5 months

I just got to spend several fun filled days with my sister Betina in washington! Sean was working several days in a row, and i knew i needed to get out of dodge so I didnt go crazy solo! (Im not very good on my own for long periods of time, just ask my BFF iris )

Anyhoo, my sister is an uber taleted photographer, and takes many many awesome pictures of my dixie for me. Its a good thing too, because i absolutely suck at taking pictures. I have this awesome camera, and i have absolutely know clue how to use it to its fullest potential.

So, heres a sneak peak at just a few of the shots Betina took of my sweet baby dixie. And just in case you're interested, she just started her own photography business, and she is super affordable. Rather than paying per print, she gives you a whole disk of 15-25 high resolution shots with print release for a set price. Seriously, best deal ever, especially after you take a look at how good she is! So if you're interested and living in either Utah or Spokane heres her website - witsendphotography.blogspot.com . Please note that her website is still being worked on.. but you'll get the jist of it.

The bum shot was my idea..... i just think dixie has the cutest little tush ever!

And on another note- I took Dixie out on the trampoline and she LOVEd every second of it. Down worry.. they were baby bounces... no head jerking movements and I didnt even pee :)

Dixie Mae admires her cuteness in the mirror. She was enamored by this spectacle for over ten minutes. That is two hours in adult time!

Just a few pictures from our Utah trip last week taken by our friend. These first two were taken up near Sundance. Although the snow provided great scenery, it ruined the hike we had planned.

This last picture is just a cute little shot of Dixie playing with her hands.

ulgh, besides a delicious lunch out with liz (which was awesome)... its totally been one of those days! Its rainy outside, so i cant take dixie for a walk, and shes going stir crazy. Shes been naughty all day, sean is working, and i am thus left to deal with her crabbiness alone. Nothing will soothe her little soul, not even my boobies. I am so ready for today to be over!

ok, i admit it. I broke down and reconnected my cable. I just cant live without 16 and pregnant. its seriously the best show on tv. those poor young girls all knocked up. i totally feel for them.

ps- my nike group got in!! yippeee!!!

We Moved!

WE're now in a 2 bedroom/2bath on the main floor at our same complex. Its only been a couple of days, but it is fantastic!! I cant even fathom hauling dixie up 3 flights of stairs ever ever again! This is the life man! Our complex has really nice gardening and a nice outdoor pool, so its going to be so nice playing in this summer with dixie. Now to buy some water wings so we can swim together-oh so exciting.

SO yes, we have more room. I can breath again, and im not constantly tripping over things. I even cooked dinner last night vs. cheap take out food, becuase i have the space! I feel like freakin betty crocker. Life is good.

XOXO
Eve

Primo infant bath seat-

heres the link to the bath seat i got for dixie. It is the BEST invention for bathing ever. Super simple, yet genius.

enjoy-

http://www.primobaby.com/bathing_01.htm

WELCOME LITTLE ADA ROSE WERNER

Dixie is really excited to be joined by her little cousin Ada who entered the world a few days ago. Additionally, she found out that she will have a little boy cousin who we are expecting to join us near the end of the summer, compliments of Terry and Michelle.

Proud Papa Rob holding his little girl. It is hard to believe that only four months ago, Dixie was this small.

Just another Manic Monday

This is Dixie's most common positon lately- stuck on her tummy because she's rolled over and cant roll back. Hopefully she'll learn how to roll from tummy to back soon- shes one frustrated little lady! Eden- can you please come over and teach her how to roll the other way?

Dixie's second favorite activity next to walks outside is Bathtime! I recently purchased this PERFECT bath seat. So much better than the external kiddie tubs that just make a mess of water on your counter and take a long time to fill up and put away, i know, i have one of these as well. This little goodie was $10 on craigslist- best ten bucks i've spent on dixie yet! It just sits inside the regular tub- no prep or clean up necessary, and it perfectly positions dixie so shes in a relaxing position and can kick to her hearts delight.

The next 2 pics are of the new slipcovers i made for my glider and
ottoman. They took freakin forever to sew, especially since i didnt have
a pattern, and since i only get to sew after Dixie is asleep. Please Note
that my first sewing class EVER was Jan 2010, so im a novice sewer, and there are many areas of improvement to be made. However, I did learn how to sew piping and
zippers with this project, and I learned the importance of percise
measurements. The footstool slipcover is a very loose fit ( my first try), whereas
the back cushion is nice and tailored (my last one). Dont you just LOVE the fabric?? It's from Amy Butler's latest spring line up. I wanted to make kitchen curtains out of it, but Sean said it was too "Gay". I dont care... i LOVE it!

