all i want for christmas is my little leta-bug

Unbelievably, Christmas is in exactly a week, and my daughter will be 10 mo's old Christmas Eve. I don't really even understand how it can be, but it really does just keep getting better and better when it comes to Leta. The amount of love that I feel for that little girl makes my breath stop, makes my chest clench up, and makes me feel like I could burst, it's so intense. I guess I'm starting to understand what people mean when they say "you never knew you could love something like this...". Uh, yeah - check.



As a family, we're still faring the same. TJ and I are working a bunch, trying to get some house projects accomplished (we're actually finally starting to wrangle in our yard!), make money out of thin air for christmas presents, birthdays and vacations, and somehow, find time for each other. Despite all of that, I think our relationship is smoother and stronger than it's ever been. I feel like we've come through the growing pains of our relationship changing, with the addition of a very demanding little housemate, and we've hit our rhythm both as a couple and as parents.



As far as Leta goes, she's simply amazing. The biggest "new" of this past month, has been Leta taking her first steps by herself. It seems crazy to even say, as she's still so tiny, but there it is. She had been standing by herself for the past month and about two weeks ago, she took her first step. It's quickly progressed to several steps at once usually ending in a stumble one way or another. Tonight she stood up at the coffee table, turned, let go and confidently walked to the adjacent armchair. No stumbles, no lunges, just walking. She went nuts giggling and bouncing - so proud of herself. I don't know how long this process usually takes, but it seems like she's progressing very quickly. I think we'll have a full-fledged walker in the next couple of weeks. Seeing that she's never really crawled, TJ and I are just in awe of what's happening. Other than that, she's got 6 teeth, her hair is getting longer ever so slowly and she says "hi dada", "mama" and "what's that". She's amazing.



More after Christmas - maybe after New Year's too ;)

and she's off!

It's just after 9 at night. The baby's been in bed for an hour, the ice cream's already been scooped and eaten, and I should be sitting down to some computer work. However, I thought I'd check in here and honor my promise to try to update on a more regular basis. The week's been a little nutty. I'm working more and more as Leta gets older, which is great, but it also means less time for me and TJ, less time for errands and housework, and pretty much no personal time. Ahhh, the sweet rhythm of my new life... ;)



As far as things go that are wonderful and easy and impossible to truly complain about - it's all about the Leta-bug. Somehow, she's 9 mo old tomorrow. I'm finding it hard to explain where the time has gone and to wrap my mind around the fact that in 3 months, I'll have a one-year-old. In the meantime, Leta's busy being a rambunctious 9 mo old. She's still doing her "army crawl" and trying her hardest to walk. Lately she's been walking circles and circles around the coffee table, adventurously lunging from one piece of furniture to the next and cruising around in her walker. She's got a mouthful of new teeth and her hair's finally long enough for me to put little rubber bands in the top. She laughs easily, eats everything and just seems to genuinely enjoy all the newness and excitement of life. As you can tell, I'm still completely smitten.



I'm really excited for the Holidays this year, with Leta in the picture. Not because I can't wait to buy her gifts and dress her up, etc. More along the lines of I'm kind of excited to see what the Holidays are like as a proper little family. I've done the corny things that now just feel cozy and bring a smile to my face - like order personalized Christmas stockings.... I just can't wait to start little traditions that will become part of what Christmas is to Leta as she grows up.



I'm sure any checking in I'll be able to do will be light with the aforementioned Holidays looming, but I will be back! :)

Why, hello again :)

Yes, yes, yes, I KNOW. I haven't posted in forEVER. I'm a bad "blogger". I blame it all on work and husbands, and that little red-head in the living room with the two new bottom teeth!

