Arden is 3 Months Old!

Miss Arden Gabrielle is 3 months old today!  

She has changed so much in the past 3 months!  Want to see??

I must admit, I loved the novelty of a newborn, but this is where it's at!  Smiles, giggles, loving glances, eye contact?  What more could I want??  Every day is better than the last and I can feel her maturing more and more with each passing day.  She LOVES to talk!  I think it might be really good that Gabrielle is her middle name because boy is she gabby!  I love when she talks to me and I respond, "Oh really??  I didn't know that!" or "You know all of the gossip and secrets...thanks so much for letting me know!" and then she just gets the biggest grin from ear to ear!  That is my favorite.  I love giving her positive reinforcement and I LOVE how grateful I am to be able to stay home with her and see these daily changes.  She is such a happy and smiley baby.  Seeing that smile really is the most amazing feeling in the whole world.  I love seeing her interact with Chris, also.  She loves her Daddy and gives him the most loving looks.  We have been trying to get better at tummy time and I even got one smile out of her!  Her head control is amazing already and her little head just bobs to and fro as I carry her around.  She loves her ballerina Hello Kitty stuffed animal and her Mermaid that I call her MerLady.  :)  I decided to weigh her the other day and she is already 13 pounds!  That puts her in the 73rd percentile!  Not too bad for a baby that had initial weight gain issues.  That sure does make me feel great!  I find myself really protective of her.  But what Mom is not protective?  Now that she has gotten her 2 month shots, we have been out and about much more.  She has been really great!  We have had a play date with Audria Reeves and many lunch dates!  And now that the Pumpkin Spice Latte is back (!!!) we frequent Starbucks and she likes to take the drive and go through the drive through.  She now has a favorite game that really gets her giggling.  Chris bounces her up and down and says "Mommy...Mommy...Mommy..." and I come at her smiling and she just giggles like crazy.  With Fall approaching, I am looking forward to brisk walks and showing her the changing leaves.  Whenever I take her out now, she does not quite understand what wind is.  She gasps like she is inhaling it and it is pretty funny to watch.  We are excited to take her to the Renaissance Faire that we go to every year.  Oh, Arden...I have so much more to teach you in the next month and I know you have just as much to teach me!

 

 

Happy 2 Month Birthday, Arden!

Arden is 2 months old already as of Monday!  Here are some photos from her 2 month photo shoot.  We put on a little music and she started squirming and dancing around!  See...I told you it was like a photo shoot!  :)  

We had her 2 month appointment with Dr. McKeever on Wednesday and she is one healthy little baby!  She weighs 10 pounds 14 1/2 ounces which puts her in the 50th percentile for weight and is 23 1/2 inches which puts her in the 80th percentile for height!!  As the Dr. said, "It is perfect!"  She is growing bigger and stronger every day and I could not be more proud of her.  Her little personality shows more and more everyday.  And those toothless grins?  Chris and I get to see them every day now...all day long pretty much.  No matter how tired I may be, those smiles help my world go 'round.  See what I mean??  :)

She is such a happy little baby.  If she is not hungry or gassy, she is all smiles.  She loves to be carried on your shoulder and that little head of hers just bobs around as she takes in everything from the world around her.  She is gaining such great head control and only needs to be supported occasionally.  While she loves meeting new people, she does love the security of Mom & Dad.  Even if she is fussing during her first diaper change of the day when she is hungriest, she will crack a smile just to know she still wants to be fed, but she is happy to see you.  Speaking of diaper changes, she loves her little butterfly toy and if you dangle it while you are changing her diaper, she is one happy little camper!  She focuses on objects and has started holding eye contact.  I have downloaded this App called Infant Visual Stimulation on my phone which has flash cards of large, fun objects set to Classical music that she can not get enough of!  It mesmerizes her.  Speaking of mesmerizing, as much as I tried to stop it, she has found the TV.  That's right....and she likes it.  I am wondering what kind of silly shows she is going to start liking over the next couple of months.  Thanks goodness the Teletubbies are no longer around!  I think we gave her the right middle name of Gabrielle because "gabby" literally is her middle name.  She tries so hard to talk and will coo and talk and hold little conversations.  I love it!  She also loves her doll and will talk to her.  She has now learned to bring it to her and hold onto it!  Precious!  See?

There have been other new developments in the Aiello household.  I am officially a stay at home Mom to Arden.  I cannot express how excited and grateful I am to be given the opportunity.  I worked for Trends for 4 1/2 years and had a great experience, but I am so thrilled to see what adventures I have in store of being a stay at home Mom....or on the go Mom as like to call it, because let's be honest...I like to be out and about! :)

Chris has also started travelling for work again.  He has been to New York and is headed to Berlin next week.  While it is a great experience, I don't like to think of how much we will miss him while he is gone.  My Mom will be helping while he is gone and I really do not know what I would do without her!  She has helped so much.

I cannot wait to see some of the other firsts and developments that she has in the upcoming month.  Here are a couple of photos over the past couple of weeks:

Arden's first stroller ride

First smile caught on camera!

Family Photo before going to see Florence and the Machine

Mommy time 

Bathtime updo!

Smiles in the swing!

True story!

 Smile for Nana!

Hanging out with Dad!

Lots of hair + natural mohawk = Pebbles Hairdo!

Monkey girl!

Sunsets with Dad

One Month Already?!

It's true! Arden is one month old today! As cliche as it is, "Where has the time gone??" I cannot imagine our life without this amazing little lady. It is crazy how something so small can completely change your life. And I would not have it any other way! She has been doing so much! Her weight is now on the upswing and I cannot be happier about that. She is gaining an ounce a a day, which is wonderful and she was up to 8 pounds 10 ounces and 21.75 inches at her month appointment. She is already in the 50th percentile for weight and 85th percentile for height! She loves her play mat and already bats at the toys! She has given a couple of smiles, but they are fleeting. I want nothing more for a big toothless grin! :) I know it will happen soon. She is a really great baby and already sleeps 4-5 hour stretches. She is going through a bit of a growth spurt right now. All she wants to do is eat! I cannot wait to see what the future holds with our little angel. :) Here are some photos of the past month!

Arden's First Holiday- 4th of July!!!