2 Months Old

It's hard to believe our little Sweet P is 2 months old! Here are a few fun facts from this month:

1.  Presley is 22.75 inches long and weighs 10 pounds and 6 ounces. She got her first round of immunizations and did pretty well. She cried when they stuck her but, settled down pretty quickly when I nursed her. Thankfully, the shots just made her really sleepy. She slept a lot for a couple of days and then was back to her usual, vibrant self.

2. Unfortunately this month she was plagued with a rather nasty rash on her face. When it started we thought it was just baby acne but, it was clearly itching her, covered most of her head and was really red and inflamed. So, after our first visit to the pediatrician, we purged our home and bodies of anything with a fragrance and, when that didn't quite do it we consulted the doctor again and I started a dairy-free diet. It looks like our little lady has a dairy allergy! Thankfully, she's now much better.

3. She's sleeping about 4-6 hours at a time over night but, hasn't really gotten into a grove with her naps. She definitely likes napping while being held (something her Daddy did with her every day for 3 weeks over his holiday break). Her eyes immediately pop open when I lay her in her bed. Like me, she's definitely not a morning person. It takes a good 5-10 minutes of grunting to wake up and even then she's not too happy about it.

4. She started cooing this month and loves to "talk" to us and tries to "sing" along with me every day during our singing times. She loves to sing! We just love listening to her sweet voice. It makes us smile every time. :)

5. Her favorite friend (besides her Daddy) is Mr. Octopus (who hangs on her activity mat). She will smile and talk to him for 20-30 minutes at a time--perfect for me to shower and get cleaned up for the day!

6. She's really good at tracking objects and is getting better control over her head, arms and legs. Courtesy of the nasty rash, she learned how to rub/itch her head and face and now can readily find her hands to suck on.

7. She definitely knows when she has a fresh diaper and likes to promptly load it up again. She also seems to know when Daddy has her because she does this more with him :)

We just love our little girl and are so grateful that she's joined our family. Every day we are so thankful to be her parents and are amazed at the love we have for her and the happiness we enjoy. We are truly blessed. And while I've always been anti-minivan, if we could have more little ones like her, I'd happily drive one if we could fill it!

Blessing Day

Today was Presley's blessing day--and what a wonderful day it was! We were fortunate to have many in our family join us to celebrate and a few of our family (our Dads) and close friends (Walmir Dacosta and Trent Savage) participate with Jeff in performing this very special blessing.

My Dad and Betsey came up early to spend some time with Presley. She was fortunate to be able to get in some good cuddle time with Grandpa!

Today was just a great day. I can't adequately express how proud I was to be able to have my sweetheart, who is a priesthood holder, stand in front of the congregation and present our sweet little girl to the Lord and give her very first blessing. He did such a good job and I was overwhelmed with love and happiness (which happens to me a lot lately). I could hear the tenderness in his voice as he blessed her that she might always know how much she is loved and have strong desires to do those things that will help her grow close to the Savior and enjoy the blessings in life that bring the greatest joy. I've enjoyed watching so many babies blessed in church over the years and always looked forward to being able to have that experience myself. It was just as wonderful as I thought it would be.

Presley's first white dress

 

and little shoes.

We were fortunate to have so many of our family join us and missed those that couldn't come!

We're just so happy to have our little girl!

Exploring Micanopy

Jeff's parent came to meet our little lady and participate in her blessing festivities. Jeff was excited to show them some of north central Florida's treasures, including Micanopy! It was a beautiful day and was a great excuse for me to practice leaving the house with Presley...something I haven't done much of since she was born!

Of course, we didn't make it far before she decided she was hungry. So, we sat ourselves down on a bench while Karl and Jan explored some of the shops.

We didn't see much of the antiques but, we were thoroughly entertained by Presley's expressions.

Who wouldn't love being cuddled up with Daddy on a lovely Florida afternoon!?!

The great debate...

We are still undecided as to who Presley looks like more--me or Jeff. My family said, "she's all Tobler" (except for my Grandma) and when the Toblers saw her, they said, "nope, not Jeff!" So, the debate continues...

Here are a few pics of me as a baby...

And here's Jeff...

 

I think I've about decided that she's a good mix of both of us. Although, I thought this picture of Presley looked just like Jeff.

What do you think?

Merry Christmas!

Christmas was especially fun for us this year with our new little one. We had our first Christmas Eve and Christmas morning celebrations as our little family of 3 which were pretty special. We decided to forgo an elaborate Christmas Eve meal and went with Honey Baked ham and croissant sandwiches, salad, fruit and homemade apple pie for dessert. Yum! It was a delicious meal that kept me from spending the day in the kitchen cooking and Jeff from spending the evening doing dishes--S-M-A-R-T!

