankful for this year, his first response was "Millie." Now if that doesn't make you tear up, I don't know what will.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend lots of time with our family, but especially with these two.

We dipped out on the Extended Family Togetherness on Saturday afternoon so that we could get our house decorated for Christmas! We spread out the decorating over Saturday and Sunday and it was much more leisurely, organized, and enjoyable than normal!

A basket of Big Balls plus my reflection. You can't even imagine how many Big Balls jokes we make. Apparently we're 13.

I'll do a proper Christmas Decor tour sometime, but for now I will leave you with this: the four stages of Christmas tree acceptance for an infant.

Everything is better with her.

And now I'm off to shop work! And thus far, disappointed. I'd hoped to see a deal for the Fitbit One* I want for my birthday, but apparently in honor of Cyber Monday Amazon raised the price $20?? I swear I looked at them every day over the weekend and they were always $79 and now $94.95?? Yeah, I guess I'll wait. Womp.

Good luck re-acclimating to real life! Oh, and a zillion thanks for the awesome feedback about the high chairs last week! I had no idea so many people would be passionate about the space saver chairs, but that's what we decided to go with for now. Anyway- Happy Monday!

PS. Ooooh can't forget to share this: my SIL made the most amazing brussels sprouts in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD for Thanksgiving and I ate basically 23 pounds of them and cannot stop thinking about them. I have already begged Matt to make them for me for my birthday. And since they're on my mind, figured I better share so that you can make them and change your life, too. Enjoy! 

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