PLEASE VOTE DAILY!!!

I placed a picture of Erin in a photo contest to be on the cover of a parenting magazine. Please follow the link daily to vote for her... remember, daily!

http://photos.parents.com/category/vote/photo/309176

Thank you!!!

Coming soon

In a world where the best way to get cooled down is to jump into water, a little baby girl kicks her feet to stay afloat with some help from a smiley starfish.
Erin Elizabeth Rose is the Lil Swimmer, coming soon to a computer screen near you.

And here it is... the video we've all been waiting for:

Erin Stands

Erin's been standing on her own two feet for a couple of days now.She doesn't like just sitting, so she loves standing anywhere: changing tables, floor, chairs, bellys, etc. It's so cute, she looks like a doll. But it does make me want to cry how fast she's growing up. I keep wanting to say "Erin, you don't need to stand up just yet! Don't grow up so fast!"

Beddy Bye

"So Chris put the monitor in the nursery yesterday. And last night would have been the first night Erin slept in her crib overnight, but with thestorm we decided it mightbe best to have her close by. The night came and went without any problems, she slept fine in her basinette for 9 hours straight. I ha to get up and pump a couple of times, but she just slept through everything. I don't know how the transition will be tonight, I'm not scared; just sad, another chapter is over with. Erin reached the milestones I told Chris she would have to meet before I would let her go. I told Chris that Erin would either have to be too big for the basinette or 3 months old. She has hit both, so it' time. **sniff, sniff**"
The above was my journal enry for Erin's diary on the 20th. Erin sleeps fine in the crib, we've had her in it before for naps and such, but not overnight until that Thursday. I don't think she's adjusted to it quite yet, because she's started waking up in the middle of the night again. She wakes up around 2:30-3:30 am and then again at 6:30-7:30 am.
I've watched her on the monitor and waited a while for her to fall back asleep, and she plays for a little bit sometimes, but she starts crying so I go and feed her. People keep saying to let her cry, and I've tried that a couple of times. That does not fly well with me. When she full on cries it's physically painful to me, and a bit scary because she kicks herself up to the head of the crib. I've raced in there a couple of times to keep her from plowing her head further under the bumper which is very very dangerous. I'd much rather just go in calmly when she bleats a couple of times (stating that she's done playing and is ready for food) than not get there in time. I know I'm going against a lot of people's suggestions, and she might grow up to be a bit spoiled because of it, but I'm not tempting it.
It really does physically pain me to hear her cry hard. I can handle the little cries and the whines, but when she is full on screaming... I don't even like being in the house. my stomach drops, my ears feel like they do in an air plane with a sinus infection (like the drums themselves could pop at any moment), and all my muscles tense up. I sometimes have to tell myself to breathe because i will have been holding my breath. Needless to say, I don't let her cry all that often.
I hear different theories: one is the "let them cry" method (aka. Ferberizing), and that works for most people. I just remember when we were taught breastfeeding that crying is the last resort of a child, so I just look for the signs. The less she cries the better for my mind. I know she can sleep through the night because she did so for a while there so I know she will do so again. until then...

Erin and the Dogs

So Erin loves laughing at the dogs playing, so we decided to try and capture it on video. She knows when the camera is on, so didn't laugh but did give a few smiles. The dogs were a bit co-ersed.

Chatting it up

Erin loves to talk to her "Mrs. Sunshine" toy that makes funny noises. I thought you'd enjoy it.

Laugh and Play

Erin has some fun playing and "talking" to her Mrs. Sunshine and rolls over at the end.

Roses are red, Erin wears blue

Ok, so I had too many pictures from this "photo session" with Erin, so I made a slideshow. Enjoy!

This Week in Pictures

There were so many cute photo opps from this week, I just thought I'd share them with you:



She's finally keeping the sunglasses on her face and opening her eyes, so I had to take a picture of that:


She's asleep in dreamland:



She loooves (chewing) her bear:


Erin having fun with her mobile:









The Mother's Day roses Erin "got" for me at each Church service (we went to one on Saturday and another on Sunday):



Erin's talents follow her moms! She did that on her own (but for the picture we had to place it because I didn't have the camera on me when she did it the first time):

Hope you enjoyed them!

Johnny Jump-Up

Erin is loving her jump-up! Enjoy the video
She lines to have her arms down by her sides as well as chewing on it. The epitomy of cutiness!

Too Young for TV

Wow, this is something I've worried about a little lately and today recieved this article. So I just had to share it. So, no more TV time, Erin. Sorry. It's gonna be hard to do, but it's for you so I can do it.


Too Young for TV?
Is time in front of the boob tube bad for baby? In a word, yes. But in the real world, TV happens. Here's how to turn it on in moderation (and without guilt!).
While the AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics recommends no tube at all for kids under two, it's the rare parent who doesn't turn to Sesame Street or Baby Einstein for an occasional, sanity-saving break. At her age, your baby gleans little from even a so-called educational program, so avoid TV whenever you can. But don't guilt yourself to death if you flip it on from time to time.


If you need a break from holding or entertaining your baby, or you need to chop the veggies for tonight's dinner -- or simply grab a shower—set your baby up in a seat or on a blanket with a few toys, in a spot where you can see and hear each other. She'll enjoy that just as much as Elmo or the Teletubbies. Listening to music (it doesn't have to be kiddie tunes!) will often lengthen the time she's willing to sit solo.


When you do turn on the set, try to make it a do-together activity instead of a babysitting session. Talk about what you see ("That doggie looks just like Aunt Susan's!") and explain what's happening ("The boy is painting a picture—he is using a pretty blue color"). Stick to shows designed especially for small children, without distracting commercials.


If you've been in the habit of leaving the TV on for company, now's the time to stop. Otherwise, your baby may grow accustomed to its constant noise and lights, and expect the Great Entertainer to be on all the time. Before you know it, she'll be big enough to demand the shows and characters she neeeeds to see and want to watch them instead of engaging in other kinds of brain-building, muscle-building play.

Laughter

Erin laughed sooo long today, but we didn't get the video out in time, so I've been following her around with the flip for a while with little success. She loves watching the dogs play around, and has enjoyed the mirror. Enjoy the video, I'll post another of her laughing when we get her going for a long amount of time again.

My First Mother's Day

Dots All 'Round

This outfit was too cute not to take pictures with, especially since it matched the furniture.

Baby Shower-ing

So Erin's been having a hard time with baths... screaming her head off. We've tried what seems like everything, even bathing with her and nursing her during. Then, today, I asked Chris to watch her while I took a shower before we went to go eat. Turned out Erin's dirty diaper was pretty bad. So he suggested I take her into the shower with me. I did and she did not hate it! In fact she smiled for a bit! She just didn't like it when the water rained down on her face. We now know how to give her a good cleaning.