Abigail's (Ever Expanding) Library

It's never too early to start reading (especially if Abigail plans on going to Stanford in 18 years...see her booties below).

And for a five week old, I'm a little embarrassed to report that Abby might have more books in her library than I have in mine (hence the reason I didn't go to Stanford...).  Thanks to Abigail's Great Grandparents who gifted her this amazingly adorable bookcase and the majority of the books that fill it, she's well on her way to becoming a baby genius (nothing wrong with wishful thinking, right?).

And a special thanks to our friends and family who have helped expand Abigail's Library...while it's hard to tell whether or not she's enjoying the books now (since she's typically looking out the window or staring at a shiny object across the room), I'm certain she'll come to love listening to the stories and eventually, reading the books herself.

PS - if you look closely, the book on the far right is appropriately titled "Little Panda" - just had to point that out! Smiley face.

(UPDATE) Newborn Photo Shoot with Brooke Bryand Photography

We officially have the digital copies from Abigail's Newborn Photo Shoot...I thought I'd take this opportunity to share a few more of our favorites.  Enjoy and happy Thursday!

The Panda Report: 1 Month

Someone is officially one month old today.  To celebrate this milestone, she slept for nearly six straight hours last night.  Thank you Abigail!!!

Some fun facts at one month:

She's a mover and a shaker just like Mommy predicted when Abby was in the womb.  No surprise whatsoever - she'd rather be moving than lying still (I also predict she will be an early crawler...you heard it here first...I could be wrong, but I just have this funny feeling about her!)

She has an extremely strong neck...she's been holding it up and moving it around to check out her surroundings for a couple weeks now.

She has an "impressive" set of lungs and I'm pretty sure she'll only get louder...she loves screaming at us for no apparent reason...good thing she's so freaking cute!

She has very long fingers (and loves to scratch her Mommy on the chin when she's having a good cry)

She loves music...thankfully, it calms her down...especially Zac Brown songs (no surprise there either considering how much we listened to them when she was in the womb)

She smiles...in her sleep...but it is the cutest thing in the whole world and we cannot WAIT until she's smiling at us

Here's her latest Panda shoot!

Take a look back at other Panda Reports:

Abby (the Panda) on ETSY!

The Panda Report: 3 Weeks

The Panda Report: 1 Week

The Panda Report: Birthday

The Panda Report

(UPDATE) Mommy Challenge #2: Meeting Other Mommies

Talk about anxiety...

Remember how excited I was about meeting other Mommies at my first Golden Gate Mother's Group event last week {refresh your memory here}?  Well, I almost missed the meeting...and it wasn't because Abby was crying or hungry or anything like that...it was simply because I was NERVOUS!!!

And not only was I nervous, it was the first time I was taking Abigail somewhere new...where I didn't know anyone...by myself...and where I didn't know what to expect...at ALL.

I felt like I was glued to the couch...crippled by new Mommy nerves...

Luckily, I have my Hubby.  My wonderful hubby who kindly told me to sack up and GO (he didn't use those words exactly, but I know that's what he meant).  So I did.  I peeled myself off the couch, loaded up the car with more gear than I needed (just in case), and successfully attended my first meeting.

Thankfully, my sweet daughter must have known how nervous I was because she kindly slept for two straight hours...she never made a peep...she slept beautifully and didn't wake up until we got home. What an angel.

But the best part about the evening (other than successfully overcoming my fears) was meeting other Mommies...talking to women who are going through the same things...and joining a group of ladies who will be meeting on a regular basis.

And as long as I can convince myself to sack up and GO, I'd say I'm making progress (and making new friends)...wish me luck!

Read more Mommy Challenges here...
Mommy Challenge #1: "Planning" a Day 

Mommy Challenge #2: Meeting Other Mommies

Abby (the Panda) on ETSY!

At only 8 days old, Abigail became more famous for MY love of Pandas than I ever will.

I'm not going to lie...I'm a little jealous.  After being a dedicated Panda person for nearly 27 years, I find it a little unfair that after 8 days of life my little daughter is featured AS A PANDA.

I'm totally joking (sort of), but check out my attempt at being a Panda when I was 8 years old...

Too bad it was just a Halloween costume, my Mom wasn't planning on going into mass production any time soon, and there was no such thing as ETSY...until now...

And thanks to our fantastic photographer who knows of my Panda obsession  {Maternity Photos :: Newborn Photos}, Abigail is officially doing her best on ETSY to help sell some adorable Panda gear. 

The best part about this is that so many of my readers have sent me ETSY links with fun Panda items and now my daughter is one of the Panda items!!!  

I'm sure I'll have many proud Mommy moments over the next 60+ years, but this will definitely be one of my favorite highlights from Abby's first month of life.   

