Three

So a month ago my baby was 3 months old!! It was a bittersweet milestone. She is growing so much and getting such a cute personality, yet 3 months marked the end of my "spa retreat" from work. Over the third month Isabel had a lot of firsts...the best was a faint little giggle that I got during a middle of the night feeding. Oh my goodness I have never heard anything so sweet. I was so blissful that I couldn't fall back asleep so I just stared at her on the video monitor. Another noteworthy event over the past month was the change from size one to size two diapers. Let me tell you, I learned how to measure diaper sizes the hard way! We had three nights in a row of "blowouts" and I finally got the hint... I guess I just couldn't handle the fact that my baby was onto the next size diaper. Finally, Isabel had a fluke rollover during month three. One day during tummy time she rolled over to her back. I say it was a fluke as she has yet to do a repeat performance...stay tuned for more updates.

Here is a link to my obsessive compulsive picture taking of my baby girl on Kodak. I have lost all control...sorry.

Here is my favorite month 3 milestone photo... She pooped out of her cute outfit right before our little photo shoot, so I decided to capture the moment anyway. Can you tell how annoyed she is with me?

Trying so hard to sit up!

One of the first outfits I bought for Isabel (size 6 months) and she is already growing out of it. She is growing so fast that we need to have a fashion show to capture all the cute outfits!

Is it bad to capture these type of moments?? I just love every single thing about this baby girl...

Merry 1st Christmas Isabel

Christmas with a baby is incredible. It's amazing what a child brings to the holiday celebrations...

We started off the holiday season with a photo shoot with Old St. Nick! Instead of batteling the crowds at the mall and paying a fortune for a subpar poloriod, we invested a trip to V Gallery in Morton. She is the best Christmas present I have ever received!

After we sat on St. Nick's lap...we headed over to visit Grandma Funk. Isabel was all smiles...I couldn't snap enough pictures. If only we could have gotten the smiles 30 min earlier...

This was an early celebration to visit my Great Uncle Wally and Aunt Myrna. It was their 65th wedding anniversary AND both of their 90th birthdays! Isn't that unbelievable. The line to visit with them was out the door...so we passed time with a photo shoot with Grandma and Grandpa.

Our first Christmas tree with our baby little girl!

Santa's Little Helper...thanks for the adorable outfit Auntie Sharon!

Photoshoot with Meeme and Papa

Isabel on Santa's lap at the Baby Jesus' Birthday Party

On Christmas Eve we went to a candlelite services with my parents. Here is a charming picture of my baby girl (on Grandpa's lap)...she wasn't so charming when she burped loudly, spit up all over me and had an extrodinarly smelly poopy diaper IN CHURCH!

Our little mamushka...

Hey Great Grandpa...I have a Santa hat just like you!

Thanks for the fun toy Grandma!

Isabel at the Funk Family Christmas...she just woke up from a nap, but she looks just like Mary. Perfect for the Christmas celebration.

Yay, Aunt Jenny is home for Christmas. Isabel is showing Jenny how big she is!

So precious!

Four generations of Funk's celebrating with Grandma Funk.

Let It Go

So I've been a little behind in blogging... I really want to catch up to share some of the sweet moments from the holidays, but I just had the impulse that I should write the following feelings while they are so fresh in my heart...

As a new year is upon us, I'm sad to see 2009 go. It was an incredible year for me...I found out we were going to have a baby in January and our little miracle was born on September 10th. Every minute of my life since then has been different. The light bulb went on...I get it now. Having a child makes the good times so much better, the laughter so much sweeter, the smiles so much bigger, and on and on.

I just fed Izzy she kept catching me staring at her and she would just stop and give the best smile...the kind where her hole face is so squinty that it appears as if her eyes are closed. She occasionally would give me a little shrill to show her love. I'm sad to put her in her to sleep in her crib. The fleeting moments just keep escaping.

I now know how my parents felt while raising us. I know why they do so much for me and my brother. I understand the support, generosity, thoughtfulness, punishment, hugs, kind words, listening ear and most importantly the love so much better. I would (will) do the same for my children. It's love.

So, with the light bulb turning on...I'm going to change up my resolutions this year. Though I'd like to lose weight, exercise, eat healthy, etc... it's more important to enjoy every moment with my baby girl. I need to learn to "Let it Go" and focus on the important things rather than the countless details which used to consume me. I'd love to be wonder woman and have the perfect wardrobe, polished nails, a clean house and a warm dinner on the table (in that order). Yet I'd rather have a happy, healthy baby girl that smiles every day.

With that, here is a picture of my inspiration to keep my new years resolution...

So Stinking Cute

I know I'm biased, but she is just so stinking cute... Here are some of my favorites from November!

Friday the 13th

Isabel's first Friday the 13th turned out to be unlucky. She had her first round of vaccinations. I had my mom come along with us to the health department for moral support. To make Izzy feel better about the shots she had to get, my mom and I both go the H1N1 shot. I don't think this made her feel any better.

My little baby had to get one oral vaccine and three shots. Poor little thing. Being the scrapbooker she is, my mom had to take pictures to capture the moment. Luckily Izzy only cried for a minute after the shots and all pain was forgotten once I nursed her.

Poor thing...I love you!

Sip-N-See

My mom's good friends, Carol and Sue, recently threw Izzy a Sip'N'See! Let me tell you...this is my kind of party! What do you do..."sip" on alcoholic beverages all while "seeing" my baby girl! Seriously, brilliant! Truthfully, I think you are really supposed to sip on tea...lame!

Carol and Sue with the Grandma of the Day!

Everyone generously brought a book for Grandma Nancy's library for Isabel...and future grandbabies! Wow...we might have to have story time at Grandma Nancy's frequently...such good books and so little time!

Can you believe there is a series of books called "Fancy Nancy"?

Izzy giving me the look asking "Where is my drink?"

My little bug a boo... Isn't this dress the most precious?! Thanks Aunt Kathy for the princess dress...Izzy loves it!

Boys Boys Boys

We took another road trip up to Chicago to visit my friend Staci and her newborn baby, Aidan. Aidan is almost 3 weeks older than Isabel. So it was so fun to get the kiddos together to "play"!

Check out this little guys smile...

How funny is this picture?? Clearly the kids are just thrilled with our little photo shoot!

Our other friend Katie also joined in on the festivities on her day off of work. Her little man was a little over ten months at this point and he was loads of fun to watch. He was also loads of work. Staci and I looked at each other with a little relief that our babies can't move yet :)

How handsome is Jack?!

The impossible shot...this kids were probably seeing dots for 10 minutes after these photos...3 mom's with cameras = tons of flashes! In fact, some of my outtakes show the red-eye reduction from either Katie or Staci's camera :)

Here is Jack trying to feel Aidan's mohawk...or fighting over Izzy perhaps?!

I got the look of concern (the norm) after taking so many pictures of the boys.