Three Months Old!

Our little one is growing up so fast! Just yesterday she hit the three-month milestone; it seems like she was just born last week and now she's doing weird, modified sit-ups so she can roll over, smiling unabashedly, solidly holding her head up, and nearly sleeping through the night (thank God). Alas, with progress comes loss - as she has developed her vocal range (and volume) we miss some of the simpler, sweet little sounds that she has shed in favor of more complex sounds. In like fashion, she has mostly outgrown her first round of clothes (0-3 months) and is solidly in the next level, so now some of our favorite little outfits just can't be worn because her little legs are just too long. Regardless, we are so proud of her - she's not only cute but strong to boot!

New Routines

Well, like it or not, Steven and I are now back at work - Steven had a four-week head start on getting into the groove of work, which means that Julia and I are on our second transition; for the first six weeks, Steven or I would take Kennedy to school, then come back home to do whatever Julia needed (which, thankfully, included taking naps when she did). The last four weeks has been a similar pattern with me getting up to make some tea, eat some breakfast, take Kennedy to school and then come home and crash with Julia for a few hours because she had kept me up a good chunk of the night. Yesterday was our first day of life with two working parents - Steven taking Julia to the sitter and me taking Kennedy to her dad's (since she's on break this week, which means another transition next week because as of today, we wouldn't have made the tardy bell - oops). We've got a few kinks to work out.
So, you may be asking: did Wendy cry? I'll be big about this - yes, I did. In fact, all last week was difficult for me because I knew I only had so many days left. Saturday and Sunday were particularly rough with me fighting off tears for much of the time while trying to be all cool and whatnot around the family; once I was home and putting youngsters to bed, the gloves were off, so to speak - waterworks galore. Monday's drive in was challenging as well, but I kept it cool - once I got home, though . . .well, I think we all needed cuddles.
Update on being a baby: Julia is sleeping much better, thanks to something called "gripe water" - handily found in any pharmacy, this liquid wonder has been around for over 100 years and boast the ability to sooth colicky infants. Century-old or not, this herbal infusion has been a godsend, as has the addition of probiotics to Julia's diet. Yes, she still farts like a mad fiend, but at least she's not doing her Jekyl and Hyde act on a daily basis with Daytime Baby being so angelic and sweet and Nighttime Baby being equally cute, but very loud and fussy.
Also in the news, smiling is very big and thanks to taking countless pictures, we FINALLY got one of her smiling (most shots were the immediate emotional phase after a smile - usually interest or confusion). She is a doll (this is a direct quote from Steven's grandma, who met her great-grandchild a week ago)!

She Ain't No April Fool

Ah - we must apologize for not posting recently. Believe it or not, having a newborn takes up a lot of time. Aside from the care-taking, we do spend a good chunk just staring at her - for good things, like wonderment at such a beautiful being and the daily changes in her appearance and capabilities, and for other things, like wondering what the hell we're still doing up at 4 a.m. and why what worked to calm her last night isn't working tonight.
There are more pictures . . .tons more, and I'll get those up here shortly. In the meantime, in observance of April Fool's Day, here's a guide to all things Julia:

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius ("When the Moon is in the Seventh House, and Jupiter aligns with Mars . . ." Yeah, now that's going to be in your head all day - MWAAA-HAA-HAA)
Chinese Zodiac: Ox (Just like Big Sis - how cool is that?)
Eye Color: Turning blue - kind of like the sea after a storm
Hair Color: Light brown, but after a bath or in the sunlight has blond-ish look with red highlights (hmmm - could we have a Ginger on our hands?)
Favorite Activities: Cuddling, eating, smiling, cooing, screaming, sleeping and farting (not necessarily in that order)
Enjoys: Being in her Baby Bjorn carrier while shopping, watching the ceiling fan, holding her head up, sleeping in weird positions, being naked, kisses, bath time, and looking adorable
Skills: Peeing all over herself and yet totally missing the diaper when being changed, collecting "neck cheese", and wrapping her daddy around her pinkie
Things She Doesn't Like: SHOTS, having to wait to eat for more than a nanosecond, gas and poop, when mommy gets shampoo in her eyes, and being put down when she wants to be cuddled (which is always)