This is me and Dixie- doing what we do every day, three times a day- walking outside in the baby bjorn. Did I mention that the Baby Bjorn is the only way this child will travel? The stoller is no longer good enough- shes needs to be front and center of all the action. It was pouring rain outside the last 2 days and shes going insane inside. So i just suited up for the weather and out we went. THanks auntie nunu for the fabulous baby uggs- we've made good use of them in the rainy weather! (if i knew how, i would have cropped me and my double chins out of this picture. Dixie is so much cuter)

Oh, and we also had dixie's 4 month appointment last week. She is now 14.1lbs (60%), 25inches long (78%)--- I wonder if shes going to be tall?

DIXIE MAE DISPLAYS HER ATHLETIC PROWESS

My baby girl is growing up oh so fast! Here she is showing off her latest trick- rolling over! She's just shy of 4 months, so i think shes right on track with her development. Its really funny bc she can only roll from back to belly, but not from belly to back (yet), so she gets frustrated when shes stuck on her tummy, and yelps for help. I love this sweet girl!

Dixie's first Easter!

Easter 2010 was such a blast! We travelled via plane (aka time machine) up to my sister B's house. She lives in a tiny washington town that feels like America 50 years ago. It is quite refreshing visiting there, enjoying the simple things and enjoying nature. We got to play and play with our cute neices and nephew- they are all just soooo adorable, and they were so cute playing with baby Dixie, smothering her with kisses and love- she enjoyed every second of it. I also got to cut lots of hair, do arts and crafts with Eden, and chat with my sisters N & B! My brother even came up as a surpise, and it was SO NICE to see him again FINALLY. I havent seen him since Poo's wedding, 2 years ago!!! ( Brother- please come to SF this summer to visit. We can mountain bike, hike, and go to tons of movies- pretty please :) Oh, and did i mention that my sister betina is the best cook ever! Everything she makes is from scratch and it is oh so delicious (and healthy too!). My papa made the drive up from SL- thanks for coming daddy dear! And a big thanks to Betina for hosting, making delicious food, and taking cute pics of my baby!

Like father like daughter- Like mother like daughter.

Little dixie mae is definitely my child. She goes STIR CRAZY in the apartment for any length of time. I literally take her on 3 walks a day to keep the child sane. Today for example we went out 3 times! First on our daily 2 hour jaunt around the neighborhood and shops (11am-1pm), then at 4pm she was being fussy so we walked to a park where we sat on the grass and looked at the kiddos playing for an hour, and then again at 6:30pm she turned into a little cranster (not even the swing would sooth her little soul), so I grabbed a blanket and we headed down to the pool area at our complex. Its so funny because she will be inconsolable inside, and then the second we step outside she stops crying and is 100% content. I guess she just likes the fresh air and change of scenery.

She definatly takes after me. I hate doing nothing and sitting around.. what most people call "relaxing"...i just dont have the relax bone. I get this from my dear daddy (who doesnt sit still either), and now dixie gets it from me. I fear for when miss dixie becomes mobile.

XOXO
Eve

3.5 months- dixies top ten

Dixie is now 3.5 months old!! wowzers... how time flies!! Here's what the little cutie has been up to:

1- she is smiling on demand and her eyes twinkle with love...

2- shes become BFF with her little hands. its really so cute- they are constantly on her face or ears, and i have to leave them outside of her nighttime swaddle, otherwise she will fight and fight until they are out

3- she will no longer take a bottle, even though i gave her one everyday since she was 10 days old religiously. Its like as soon as she turned 3 months old she all of a sudden "decides" what she likes and dislikes. This no bottle thing is super annoying, and im hoping it will turn around soon- i need some freedom people!

4-she LOVES to be outside- she goes completely stir crazy in our apartment, so i literally take her on 3 walks a day- she loves them, and prefers the baby bjorn over the stroller as she has full view of the world

5- she looks around constantly, like 180 neck rotations a day no joke!

6- She hoots and hollers all day long. Her sounds are getting more varied, and there is definate meaning to them eg- the happy coos are much different than the annoyed pick me up sounds. She whines when shes not getting enough attention..... and gets progressively lounder and more intense the longer i *try* to ignore them.

7- shes sleeping in a crib that is not in our bedroom- we did sleep training as soon as she turned 3 months, and shes been sleeping 7-9 hour stretches each night ever since! sooooooo wonderful!!! I put her down at 8pm each nite after a dreamfeed and a bath, and most of the time she is still wide awake, but she barely cries and in 20 mintutes shes out ! Love her!! so glad the 2 hour feedings are over!

