This Morning

Somedays, we choose to postpone the days to-do list to simply snuggle
and watch a little Cinderella from Mommy's bed. After all, a morning
started this way is bound to lead to a great day!

Busy Busy Ballerina

All of the little ballerinas

Best Buddies running 

Elliana ready to leave for her recital

Skipping and dancing

Yesterday marked Elliana's second ballet perfomance, and boy did she knock our socks off. Below are a few photos showing off her skills, but my favorite is the video below. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. :)

Art day

One Month Old

It's hard to believe my baby girl is already one month old. Well, more than that as I am a bit slow in posting this blog. In just the past few weeks, Maya is slowly morphing from the very sleepy newborn phase into the awake and completely aware phase. I'm still amazed that Maya can sleep as often as she does with a rather talkative sister who randomly jumps, sings and makes rather loud noises for a newborn, but Maya thrives in her life outside the womb, noises and all.

This week was Maya's one month doctor appointment. We were thrilled to get a great report, including all signs of jaundice being gone and rapid growth. Just a month ago, Maya measured 21" long and now is measuring 23" in length, putting her in the 92% for height, up 7% from birth! A month ago, Maya weighed 8 lbs, 9.4 ounces and is now weighing in at 11 lbs, 3.1 ounces, putting her in the 88% for height, up 15% from birth! I am so grateful that she is an excellent and efficient eater and am continually amazed and grateful for my body to be able to provide Maya's nourishment. God is truly amazing!

This week also marked a milestone of Maya sleeping 6 hours through the night, at only 5 weeks of age! I'm hoping this great trend continues as it makes for one happy and well rested Momma!

Letting Go

I admit, I tend to be a perfectionist. And I admit, I struggle at
doing so. There just aren't enough hours in the day somedays to wash,
fold and put away all the laundry, do the dishes, clean up the endless
toys, play with my daughters, exercise, prepare meals (I seriously
slack in this department, but I still put pressure on myself), teach
my children, read countless books aloud, and the countless other
chores and responsibilities I pile on my plate.

Some days I tackle a lot of these chores, only to have them like up
again the next day, or even minute. I struggle with guilt when I fail
to accomplish these things and struggle with guilt when I put too much
attention or focus on these things. Today, however, I let all of that
go. I ignored the pile of toys, the shopping bags that needed to be
put away and the folded baskets of laundry that are awaiting me. I
ignored the room after room of clutter and the trash that needed to be
taken out. I overlooked the piles of crumbs on the floor and the
sticky kitchen table that needed to be wiped.

Today, I stepped over the toys to get to the couch and cuddle my baby
until I rocked her to sleep. I took in the look in her eyes as sleep
overcame her and her breathing relaxed into a sleepy slumber. I took
the time to play doctor with my three year old for the umpteenth time,
creating new scenarios and laughing out loud at her creativity. I
cherished a special lunch date with Daddy, and our two girls and
didn't once worry about the money involved.

Today, I let go of the things that just aren't that important and am
relishing in the things in life that aren't things at all. My family.

Maya - 3 weeks

Tomorrow Maya will be 3-weeks old! I can hardly believe that she has
only been in our lives three short weeks, as it feels like she has
always been a member of our family.

Maya is still very much in the sleepy newborn stage, so this photo of
her with eyes open and alert is somewhat rare. Maya fills her days
with nursing sessions, bonding with big sister and lots of sleeping,
but she is truly adapting perfectly to our little family and has a
happy temperament most of the time.

Elliana loves on her baby sister continuously and smothers her with
kisses at every opportunity.

We are all loving our newest addition to our family and are cherishing
each and every moment.