I've thought about posting again, even really wanted to, but just the simple act of trying to figure out where to start felt...overwhelming. Lots of things can easily feel overwhelming these days. Things like cleaning my house, getting some exercise, getting my work done on time. Not terrible on their own; they just quietly add up and add up, then - BAM - overwhelmed! Anyway, I'm not feeling overwhelmed right now, and I miss having a little record of what's going on, so I'm going to make a go at keeping up with this on at least a somewhat regular basis. no promises





So, to bring everyone up to speed, Leta will be 8 mo old at the end of this week - insert gasp here! - and she's really amazing. I KNOW!, what a cornball thing to say, but that's the first thing that comes to mind when I think about my experience with her right now. I say right now, because, in honesty, it's been a journey to get to this point, with some lows that I hadn't anticipated. Those first few months are tough, man! Even with a good baby - - just tough. I think I can understand why #2 might feel like a breeze. I want to say that the hardest part of it all was the early on adjustment to life as 3, as parents, as caretakers of a totally helpless being FOREVER. I think that by #2, you've already got that portion of it all figured out. For me (I want to say for us, but I better stick to just speaking from my perspective alone) it was a very difficult transition time from who we (TJ and I) were then and are now, as well as a massive transition time for myself. Lots of introspective musings on my new role and who I was a woman, etc. Anyway, I think all 3 of us have hit our stride now, and for the most part, are moving along smoothly and happily these days. Let's talk more about the mini!



Leta, leta, leta is just amazing! She's so smiley and fun and just has her own little unique way of doing everything. She isn't crawling yet and seems determined to move right into walking instead. She wants to stand and play, has started walking along the couch and coffee table and is constantly trying to wiggle her hand out of yours when you hold hers while she's walking about. She's got this crazy feather fluff of strawberry blonde hair on top of her head and electric blue eyes and these two silly little teeth on the bottom! She waves at everything that moves - and a lot that doesn't, loves to see her reflection, and babbles to all of her toys. She's an amazing sleeper and a short-term napper, and full of energy and excitement when she's awake. She loves her swing on the front porch, walks in the evening and pretty much every kind of food we've given her. Oh, and her cheeks are made out of marshmallows (maybe her thighs are too). We're so smitten.



There's so much more to say, but I guess that at least gets the ball rolling on this thing. Let's chat again soon, k?

12 weeks

Thought for the day.....
After several t-shirt changes and a couple of outfit changes for her - all before noon - one begins to questions the mere physics and biology of that much coming out of someone so little ;)

11 Weeks

It's been forever and ever since my last post, but frankly, time's a scarce commodity these days! My little Leta bug is nearly 3 months old, and I can say with all truthfulness that it just keeps getting better and better.



Leta started sleeping through the night (11pm-8am - give or take a 1/2 hr) this week, and I am slowly regaining my sanity - - although, I still speak all jumbled up half the time. I swear this might be permanent brain damage from the sleep deprivation of the first month.....you think I'm kidding.... I can now speak about that first month without the urge to crawl into a little ball and rock back and forth. It was flippin' hard - and we have a good baby! I don't know how mother's of multiples, parents with colicky babies, or single moms do it. Seriously. All hail those people. It was flippin' HARD. I "know" that we want to have another baby at some point, but when I think of having to live through the 3 weeks of every 2 hour feedings, I just want to die. It is SO SO much easier now that Leta can go through a day with a max of 5 feedings. I remember one specific day, early on and when Leta was going through a growth spurt, when I counted how many times I had breastfed in 24 hours and it was 15. No joke. I wanted to cry - still do when I think about it. Thank god I had a husband that was around for the first month (he took a full month off from work to be home with me and the baby) truly trying to do everything in his power to help out. I know that was a rare gift and it's one that I need to remind myself of everytime he leaves a half-finished project lingering around the house....



I can also say, truthfully, that I dealt with some "baby-blues" the first 2 or 3 weeks. I've never been one to deal with hormones gone wild during periods and whatnot, but my emotions were out of control those first few weeks at home and I fully blame it on the hormone levels that hadn't yet settled down. I'm talking about absolute, uncontrollable crying. U.N.C.O.N.T.R.O.L.L.A.B.L.E. Like, during dinner. For no reason. Unexpectedly. - - - Well, maybe there was the reason that my life was turned upside down, but usually I can manage that type of stuff without sobbing. Out of control hormones freak me out. All is well now, coincidentally - and if I'm caught crying these days, I darn well meant to. :)



I've gotten past the shock of the "foreverness" of the situation and now can't really imagine my life without Leta in it. The best part is that it's starting to feel like my life again. Some days are still totally overwhelming, but for the most part, it's just back to the grind. TJ and I are both working, laundry is getting done, bills are being paid, pictures are being taken and we're getting ready to go on our first big family trip! We'll be heading to S.Illinois for TJ's annual family reunion in just a week from now. Should be interesting, seeing Leta's dislike for car rides (this trip requires a 5 hour ride there and back from Chicago after a 2 1/2 hr plane ride), but we'll survive.