8- she holds her head up 90 degrees during tummy time... although she tires out after only a few minutes, and is no where close to rolling over yet

9- She bears her weight on her legs for a few minutes at a time.

10- She loves to "talk"- we make eye contact with her and we can carry on a 2 way "conversation" with her for a couple of minutes!

And in other news we applied for her passport today for our july trip to the homeland!!!! Oh how i miss my true north strong free!! Remind me to tell you my "Mae" story next.... how a silly teenage decision is still haunting me today!!


ok , i must stop writing now as The "t" on my laptop is stuck so i have to pound it and im giving myself carpal tunnel!!!

We Love DIXIE Mae!!!

In good times and bad

Im So so sad... I heard back from my boss yesterday- and just as i feared, part time is not an option. Its so funny, bc back at the farm (BYU), everyone would say, oh accounting, that will be great when you're a mom, you can just work part time from home. Well people, Im calling their B*LL S**T, at least when it comes to corporate accounting that is. Its more like a job and a half with a minimum 50 hour week, and no overtime pay. But my friends, its been a good 4 year ride at my current company, and 3 years previously at pwc.

They've seriously been so good to me, from the over-the-top annual company parties at SF city hall, allowing me to flex my schedule during hairschool, 2 fab trips to london staying in the hyde park marriott and flying sean in on their dime, eating at nobu, to a pretty freakin awesome year end bonus while i was on maternity leave which bought me my new treadmill (and I didnt even work year end)..... yes people, the days of bounty are offically OVER. I had hope in my heart that they loved me enough to allow me to go part time... but atlas I got the fatefull call yesterday and my fears were confirmed. It seems that the Corporate world is not for mummies- unless of course you want to only see your child on the weekends and never at quarter ends... but that just doesnt seem fair to either dixie or me. SO my friends... i think its time to call it quits for now. There is a time and a season for all things, and the season of my career will be put on hold for the next year at least. Hopefully i wont loose all of my mad excel skills while im out! Its been a great ride.

London- 2006- trip #1

London- 2006- trip #2

Annual Party 2007, with my best work buddy ever!

Annual Party 2007, with my best hubby ever!
(now if only i can get that body back!)

xoxo,

eve

Picture Update March 1st- So you've probably been wondering what i've been up to the last 3 months..... heres a peak!

Auntie Bunny playing with dixie. Note dixie's hand in her face. Shes recently discovered her hands and they are her favorite toy. When i try to hold them down or swaddle her, shes fights and fights until her little treasures are free to explore.

My little chubster. Looks like shes definitly eating enough :)

Dixie watching me sew her new dress!

And look, shes sitting up in the bumbo chair!

I just finished my first sewing class. I made a super cool apron (not pictured)

and a little dress for dixie when she's 1 yr- Here is the back of the dress:

Here is the Front of the dress.

I'll probably pair it with a cute white onsie underneath!

My baby sister bunny hopped accross the country to meet miss dixie.

She also made the most delicious frittatta for dinner. Bunny, you can come and cook for me anytime! BTW, hot bangs bunny, where ever did you go to get such funky color?

Heres the star of the show, isnt she sweet!?! She steals my heart.

This is what we do daily- long walks in either the bejorn or the stroller, depending on weather and dixie's mood. She especially loves riding front facing in the bejorn as she gets to see the world!

Cutting out the Fat

I did something totally impulsive today that im afraid I will regret tomorrow... especially tomorrow since Sean will be working and I'll probably be sitting at home all day with Dixie...

Anyhoo, in order to cut expenses due to my new job as a stay at home mom, I cancelled our cable tv. It was costing $67 a month which is roughly $800 a year, and since I am currently making $0 a year, cuts need to be made! This is the first of many. I am sad... I have absolutely loved having cable over the last year- probably too much. Im sure i will get a lot more cleaning, reading, and QT with Dixie mae in, so this is actually a good thing. But that doesnt mean i wont be going through withdrawal symptoms for the next month. I'll probably get the shakes and start vomiting shortly! The shows I will miss most are ( and please dont judge me based on this list)

House Hunters (HGTV)
Property Virgins (HGTV)
The Kardashians (E!)
Real Housewives of Orange County (E!)
Shear Genius (Bravo)
Millionaire Matchmaker (Bravo)
16 and pregnant (MTV)
Teen Mom (MTV)

Sean absolutely hates the tv that i watch.... but whatever. What are your favorite shows? And What have you cut out of your life in an effort to cut expenses? I need some ideas!

