Sittin' Pretty

I just had to post this pic, since it's one of my favorites so far. I've started putting Maribelle in her Bumbo seat for a few minutes at a time now that she can pretty steadily hold up her head. The Bumbo is supposed to further help her develop her core strength, plus its another form of entertainment during the day! This was one of her first times in the chair. Although she looks a bit slumpy in this pic, she actually did really well! And she looks so darn cute with those chubby cheeks!

Doggie Daycare

We've been interviewing potential daycare candidates these past few weeks, and judging by these pictures, it seems as if Manny and Olivia have decided to throw their hats (or should I say ears?!?) in the ring. Sometimes they watch over Maribelle like a hawk, and that's exactly the kind of care we're looking for! Luckily, we think we've found that and more in the provider that we've chosen for Maribelle. Yes, we FINALLY found daycare! It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off our shoulders now that we've made some decisions about how I will be returning to work and who will be watching Maribelle while I'm there. While a big part of me wants to stay home and play mommy all day long, another part of me is excited about finding a balance between work and family and giving Maribelle the opportunity to learn from others. I've got one more month at home before I'm back in my office at the law school ... You better believe I'm going to soak up as much baby yummy-ness as I can before that day gets here!

Baby Chatter

Maribelle had her two-month checkup last week, and our little girl is doing just great! She weighed in at 9lbs 8oz, which moves her up from the 5th percentile to the 25th percentile for her age. Her length of 22 inches moved her to the 50th percentile. She also received her first full round of immunizations, and while I was a nervous wreck about it, she took the shots like a champ. With just a few seconds of fussing, she went right back to sucking on her pacifier once the shots were done and over with.

So what else is new with Miss Maribelle? Well, she's becoming more vocal and interactive every day, so we spend a lot of time just looking at her and talking. Oddly enough, her favorite time to play is during diaper changes. The photo below is of Maribelle talking to her favorite stuffed toy (given to her the day she was born by cousin Maria!) while hanging out after a diaper change.



We've finally gotten some true, genuine smiles out of her, but man do we have to work hard to get them! She only rewards us with her gummy grin once we've displayed every silly noise/word/face that we can think of. I think she just likes seeing us make fools of ourselves, as demonstrated by the clip below. It's footage of Maribelle sort of smiling. I apologize for all the "meowing."

Eight Weeks