We've Missed You

It's been a few weeks since Iv been able to post. These days have been flying by. So I figured I would share our what has been going on in the Berrieum household in the past few weeks iv been Blogspot.MIA. WARNING: most of the following pictures contain heartwarming cuddles. If you are not interested in heartwarming, wonderful, fantastic, cute, loving baby cuddles then you may way to seek professional assistance... And do not read any further. 

Mommy and Layla time

Daddy and Layla time. 

Big girl trying to hold her bottle all by herself

First time tasting sweet potatoes. 

"Nasty mommy"

"May I please have more?" 

Baby Too Cool. 

Scratching herself in the face (mommy cried more than she did)

Snap chatting lol

Daddy & Daughter Valentine's Date

I love the idea of a Daddy Daughter date. Date nights are a great way for father and daughter to bond, for him to show her how future suiters should treat her and gives mommy a chance to get her nails done uninterrupted (works for me).

Being that it is our first Valentine's Day as a family, I think it would be special for Layla and Tim to have their 1st date night. Soooo, I might have to take a back seat for a little while  but I can enjoy my flowers and chocolates (hint hint) solo until the baby goes to sleep. Here are some cute ideas for daddy daughter Valentine's:

Heart throb tank, red pajama pants, Amelia Bedelia's First Valetine book, My heart belongs to daddy top, Heart leg warmers, red personalized bloomers

Im also completely in love with these Valentine's Day Card holders from Pottery Barn. Im definitely ordering them! Poor future children. Hopefully Pottery Barn keeps them in stock for a while. 

3 month update & Happy 100th Day Birthday

Tim vetoed the half naked baby pics of his little princess so I figured, if we must wear cloths... Accessorize. 

Weight: 12 pounds

Likes: Bath time. Kicking her play gym, her changing station, her parents... pretty much anything within leg reach. Watching TV (as much as we try to keep her away). Her nuk pacifier (oh yea, she's brand bougie) 

Dislikes: Tummy time on anything but mommys tummy

Accomplishments: Starting to form teeth! Tasted prunes, grapes, watermelon, carrots and sweet potato. Can sit up straight for several minutes (still need some pillow support). Started laughing out loud. Started pronouncing "g" sound and beginning to attempt "ow" sounds. Slept through the night 8:00pm-8:00am. 

Noteables: 

*Layla talks and moves in her sleep. You put her down facing one direction and she turns around, hangs her feet out of the crib, and usually we find her on the complete opposite side facing the opposite direction. 

* My baby thumb sucker. This month Layla learned to suck her thumb. It was a long and frustrating process for her (as well as Tim and I as we are endlessly trying to keep her hands out of her face). She wanted to suck her thumb so badly she would spit the pacifier out and literally hit herself in the face trying to get her finger in her mouth. "That freaking hand won't stay still!!!" 

One day, she's laying on her play gym while I'm doing a quick chore around the house and I notices it gets really… suspiciously quiet. I look at her just in time to catch her thumb find its way into her mouth.... Hallelujah! She was so received (until I pulled the thumb out and threatend to find the mittens) 

Let the battle begin. 

I can't believe my tiny baby is 100 days old. As much as I can't want to see her reach her milestones, I wish I could freeze time and have her stay this little forever. Happy 100th Day Birthday Layla-Kay

Friday Favorites

This weekend is all about getting my house ready for Valentine's Day. Here are some DIY V-Day decorations that I <3. 

Valentines Day Mantel by Landeelu

Love Yarn Letters by My Sisters Suitcase

valentine's Day pillowcases by Brit+Co

Little Gold Hearts by Style Within Reach

Iv Got a Crush on You Printables by Yellow Umbrella Designs

 Valentines Heart attack by House that Lars Built

Scratch off Valentines Cards by The story of Pat and Lindsay

Valentines Day Subway art by The Tomkat Studio

Button Burlap Heart by Southern Lovely

Modern Working Mama

Being a mother is the hardest yet most rewarding job I have ever had. There are days where you are exhausted between feedings, changings, washing bottles, cleaning cloths and trying to educate and entertain your baby and yet all it takes is one little smile or hug and it makes all the work worth it.

Returning to work when Layla was only 6 weeks old has to be one of the most difficult transitions of my life. Iv been back to work for a month now and to be honest, it has not gotten any easier. (To my credit, Iv stopped slowed down with the random sobbing outbursts that left my husband looking like a deer in headlights). Not only was it difficult to leave Layla but I am finding that it is hard to balance all that I need to get done in a day. For me, life post maternity leave is definitely been a challenge.
My intention for writing this is not to b!tch about being a working mother. Rather, I hope to share my feelings with other mothers that are in the same situation. Although it may not seem like it, and I have to remind myself of this all day when Im at work, you are not alone. I understand. Im right there with you.  Im praying for you.

Here are some articles I have found that offer advice for new working mothers:

Going Back to Work After Baby

By Amy Capetta

Returning To Work After Maternity Leave? Here’s How To SetYourself Up For A Smooth Transition By Alessandra Hickson

5 Tips For Returning to Work After Maternity Leave
By Barbara Rockwell

0-3 Months Products We Love

1. Munchkin Warm Glow Wipe Warmer     2. Graco Direct connet Digital Monitor  

3. Carters Pacifier Clip     4. Baby Breeza Formula Pro    5. Fisher-Price Rock'n Play Sleeper

6. Boppy Pillow 7. Avent Natural Glass Bottles  8. Nuk Pacifiers

Friday Favorites

I feel like I spend a lot of time conversing in baby talk recently. I'm seriously concerned that Im accidentally going to answer the phone or respond to an adult with "Hello my cutie booty" or some other overly high pitched rhyming nonsense that makes my daughter smile. My reading since Layla was born has become "Are you My Mother" or "Is your baby developmentally on target". Page turners, I know.
I was looking for something to read that did not require much commitment on my part but also used words with larger than 2 syllables when I ran across a few Kate Spade books at the library. Kate's writing is witty and enlightening and best of all, brief. I finished each book in two or three days during post feeding cat naps or just before I pass out night. For you baby free people, one rainy afternoon is sufficient.

Photo credit: Hayley of Ceriselle.org

There are 3 books in the series; Manners, Style and Occasions  My favorite was manners. Being in the world of education and living in South Florida, I feel like manners is a dying art that needs some reviving. Kate covers topics such as "How to each an orange with seeds in public" "The Etiquette of writing and receiving letters" or "Appropriate conversation at a social gathering". Some of the topics are kind of outdated, for example her tip about not sitting in front of short people at the movie theater while wearing your largest hat, but still made me laugh. Each book is very short, only about 100 pages long with pictures and many little captions.

Hopefully Ill have the time to actually read a novel in the near future (Hopefully before Layla starts to watch Nick Jr. I have previewed some of those shows and between the high pitch voices and repetition, Im going to need something to keep my brain cells alive.)

Until next time.