XOXO
Eve

OK, call me crazy, but im actually really enjoying staying at home with Dixie! My maternity leave is almost up and im really not sure what im going to do next. I know that Im not going to go back full time, thats for sure- But I might go part time if I can arrange it with my boss. But anyhoo.. here are the reasons i Love staying at home with miss dixie mae-

Top Ten Reason's I love staying home with Dixie:

1- Her huge smile and twinkling eyes

2- Listening to her hoot & hollow at the blinking lights on her activity mat

3- Feeding her on my rocker without ever having to worry about the time

4- Having time to take Sewing classes! I can make aprons and burp cloths- next up, a dress for dixie!

5-Having time to do the dishes, laundry and tidy up every single day

6- Taking a morning nap together, with Dixie sleeping on my chest(probably not best practice for sleep training, but whatever)

7- Having time to bake goodies for Sean's work crew at the firehouse & visiting him all the time

8- Taking long 2 hour walks with Dixie EVERY DAY!

9-Having time to Cook dinner! I cant even remember the last time i ate out!

10- Having time to do social things and making friends


How am I ever going to go back to work??? im not sure that i will...... maybe tomorrow I'll look at the budget and try to cut the fat out :) But it wont help that we really need a new larger vechicle. Did i mention that my car broke down AGAIN. Yes, that is the 3rd time in 7 months, not acceptable! Never buy a VW, they are engineered to break down all the time- everything in the damn engine is made out of plastic.

How can I possibly give up any time with this precious little thing?

Tomorrow, my baby sister Bunny is coming to visit for 4 whole days! Hip hip horay!!! Bunny, you wanna babysit pretty please- i need a date!

XOXO

Eve


XOXO
Eve

February 17, 2010

Here are some random pixs of Dixie over the last couple of weeks. We would blog about other stuff, but Dixie is taking up most of the spotlight right now. Can't wait for our trip to Utah in a couple of weeks when grandma and grandpa Werner can give us a couple of much needed babysitting breaks so we can go on some dating excursions.

Mama and Dixie getting some much needed R&R

Dixie enjoying a sunest in Palo Alto

Dixie Mae posing with Auntie Poopie during our Utah trip

Dixie Mae baring her gums for the whole world to see

Our first experimentation with our new flip camcorder

2 months old!

Dixie Mae is 2 months old today! We had her check up and her first shots today. She handled it like a champ, screaming for only 2 minutes then she settled right down... until a few hours later when she was screaming for at least an hour straight. A little bit of childrens tylenol did the trick though and she slept the next couple of hours like a baby.

Here are her stats:
11 lbs 7 ounces (69th percentile)

22 inches long (35th percentile)

Head is 15.5 inches around

as you can see i have a nice short chubby baby!

Shes super alert right now.. moving her head left to right to left to right all the live long day sucking in her surroundings. She gets really bored and angitated in the apartment all day and loves to take walks outside for a change of scenery (much like her mother). She eats constantly and will take it in whatever form is around, bottle or breast, she makes no distinction, as long as there is warm milk at the end of the tunnel! Her eyes are still blue, and we're crossing our fingers they will stay blue. We're not quite sure on her haircolor yet... sometimes it looks brown, othertimes it looks dark blonde, and in the sun it has definatly got some red in it as well.. so the verdict is still out. Her skin is extremly fair... so fair that if i hold her in one position for too long she gets red spots where my pressure points were, so I've got to be careful.

LIttle Dixie just LOVES to take baths with her mama. I try to read her books, but so far there is no interest. IN fact, she usually gets aggitaed when i do because im blocking her view to the surroundings. She loves the swing and the vibrating papasan chair... lifesavers when i need to get something done. We're just starting the whole sleeping routine thing, so I'll let you know how it goes. So far so good though. Oh, and for a 2 month old the doctor said her head control is really advanced. She basically has full neck control except when shes tired, then it flops around.... the jogging stoller is in sight!!


We Love Our little Dixie Mae! Happy 2 month birthday baby girl!

Twenty Nine

Yesterday I turned 29 years old. I can’t believe it!! I still feel like I’m still 22 and patience is 21 (this would be in the Oct- Jan timeframe… my favorite time of year)… but atlas, I’m not! 28 was a pretty big year for me- I got pregnant in March and had baby Dixie in December. I was pretty much pregnant all year long.