Head on over to ETSY and check her out: {Panda hand knit hat and diaper soaker Photo Prop}

Newborn Photo Shoot with Brooke Bryand Photography

Do you remember Brooke Bryand, the amazing photographer who worked her magic for us during our Maternity Photo Shoot {Refresh your memory HERE}???

Well, she's back and working her magic yet again!

When Abigail was just 8 days old, Brooke came over to our apartment and she brought a whole lot more than a camera...she came equipped with the cutest props in the entire world, a Panda present for Abigail (an adorable beanie and diaper cover), and she brought Mommy and Daddy coffee and bagels - she's honestly a miracle worker!

And speaking of miracles, not only did she produce some of the cutest pictures I've ever seen of a baby (and yes, I'm obviously biased because the baby just so happens to be my daughter), but she also managed to make Mommy and Daddy look alive in the photos.

Check out more of Abigail's Newborn Photo Shoot over at Brooke's Blog...{CLICK HERE}

Brooke, we can't thank you enough and we can't wait until our next photo shoot!  

Mommy Challenge #2: Meeting Other Mommies

As I mentioned in my very first post ever {7x7xMommy-To-Be}, I'm not exactly thriving in the category of having Mommy friends...more specifically, I don't know any Mommies in San Francisco who just so happen to be on Maternity leave right now (specific, I know...but I also know that those women do exist!).

So what does this mean for me?

A whole lot of one-on-one bonding time for me and my little princess (and lots of time spent taking silly pictures of her sleeping).

On one hand, I LOVE my time with her and I'm a very independent person who enjoys going on solo walks and working on projects at home.

But on the other hand, it would be so amazing to have a handful of ladies in similar situations who would be readily available to grab lunch, go on a long walk, or share diapers with (you get the idea).  

That means it's time for this Mommy to take action!

So tonight, in hopes of meeting some other Mommy friends, I will be attending my very first Golden Gate Mother's Group New Playgroup Formation Event:

At this event, GGMG will match you up with moms who have similar age kids in a face-to-face setting. Groups will be organized by: Expectant moms and by age of children (children 0-3 months, 4-6 months, 7-9 months, 10-12 months, 12-15 months and so forth).  Your group will have the opportunity to get to know each other, leave with a contact list, a first meeting date, and tips on how to organize your playgroup for long-term success.

Long-term success sounds great to me!  

I've heard really great things about GGMG and I am very excited (and a little nervous) about tonight's event...wish me luck and I'll keep you all posted about my experience. 

Read more Mommy Challenges here...
Mommy Challenge #1: "Planning" a Day

Out Little Person...Our Little Valentine

She's not just our baby...she's our little person...and she's the BEST little Valentine in the whole world.

Every day we wake up and stare at her in awe...what a miracle...and what an AMAZING addition to our growing family. It's amazing to think how fast she's going to grow up so for now, we just need to enjoy her every single minute of every single day...

Here's a special picture Daddy took this morning...Happy Valentine's Day!!!

The Panda Report: 3 Weeks

This is going to be short and sweet because I'm pretty sure I have about 3 more minutes (maybe less) before my little princess decides she's hungry again.

I'm convinced she's going through a growth spurt this week ("normal" timing according to the books I've read so at least that's reassuring).

She is literally hungry ALL the time...and when she's not hungry, she's either frustrated and crying or she's sleeping (with moments of calm cuteness mixed in that erase the moments of frustration and crying...amazing how that works!).  And while this week has been admittedly more overwhelming than the first two, I've loved every minute of it (minus having to cancel plans with friends because of my hungry, hungry hippo's completely unpredictable schedule...see Mommy Challenge #1). 

In the grand scheme of things, this has been a superb week because I know she's eating so much and doing so well...I can't wait for her one month pediatrician appointment to see how much she's grown!  

For now, we'll continue "tracking her progress" with The Panda Report - here she is today...one day shy of 3 Weeks!

2.10.11

2.10.11

2.10.11

Take a look back!!! {Birthday}  {1 Week}

What do Babies Dream About?

I have absolutely no idea what the answer to my question is, but I can't help but wonder what on earth is going through Abigail's head when she's napping.  

Sometimes she snorts like a pig...sometimes she makes a hilarious poopy face...and sometimes (like in the pictures I'm about to post), she looks like she's guilty of committing a crime and the cops have captured her..."Put your hands above your head!!!"  I hope this doesn't mean we should worry about having a future criminal on our hands...  :)

All I know is that when she's sleeping peacefully, she looks so incredibly happy and precious! 

Funny enough, when I was watching my new guilty pleasure this morning (Kathy Lee & Hoda...the fourth hour of the Today Show...don't judge!), they highlighted a book titled "When My Baby Dreams."  It's not available quite yet (and I am not sure when it is), but the author decided to take photos of her baby girl when she was napping and she'd create scenes for her dreams...

