She's a Talker!

Tessa had a very talkative day today! She was chatty from morning 'til bedtime! I was able to catch some of her talking on video. I'm excited because she usually clams up as soon as the camera is on. Both Ryan and my mom say she's taking after her Aunt Bee. That wouldn't be too bad! Enjoy Tessa's and my conversation!

My Newest Obsession

I have become semi-obsessed with baby carriers! I am now the proud owner of three wraps and two ErgoBabies. I LOVE holding sweet Tessa close to me, plus, it's extremely convenient to wear her rather than carry her around in her car seat all the time. The fact that she HATES her car seat also makes carrying her preferable!

I am borrowing a water wrap from San Diego Babywearers. So far I have only showered with her in it, but I have a play date at a pool this week, so we'll see how it goes in the pool! I may need my mom to make us a water wrap if it's a hit with Tessa!

Three Months ~ Already!!

Three months! We can’t believe it! You’ve been busy this month and are growing so quickly! You weigh 12 ½ pounds and measure 24 ½ inches in length.
• You slept all the way through the night!! (Only twice, but it was great!)
• You started reaching for Mommy when you want to be picked up or nursed! You also started reaching for toys this month.
• You started holding objects in your hands.
• You had your first babysitter. I had to pack up my classroom, so we hired a babysitter to play with you at school while I worked.
• I took you to your first movie ~ Sex and the City 2

• You made your first funny face for the camera! If you are anything like your Daddy, there will be many more funny faces to come!

• I took you to church for the first time this month.

• You rolled from your back to your front! It has only happened once, but I am so proud of how hard you try new skills!
• Daddy left to work in Sacramento this month, so you have a picture of him on the back seat for you to look at while we drive. You like to “talk” to him when we’re in the car!

• Grammie and I finally got your room decorated!

• You started responding to your name!
• When I hold you in a reclined position, you pull yourself upright into a sitting position. You also like to sit in your Bumbo. Your neck is getting so strong!

• You pat or pet me while you’re nursing. It warms my heart!

Look how much you've grown since you were only one month old!

Yoga Baby

Tessa and I went to our first Mommy and Me yoga class this evening. It felt pretty good to be back in a yoga class, but it was not easy to focus on my poses with my adorable, cuddly T Bear right there! There were only three of us moms and three babies in the class, so I got a lot of personal instruction. I know it was needed, but not necessarily wanted. Yoga is easier if I'm doing it MY way! Tessa slept in the beginning, but quickly woke up, so I got to do some yoga with her! She really liked some of it and laughed and smiled with me! She also had some cranky time. You know how when one baby cries, the others around start to cry as well? That's what seemed to happen today. Little Kai was fussing, which got Tessa started, and even Serenity joined in for a bit (which is not typical of Serenity! She definitely fits her name and is usually really calm and happy!). I'm looking forward to more classes, and hopefully more moms and babies joining in!

Ryan's First Father's Day!

I don't know why Blogger keeps uploading this picture sideways! I love it anyway!
We had a great Father's Day weekend around here! I wanted to make it special for Ryan since it was his first Father's Day and since he is spending his weeks in Sacramento now. We had both of our dads come down and went to the Padres game. It was such a fun game, and they WON!! That's always a plus! It was neat to see all the things the Padres did to honor dads on this special day.

Here's a not-so-good picture of all three dads before the game. Too bright of a background, but for some reason, men don't like to pose and re-pose just for a good pic!

My dad and I

Tessa and I (right before she POOPED all over me!!)

And Ryan's gifts...
ErgoBaby carrier

Doesn't Tessa look adorable peeking through the side!

I made him a stamped washer key chain!

And some quality nap time with Tessa while I made a yummy breakfast casserole!

I also got Ryan a golf voucher for 18 holes and a cart for two, which he can redeem when he needs a much deserved relaxation day!
I loved making this holiday BIG for my baby girl's dad and can't wait for the years of Father's Days to come!

First Day at Church

Tessa and I finally made it to church this Sunday! We sat in the Family Room with some other new moms. It was a pretty nice room with about a dozen gliders, a changing table, some toys, and a crib. Doesn't Tessa look adorable all dressed up for church?

I'm a Teacher, that's what I do!

Lucky Tessa (or poor Tessa, depending on your outlook)! She has a teacher for a mother. That means every day will be packed with learning experiences! Tuesday was no exception. It was Election Day! Tessa got to hear all about the different offices for which we were voting, and I explained who was running and how I felt about him/her. I also read her the propositions, at least the ones I didn't quite understand myself. I hoped that reading them aloud would help. It didn't. Then, even though I'm a permanent Vote by Mail voter, I still like to go to the polls, so Tessa and I walked to our neighbor's garage to place our vote! (I've been voting either at the County Admin building or a school for the past 10 years, so I just loved going to somebody's home to vote! It made me feel so suburban!) Tessa got her "I Voted" sticker, and she fell asleep on the walk home! Two birds with one stone! I just knew reading her the ballot would get her to finally take a nap!

What We've Been Up To ~ A Photo Tour

I haven't been spending much time on the computer lately. Tessa and I have been so busy! I try to do something with her almost every day so we can get out of the house and enjoy San Diego! I took her down to Mission Bay on her two month birthday just to relax and enjoy the weather. She really loves being outside!
As I was looking through the pictures, I found this one that I think is absolutely beautiful. Her eyelashes are to die for!

On Memorial Day weekend, we spent time with Ryan's family. We drove up to Ventura (what a nightmare driving through LA!) and celebrated Tyhler's 14th birthday!!


Since the drive up to Ventura was a nightmare, we drove home early Monday morning (like at 4:30 am!) and spent the day poolside in Rancho Santa Fe with Aunt Linda!


Isn't the view breathtaking!


We've also had a parade of house guests. Ryan's mom and sister came down just before Memorial Day and spent a few days. Molli came back down with us after Memorial Day to spend a few more days with us. Bethany came down for one evening as well. Our home cleared out for only one day before Ryan's dad came down for a few days! Our families just can't stay away from Tessa for too long!

On Sunday, my Baby Mamas group held a nanny speed-dating event where parents came and we interviewed a bunch of babysitters in a speed-dating style, where we had about 3 minutes with each girl before rotating to the next. It was a lot of fun and a bunch of great girls came out for the event! Tessa got to see her friends again. Here she is with Serenity!

Aren't they getting so big!

Ryan and I both made MAJOR changes in our lives this past week. I put in my leave of absence at work, so I'm officially going to be a Stay at Home Mom! I'm thrilled to have the chance to spend this year at home with Tessa! That means I have an extremely busy week ahead of me, cleaning out my classroom and storing all my stuff! Thank goodness for family, Bethany and my mom are coming down to help, plus we hired one of the nannies from the speed-dating event to watch Tessa while I sort through my classroom!

Ryan just got word that he'll be needed in Sacramento starting on Monday! I can't believe he's actually going to have to leave! We've been so lucky to have him here for the first 11 weeks of Tessa's life! Fortunately, his schedule up in Sac will be working four 10 hour days, so he can fly home on Thursday nights. We're going to miss him so much, but we knew this day was coming.

So as not to leave on a downer, here's a fun picture Tessa and I took one morning. She and I like to spend a few minutes in bed each morning just laughing and enjoying each other before the day begins. I obviously had not been out of bed yet, so pardon my puffy eyes and messy hair! My daughter, on the other hand, looks beautiful, as always!