For my birthday we got our very first babysitter! Sean’s best friend Angel was nice enough to watch baby Dixie for 6 hours while Sean surprised me with Tickets to Wicked in San Fran. It was SUCH a great musical, and we had SUCH a great time! I recommend it to everyone! We went to a matinee, because I always fall asleep at evening shows. There were a ton of elderly people in the audience with walkers, wheelchairs and the like. Anyhoo, It was really nice to be alone with Sean- first time in 5 weeks! I think we’re going to have to find another couple to do babysitting swaps with- Anyone interested??

Oh, and as a gift from myself, I’m bidding on a pair of black knightbridge Ugg boots on eBay. They are super hot, and since I don’t really wear heels anymore, I need to work on my collection of casual flats! I hope I win, I hope I win!!! I've checked all the stores for this boot, and no one has my size in black, so this is really my last chance!

This year my goal is to get back to my wedding weight- this is a full 13 pounds less than my pre Dixie weight, and THIRTY pounds away from my current weight. My pre wedding weight is probably not attainable, as I remember eating broccoli everyday for dinner for at least a month before the big day. But I need to set my goals high : ). I’ve told Sean that we wont even think about #2 until Im back in shape, have run a couple of half marathons and am at my pre Dixie weight. (the wedding weight would be an added bonus). Oh, and for all of you that told me that "the weight will just fall off when you breastfeed", you are all a bunch of liars. I think that only happens to the stick skinny girls, of which I am not.

Speaking of baby fat, baby Dixie is such an awesome baby! She’s already at 10 plus pounds! Shes grown out of her newborn clothes & diapers, and she’s getting super cubby and cute. I LOVE it! Her appetite is crazy…I cant keep up with the little piglet . Shes super aware and alert and is always scanning the room when she is awake. She knows what she wants and she lets me know it if Im not doing the right thing. But, once I figure out what it is that she needs she always stops crying! So Nice! Anyways, for all of your childless sisters and friends out there, my advice is to wait until you are 100% ready to have a kid. It really does change your life, your daily routine, your time management skills and your body. Hopefully the body part isn’t permanent, but im pretty sure the other aspects are.

Happy birthday to me! Oh, and I Love facebook… it always makes me feel so special on my birthday.

Here are some pics from the last 2 weeks. i'd post more, as i have like 200 on my camera, but blogger takes SOSOOOo Long to upload, and only lets you do 5 at a time! Come on!

Grandpa Payne's visit!! We're so glad you came!

Dixie on Grandma Werner's Shoulder. She spent much of christmas day there :)

Dixie crying. I think she is sooo cute when she crys-

the quivering bottom lip does it for me every time


Dixie's first doll from Grandma Payne- thanks mom!

Dixie stretching. She is SO adorable when she stretches & yawns... OMG i want to eat those cheeks!! As you can see, shes getting nice and chubby. In comparison to my friend's baby who is one day younger than dixie, dixie looks like a month older. Shes such a little piggy!! She literally eats all day long. She would just stay on my boob all the day long if i didnt stop her... and i have enough milk....she gets it all over her face!

Dixies very first bath, after her cord fell off!

She didnt scream, so i think she liked it!

I've been giving her baths everyday since :)

Our christmas present! note the cute hat....

purchased on christmas eve at a mall kiosk in provo.

Only in provo are there cutesy baby items everywhere!

THey've got the market cornered.

Here is a link to one of the vendors that had really cute stuff: http://www.katelynandco.com/category_53/Whats-New.htm
Just in case you cant read her onsie- it says "best gift ever"!

This is me and dixie in the wee hours of the morning.

My guess is 4am, but who knows!

Opps... duplicate picture... but i just cant get enough of it!

I wish i could post more. I have SO Many.

Does anyone have any tips on how to upload to blogger quicker?

XOXo

Eve

PS- things are slowly getting better. Last night she went 3 hrs between feedings. Plus we've introduced one formula bottle per day at the beginning of the night- we've heard that formula digests more slowly so they sleep longer. Wish us luck! Oh, and we got a soothie pacificer from my OT friend that works with premies in the NICU at Stanford hospital- amazing. She loves it. She wont stop sucking!!!

Rocky Road

These nightly feedings are killing me-last night was especially bad- every 2 hours on the dot! 8pm, 10pm, 12am, 2am, 4am, 6am, 8am, and since it takes an entire hour to feed her, change her and settle her back down to sleep, that means only 1 hour catnaps in between feedings for me. Im exhausted. Sean goes back to work tomorrow which means i am on my own for his 24 hour shifts. Im scared. Im not sure i can do it by myself. I wish i had a mom or sisters around to save me!! I think i need to hire a wet nurse.... do they still exsist? Does anyone have any survival tips for me?? How to save my sanity??