Peekaboo!

Marla's favorite new game is peekaboo, as evidenced by this video of her and Grandma Pam. It's a little long, but I had to post it. Listening to her laugh just never gets old!

Daddy daycare

I went back to work two and a half weeks ago and left Marla to the devices of her father. I had been dreading the end of my maternity leave for a long time, but going back to work wasn't nearly as bad as I'd been expecting. Part of this is because it's kind of nice to get out of the house and interact with adults again. It's also nice to feel like I at least have some idea of what I'm doing... after months of feeling like I was in uncharted territory, getting back to a routine was a relief. But the biggest reason returning to work has been relatively easy is because I know Marla is with Jeff.

I'll be honest... I had my doubts about paternity leave. I wasn't worried so much about Marla as I was about Jeff's sanity. He is (admittedly) less patient than I am, so I was afraid he'd get overwhelmed quickly and decide that staying home with a baby wasn't his cup of tea. I'm happy to report that he's been doing great. He loves being home with Marla, and the two of them are bonding and getting to know each other even better than before.

Just look at these goofballs. Two peas in a pod.

 

Now, I'm trying not to be petty about this, but of course there is a teeny tiny part of me that can't believe anyone besides me could take such good care of Marla. Another part of me really hopes she doesn't forget about me in favor of Dad. But mostly, I'm just jealous, because now this is how Jeff and Marla get to spend their days:

3-month update

As usual, it's been a while since my last post. Shocking, I know.

It's been eventful around here! Marla is doing very well. She's changing and growing so much every day. It's hard to believe that this is the same baby we came home from the hospital with three and a half months ago! A few updates on her newest accomplishments:

1) She has much more head and neck control, which means she wants to get up off the floor and look around. She can sit up with the help of pillows and tries to "stand" whenever someone is holding her.
2) She's found her hands and is able to get them into her mouth pretty easily now. She can also hold onto lightweight toys and guide them to her mouth occasionally. Just this week, she began reaching out and swatting at toys hanging above her.
3) She can roll from her back to her front, but can't get from her tummy to her back yet. This is unfortunate for her, as she still loathes tummy time.
4) She smiles and laughs a lot more now.
5) Have I mentioned that she's a screamer? She always has been, but lately she's become positively piercing. In fact, she seems to do a lot more squawking and squealing than cooing and gurgling. Our newest nickname for her is "Screech."

Here's a video of Screech demonstrating her lung strength. (Pay no attention to Jeff talking to me about The Sopranos in the background.)

Crazy, huh? I wonder where she gets it from... oh yeah, her dad.

In other news, we got her 3-month pictures taken. We hired Swanstrom Photography to take the pictures and are so happy with the results. They came to our house for the shoot and were able to capture some of Marla's cutest expressions, even when she started to get crabby. Here's a few of my favorites:

Of course, Betsy had to get in on the action, too.

They took lots more photos, all of which are just as fantastic. If you want to look through the whole album, go to this link: http://photos.swanstromphotography.com/families/schmidt. The password to view the photos is husky.

Laughing

Marla is almost 12 weeks old and laughed for the first time over a week ago, but it was a single little chuckle and I wasn't able to capture it on video. The next day we went to my mother-in-law's house and she did it again (see video below). It was way better in person and the quality is pretty poor since we were using my camera and not the video camera. Anyway, it's enough to get an idea. I can't wait to hear a lot more of this in the very near future!

Time flies when you're (mostly) having fun

Marla had her two-month check-up yesterday! I can't believe she's already nine weeks old. I've run through a gamut of emotions over the past two months, not the least of which is total and utter amazement at how much she grows and changes every day. I find myself feeling sad that she's no longer a newborn, but excited about all the milestones yet to come.

Here are her two-month stats:
Weight - 12 lbs 4 oz (78%)
Length - 23.5 in (85%)
Head - 40.4 cm (84%)

Look how big and smiley I've gotten!

She had to get three shots at this appointment. Despite her intense screaming at the time, she didn't seem too traumatized afterwards. I, on the other hand, barely survived. They should provide counseling for first-time parents in these situations!

Here's my little trouper after the appointment. All vaccinated and sporting Snoopy band aids. So proud of her!

The many faces of Marla Rae

For the first few weeks after Marla was born, I was desperate for some sign that she was enjoying life. Most of my time was spent comforting, feeding, and changing her. But lately she's been so much more interactive and expressive. We're having a great time getting to know our little girl, as there seems to be no end to the number of funny faces and sounds she can make. Here's just a few shots to give you an idea of how she spends her time.

Thumb-sucking Marla:

 

Sleepy Marla:

Bath time Marla:

 

Packer fan Marla:

 

"Talking" Marla:

 

Crabby Marla:

 

Sleeping Marla:

 

 Totally annoyed with Mom's picture taking Marla:

 

Traveling Marla:

 

 Naked Marla:

 

And my absolute favorite: Happy Marla!

A girl about town

Over the past seven weeks, Marla has made the rounds to most of the immediate (and some extended) family. She's already been to Minnesota twice and has made some shorter road trips around Eau Claire, where she's spent some quality time with friends and relatives. She does pretty well in the car and she loves being out and about! Or maybe I love it and just hope she does. I can't help it, being home alone with a baby in the middle of winter makes you a little stir crazy. Here are some pictures of Marla with some members of her very large and loving family.

Grandma Pam:

 

Grandma Susie:

 

Grandpa Dave:

 

Nana Margret:

Grandpa Dave (#2):

 

Various aunts and uncles:

Great-Grandpa Ray (one of her namesakes):

 

Great-Grandma Georgia: