T.G.I.F.

Thank goodness it's Friday. This week was busy, yet I was in a pretty low-key mood... also known as boring. I guess just recuperating a bit from vacay.

So excited to have my pictures organized. Lola is napping so I was going to scrap some, but I normally like to lay it all out on a big table and work on it for awhile, so I think I'll hold off. I just got my office clean too! And I am a messy scrapbooker. I may just have to turn my dinning room into a scrapbook room for the summer so I can scrapbook all summer. I did that with my wedding album and it worked great! And I love the album. It's very special to me, so I want to get started on Lola's book. I had my album done almost before the wedding and then finished it quickly afterwards. I was impressed and motivated. Life before kids. Aw. Great. But then again, life with kids. Aw. Great. Can I have more please? Hopefully Clay and I will get rich on one of our crazy ideas so we can have a super large family and be good providerso..

Oh people (that reminded me)- I thought of something the world needs that I may write. A mother-in-law guide of the do's and don't's for the families of today. Haha. I think it's something needed and I can write it from a daughter-in-law perspective and include tips to daughter-in-laws too, even though I still need tips everyday. People said that was rude to write that book, because obviously I have a mother-in-law, but shouldn't that be a requirement. I wouldn't read a mother-in-law book if the person who wrote it never had one or wasn't one. Pleaseeee. I'll give Debbie the first copy and then my mom one when Nick gets married. The book would be more helpful for MIL's that have sons who get married, because I think it's easier on a mom to be a MIL to their daughter's husband versus their son's daughter. Did I cross the line bringing this up? I just think it's something that would benefit thousands! Ya, it would. Maybe I'll play around with getting a outline of some sort for it. I also have a book idea, which outline is already in place, for parents with middle children. It's actually geared to both the child and parent, but not to read together because that would be awkward and gay. But I always thought I could write that book well and help parents understand point blank their middle child's perspective without getting into all that shrinky talk. And I could help kids see their role as a middle child and how they might feel like they drew the short straw, but it the end the other kids got the short straw. HA! It's true people! Man- Natalie Swartz... an author. I like this idea. Too bad you can't get paid while you write, unless you've already established your name. That would be cool though! If I was an author would I put Natalie Clark-Swartz or just Natalie Swartz? I don't know. The two last name seems presumptuous, but I like being a Clark too. lol. I am such a girl.

Stace and I hung out and played some weak tennis this morning. Clay's mom, Gram, babysat for awhile. It was her first time to babysit Lola, which made me anxious. I think I am one of those classic first time moms. I wonder who else was like that! I wonder if Joi was like that? My mom doesn't seem like that kind of mom, but from stories I hear from her, I think she might have been a little more like that when we were babies, but I am sure not to my extent- I don't think I am that bad though. Just not great leaving her yet with anyone other than my mom. Maybe that's silly, maybe it's not.

Well, you all should know that I have that other blog- if you are invited to this one then I invited you to the other, but some readers who are invited to the other, are just reading that one and not this one. Make sense? It worked better that away and the other one is private because I have so many pictures of Lola up on it! But keeping up with two blogs sucks and I have been considering combining them. I don't want to stop the Project I have committed to, so I could just share the pictures on this one. We will see. I'll have to give it some thought. I wish I could go into more detail. Some opinions would be nice. If you have any, e-mail me! nat.jo.c@gmail.com It's nice to be able to put my e-mail since this is a private blog now! :)

It's actually cool having this baby monitor by the computer so I can listen for Lola. I feel like such a real mom.

Well she will be 8 weeks on Monday and two months old on the 27th so I better share what I love about her right now. I'll share 8 things for her 8 week mark:

1. I love that she recognizes voices and faces now. She really responds to certain people, and you know Nonna makes sure she knows her voice. It's fun to see her light up for Clay and me, and family and friends.
2. I love that she is getting on a loose schedule now. Wakes up early to feed (between 5-6 a.m. ) and then sleeps till 9 a.m. or so. Eats then stays awake till lunchtime. Smiles a lot and is real alert. She seems to listen well at this time. Then eats around noon. Back to sleep till 3 or 4. Then eats. (I wish I could eat this much.) Then she plays a lot till dinner. Great tummy time, rattle time, mobile time, talking time, mirror time, TV time- she's super fun! She's a good talker too! Then we all eat dinner and she may squeeze a short nap it here and there, but nothing past an hour or so. Then eats a second dinner, enjoys getting a bath, and normally goes to bed anywhere between 10-12 and sleeps through the night... then we start all over. It's more fun than it sounds!
3. I love (and hate) that she is growing so fast. It's funny to see clothes too small on her. I like it though because it just shows me how cool the process of life is. You grow up... that's what ya do. hehehehe. I guess she makes me appreciate simple concepts I didn't think about before.
4. I love that she will bat at your face and try to grab your face a little or something near by. It still seems a bit accidentally because she's not fluid in her movements, but it isn't accidental. She's trying!
5. I also love that when you lay her tummy on your tummy she thinks she big enough to push up and sit up or something. She can't do that of course, but she sure tries and it's so funny. She looks like a 8 year old in a 8 week old body. Hahahaha!
6. I love that she is taking a bottle faster. Still takes twenty minutes or so, but better than 35 minutes. This morning she took 6 ounces in 15 minutes! That's Lola's record! (I make her 5 ounces, but it ends up being 6 ounces because of the powder.)
7. I love how she greets me in the mornings. She seems to smile so big and get so happy as if she missed me while she slept so long. Has to be my favorite part of the day. Those few moments before she realizes she is starving are fabulous!
8. And lastly, (of course I could go on) I love that she can wear these one pair of shoes she has without it looking to awkward. They fit!! (The other thing I was going to add was I love she still has her hair... but her head is a funky shape so I think I'll put her on her tummy and side much more to try and help. I am anxious to see what the doctor says about her box head. Poor Lola! Thankfully she has hair or it would be really, really noticeable and if it is even with the hair- DON'T tell me! :)) Hey Laura- can I borrow your extra positioner for her? I must help her not have a box head!

So for everyone's sake reading this Lola needs to wake up. Well it was nice writing so I will post a few pictures then stop! If you are reading this, are you a follower? If not, follow me... not in a cult-y sort of way, just so I know you read! I love my readers! :)

A lot of the pictures are a little older. She's so much fuller now, so you can probably tell which ones are most recent. She looks so small in the one where I am holding her and Clay's feet or around her!








Wow that was a long post.