Busy Bee

I got to watch my niece Hailey last week. We had a fun day! She is such a busy bee. In the first 10 minutes, "Aunt Emily, can we make cookies", "Aunt Emily can we watch cartoons", "Aunt Emily can we make pancakes for breakfast", "Aunt Emily can I please hold baby Amara?", "Can I take Chloe for a walk?". So needless to say, we had a busy, but very fun day!

Yes, we made pancakes for breakfast. I called the night before and asked Jeanie to send a "baby" for Hailey to watch all day so she could do the same things I did for Amara. I gave her some bottles we got from the hospital and some newborn diapers I had left, along with a mini diaper bag. She loved it. Although I had to tell her I don't feed the baby from a bottle, she still liked feeding, rocking, and changing her baby like me all day.

Hailey and I love sugar cookies! While the dough was chillin in the fridge Hailey got out my finger puppets. She loves putting on a little show with them, so I saved a few of Clayton's socks that got holes in them so I could make her a real puppet....so while we had some time before our dough was ready, we made Ruby. The name fits her perfectly (seen below). Hailey picked out the blue eyes and big red hair. She wanted two pony tails and then a dress with two fabrics. Lets just say it was fun, but I am no professional puppet maker. Anywho--it turned out alright and she loved it!

We got the cookie cutters out and made bunnies and flowers for easter. We decorated them with bright purple frosting. Both of us couldn't keep our fingers out of the yummy dough and delicious frosting! Hailey is a ball of energy but I just love hanging out with this cute girl. My favorite thing of the day was her going up to my makeup drawer (which she knows well) and saying, "Let's do a makeover". Uhm yeah cutes, you are 5; not 15 :).

I just love Amara's funny face in the pic below.

Amara is doing great. I love spending my days with her; nights can be a different story. I don't know what the deal is. I think we have part of the problem solved; I think she was getting too hot at night. She has to be swaddled tight (super tight) or she wakes up. That in itself is a bit annoying--how can you swaddle a baby that THRASHES in her sleep without her coming undone? She got a little heat rash on her stomach and I think it just would bug her at night and she couldn't get comfy. Now we have that mostly under control but she still is waking. It isn't just to cry either, she is hungry. She will eat a whole feeding 2 times in the night. If I don't feed her (which we have tried for a week) she is up every 45 minutes to an hour. So I would rather feed her twice and be able to sleep a little more. I am just hoping something will kick in and she will sleep for LONGER periods. Some nights are bareable, the other night I did not get to sleep until 7 am. That was no fun cause I had to be up at 10:30. But how can you stay mad at this little cutie? Well, I can't. She is just too precious!

She began eating rice cereal and is loving it. She is still "short" but has now doubled her birth weight (she is now close to 14ish pounds). Even though she is 5 months she is now in her 3 month (some 3-6) clothes. She giggles every once in awhile but has the cutest smile! She krinkles up her little nose and I just melt. On Sunday she kept smiling and talking to an older guy in Sunday school. He was loving it but I was a bit distracted with her cuteness.

Chloe has been a little more interested in her. Not a ton but a little more. She is confused by one thing...why she can't sleep ON the baby like she sleeps on us. The other day I had laid Amara down on the couch to sleep. Chloe hopped right up to snuggle, but wanted to lay on her. I had to quickly tell her there was a baby there not just a big blanket and she snuggled right next to her. Of course when I got the camera Amara woke up...but they are still cute little buddies.

And...my Mom is not only back in town, but has moved back to Utah! She was approved for a house about 3 minutes from mine! I am excited to have her close again!!!! Grandma can't get enough of little Amara either :). Now let the real sewing projects with Grandma begin!