Here's an example:

Such a cute idea!  Check out her blog, Mila's Daydreams, {HERE}

What do YOU think babies dream about???

Mommy Challenge #1: "Planning" a Day

Doesn't she know her Mommy is a planner?

I guess that doesn't mean a whole lot to a two week old...

But in all seriousness, I am aware she's a baby. She's 16 days old. She doesn't know the difference between day and night (trust me on that one). And no, she most definitely does not know her Mommy is a planner. 

More importantly, she doesn't care. 

But that's OK...because with a face like this, I'm willing to give up being OCD for the next 18+ years (and let's be honest...I think I'm going to have to give it up for the rest of my life). 

No matter how many times other Mommies and Daddies have warned us about how much life  changes with a baby, you don't actually understand what they mean until you've had your own. 

And now that we have our precious daughter to look after 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, we are beginning to understand that Abby officially rules the world in which we live.  

"Planning" a day no longer exists. 

Here's an example for you...

It's nearly 2:00pm and I had "planned" to cook a meal for tonight (sorry Travis), go for a LONG walk with Abigail to the Golden Gate Bridge, take a much needed shower, Blog by 11:00am, respond to all my emails, clean the apartment, and possibly eat a "normal" lunch. 

Well...so much for all of that.  I have officially fed Abigail every hour on the hour, straightened the living room, video taped her hiccuping (because only a brand new parent would find that worthy of a video...but since I have it, I'll share it with you at the end), and I just managed to squeeze a shower in...oh, and I'm eating some Vanilla yogurt with ground flax seeds...that's almost "normal," right? 

So much for planning my day!  (and maybe this tells me something about setting realistic expectations for myself...quite possibly an upcoming "Mommy Challenge" topic)

And you know what?  I think this is great for me.  My days of being a planner have officially been redefined.  

All I can plan on now is being ready to feed her when she wakes up, being ready to run outside in the event she's sleeping peacefully, and being ready to love her for the rest of my life...

So far, I think I'm doing pretty darn well with each of those.  

Enjoy this silly little video of my beautiful baby girl. 

 Stay tuned for many more Mommy Challenges in the near future (I'm sure I'll have lots to share)!

The Panda Report: 1 Week

I'm doing some rapid fire posting today (I'm doing as much as I can before Abigail wakes up and is hungry again!).  

I'll make this one short and sweet...in Abigail's first week, we had an awesome doctor's appointment where we learned that she'd only lost 2.5% of her birth weight (most baby's average a loss of 8.5% - go Abby and Mommy!).  On top of that, everything looked great...her skin color, lungs, etc...we have one extremely happy and healthy baby!  WOOHOO!  Thank goodness!

At Abigail's second doctor's appointment (at 10 days old), we got yet another stellar report...she gained 17 ounces in one week (which is awesome!)...so as of a couple days ago, she weighed 7 lbs 9 oz.

As our doctor stated enthusiastically, "She definitely knows how to eat!"  Maybe that's why she makes piggy noises so often...

At this rate, she'll outgrow Panda in no time!  Go (or should I say, Grow) Abigail!

Here are her pictures at 1 Week...she even tried to nurse on Panda's nose.  haha

1.29.11

1.29.11

The Panda Report: Birthday

Abigail was born at 1:37pm on 1.22.11, an absolutely gorgeous Saturday afternoon in San Francisco (not to mention the same day as my best friend's wedding that I was forced to miss...it was most definitely meant to happen that way).  

Let's just say she did not wait around to make her appearance (and for those of you who have requested a birth story, I will get to that soon!)...once she decided it was time to come out, she did everything in her power to get out!  I wonder what that says about her personality...

Anyway, once she arrived Mommy and Daddy wasted no time introducing her to her new best friend, Panda.  

Weighing in at 7 lbs even and measuring 21", here is Abigail's very first Panda Report photo shoot.

Abigail's birthday - 1.22.11 - Hanging out with my Panda and her Panda

1.22.11

1.22.11

The Panda Report

Since I no longer have a Bump to report on every Thursday I figured I'd start a new report... 

The Panda Report. 

What exactly is The Panda Report?  

Well, I'm sure it'll evolve over time but for now the plan is to update you on Abigail's progress and include some pictures of how much she's growing (measured next to her Panda, of course...this idea was inspired by my cousin Nina who has a monthly photo shoot with her twins next to the same stuffed animals...check out her blog, Twinfinite Fun {HERE}).  What a fun way to see how much the girls are growing! 

Why Pandas?  I think most of you know (and thanks for all the tips and tricks as to where I can find more - I'm LOVING your feedback!), but in case you need a refresher {READ THIS}.

Be sure to keep up with The Panda Report to see how much our baby girl is growing! 

For now, let's play a little game called "Where's Abigail???"