As for Leta's leaps and bounds, she's smiling and "talking" to us all the time. As mentioned, she sleeps through the night in her own room and wakes up being the happiest kid you've ever seen. She squeals, but we're still waiting for a laugh (god I can't wait for that day!). Leta had her first little road trip with mommy and daddy last week (to Ft. Myers) and first hotel stay. It all went great to be honest (except for the part where I was bfeeding her in the car and she pooped out of her diaper on me and the seat and then vomitted all over herself and me in one fell swoop, but that's a whole other story). That coincided with her first swim in a "big" pool, as opposed to the little one we bought for her at home. She holds her head up incredibly well and loves to stand up (with tons of support of course).



My kid's rad.

6 weeks

Number one - I'm so in love with this little blue-eyed, strawberry-blonde girl, that it's incomprehensible.


I find it hard to update this blog because I feel like so much happening that there is too much to document. Too much to even know where to begin. In so many ways, everyday goes quickly and she eats, sleeps, spits up, poops, cries, smiles, and the day is done before we know it. Within those mundane functions though are all of these amazing moments that I just don't know how to describe. She's lovely and I'm really a lucky woman to be able to witness her learning life each and every day.

In the more particulars of day to day life at the Poole household....
We're approaching 6 weeks! Little mini's a month and 1/2 old and is changing at such an amazing rate everyday, right before our eyes that it's breathtaking. She is becoming more and more alert - really looking at us and the world around her. She LOVES windows, lights, the fans and her plastic links toy (which is the most simplistic, cheap toy, btw). She's also taken to the baby bjorn and the sling but is still really hating the stroller and car rides unless she's so knocked out asleep that she doesn't know what's going on. She holds her head incredibly well and, despite the fact that "What to Expect..." says it's the worst thing ever, is sleeping very happily on her tummy. She's smiling a good amount, coos, and is starting to make these squealing noise. She also snores like a fat, old drunk man. She's sleeping well - usually 4 hours when we first put her down for the night, followed by 3 more and we're into the next morning - so not so bad. Oh, and she LOVES the tub. She just zones out with this funny little smile on her face. It's awesome.

I'm doing well, aside from the mega-bags I have under my eyes (which I'm scared will take years to fade away). I went for a run (jog) for the first time this past week - - trying to tighten up my flab-dominals. I have a doctor's appt on Tues - my final post-partum check-up. Hopefully me and my whoo-whoo can have a rest already - FINALLY. I start back with work this week too, and feel pretty up to the challenge of scheduling out our super hectic lives. It'll work because it has to.

All in all, I'm fully enamored with my new little family. Life is so sweet.

1 month

So, so say a lot has happened since I've last updated here is a bit of a gross understatement. My last entry was chronicling the final hours leading up to the big trip to the hospital. At this moment, I'm typing with my 1 month old daughter sleeping (snoring) in her sling hanging from my neck. I feel that there were too many experiences to try to recap them all now. I've just been too busy to fill in the blanks over the past few weeks. Too many emotions, too little sleep - - and when I do have the free time, I didn't want to be strapped to the keyboard. Most know my "delivery story", so I really don't feel the need to recap that once again, and I'm eager to start updating on our present-day life. We're learning on our feet and Leta seems to be thriving, so we can't be screwing up too badly. :)

Leta's pretty much amazing. Her little personality is coming out more and more each and every day. Her physical abilities change from day to day as well, which always leaves me wondering what she'll blow me away with next. I'll deal with a few hours of crying just to see one smile creep across her face (which, luckily, we don't have to deal with that often, incidentally). I'm heartbroken that a month has already gone by, because I can only imagine how quickly the rest of them will go as well. Never has my life seemed more meaningful to me. Let's start there. I'll try to start updating again regularly, as I'd like to start chronicling Leta's life with us for my own memory. In the meantime here are the vitals and some pictures of how she's grown over the past month:

Birthdate: Tues., Feb. 24th 5:49pm
Weight: 7 lbs. 11 oz.
Height: 19 inches

Weight when we left the hospital: 7 lbs. 0 oz.

1 Month Weight: 9 lbs. 13 oz.
1 Month Height: 22 inches