We watched my favorite Christmas movie, "Miracle on 34th Street" (the most recent version), read Luke 2, gave Presley her first Christmas jammies and cuddled up together by our Christmas tree. It was one of those moments where you just look around and think, "does life get any better?". (Well, maybe if I hadn't had a raging case of mastitis but, moving on...)

(Presley in her first Christmas jammies and stocking cap--so cute!)

Presley's first outing to church was on Christmas morning and we dressed her up for the occasion!

She did brilliantly at church. When she wasn't sleeping, she was mesmerized by the beautiful Christmas music and the lights in the chapel. We just couldn't get enough of her in this outfit!

After church, we headed home for our Christmas brunch and present-opening. Of course, one of us was always holding our Sweet P so, I fed Jeff his breakfast in between bites of mine and we opened gifts when she finally konked out. Santa filled Presley's stocking with books, a few toys, and an orange (of course). Jeff enjoyed his firearm themed Christmas gifts and I was the recipient of a fab watch and spa gift certificate. In the early afternoon, we packed up our sleigh (it is amazing how much stuff you need to bring for an overnight trip with a little one) and headed to Tampa where the festivities continued.

We opened some more gifts and enjoyed my favorite meal of the year (prime rib, twice-baked potatoes, Ashley's famous jello, etc.).

Greer kept Ashley's Christmas tradition alive and stayed in her Christmas jammies all day. Presley might have too if she didn't have such a cute Christmas dress to wear and if she hadn't spit up all over her Christmas jammies an hour after we put them on her!

Jeff's firearm-related gifts continued in Tampa. (Big thanks to Kyle who provided a very thorough firearm consult) Now that we have a little girl, Jeff is building his arsenal to fend off any future boyfriends that may have less than virtuous ideas...

I had Ashley's name in the sibling gifting exchange this year. I found her a fabulous sweater from Banana Republic. I loved that sweater so much that it sat unwrapped in my closet for a week because I was seriously considering keeping it. But, alas, since it doesn't really go with yoga-pants (my current uniform), I wrapped it up and gave it away...

What I didn't know was that Braden, who had heard of my love for the sweater, got me the very same one. Hoorah!

Jay got Greer this really fun iPhone accessory--an old-school handset that plugs into your iPhone. Can you imagine her walking down the street, her phone ringing and she pulls this thing out of her purse!?! Too funny!

The happy couple--set to wed in just a few short months!

 Presley napping with her Grandma. Note that she has her binky. This is one of the few days that she has decided that she doesn't mind it. She went back to not liking it the very next day!

Finally, a new camera for Mom. Now, if she can just learn how to use it.

P's nap continued with Auntie Greer...

...and again with Daddy. Sounds like a nice way to spend the holiday to me!

Although you can't tell from Presley's face in this picture, we had a very merry Christmas and hope you did too! We are very grateful for our knowledge of the Savior and this time of year to focus more fully on Him.

Date Night

Jeff took his girls out for our first family date night to Momoyaki. We were a little nervous but, with a carefully selected restaurant (one that was not too crowded) and a table in the corner, we enjoyed a lovely dinner of sushi and our favorite rice bowls! And we didn't even have to rush! Presley is such a good baby--we are really spoiled!

One Month Old

Here are a few fun facts about our Sweet P:

• She now sleeps like a champ (most of the time). She sleeps for 4-5 hours over night and then gets up every 2-3 hours after the long stretch. Mommy and Daddy are very grateful! 
• She is a very noisy sleeper--snoring, squawking, sighing--the first few nights we'd jump up with every noise to figure out what she was doing. Now, I just lay in bed and listen to her snore in harmony with her daddy and smile. :-)
• While she likes her baths, she hates drying off and getting dressed after! It's the only time that she really cries.
• She gave mommy her first little smile on December 14th and then gave daddy a smile the next day. We were so excited!
• She occasionally decides to like her pacifier but, it's very hit-and-miss. However, she's always happy to suck on her hands and has started finding them more frequently. It's only a matter of time before she finds that thumb.
• She loves our ceiling fans! She'll look at her black and white picture books and toys but, nothing holds her attention more than the fan. Thankfully, we have one in every room and she's always keeping her eye on it!
• Her feats of gastronomy rival her daddy's. We can't wait for her to fill her diaper during church. We'll have a hard time convincing people those noises weren't coming from Jeff.
• She loves to stretch out. No squnched-up baby for us! She likes to throw her head back, arch her back and straighten her legs.
• She doesn't like to stray too far from her food source. She definitely has a Tobler appetite--eat until the food's gone, you pass out, or throw up.

Daddy's Little Girl

Presley has her daddy wrapped around her little finger all ready...

...and watching Jeff with her has redefined "sexy" for me.