Aunt Kim

Uncle Eric

Chewing

Smiles

The Baptism

This weekend Matilda was baptised at the Fox Valley Presbyterian Church. Kim and Eric were the god parents and stood up with us for the ceremony. Matilda wore the same gown I wore for my christening and she didn't cry at all! It was a very special day for us, I'll post the video later for everyone who couldn't make it.

After the baptism we had a little brunch at our house before Kim and Eric had to leave town again. As usual it was great to see them and we had a really nice weekend.

She looks like she wants and Encore, right?

Holding my Breath

I've been avoiding saying anything about this for fear of jinxing it, but considering that even the inconceivable has gone wrong, I can't see the harm.

Our buyer came back. That's right. The buyer we had lined up in May who had to back out due to her out-of-state custody battle going longer than she thought--yeah, she came back. With her dad. And we couldn't have been happier to hear the deal had been revived.

Then, what should have been predictably, things started going wrong. In-fighting between realtors, failure to get the earnest money in the right place, then an FHA inspection that managed to happen the day AFTER the unprecedented heavy rains hit our old house and caused a roof leak.

Closing was pushed back a week. I was on the phone constantly. We got a contracter in to give estimates on the interior damage. We got a contracter in to do the roof. The buyer complained about the a/c, we got it serviced and repaired--we did all this within 4 days. We got things ironed out with the lender, had our paperwork notarized, the money wired and were suposed to close today.

It didn't happen. Yet. It's not dead yet either. Apparently there is ONE missing piece of paper. The buyer has it packed away in some random box in the back of a truck headed up from Florida, and the company that could replace it has had their computers down for two days. We're hoping this piece of paper can be found before Monday so the deal can be done.

We have been so lucky to have Jim and Joanne to help us with this house. I will always be greatful. But today, after spending four days on the phone, three days without a shower and two days with a teething infant, I'm exhausted.

Please say a prayer or cross your fingers, throw a coin in a fountain, turn your necklace chain around, blow away an eyelash--whatever lucky thing you can think of do for us--we need this house to close!

Here we go

We visited the pediatrician today about the uber-crankiness.



It's teeth. Already.

Apparently she's teething early and we can expect on and off crankiness until December when they think she will finally cut this tooth. Then we can start again with the next ones.

So it sounds like teeth for Christmas!

Friday Feature

Matilda is 12 weeks old today!

Here's what she's been up to this week:

Lots more squealing and chatting.

She's using her feet purposefully more splashing, touching her toys and kicking me, she's getting more control of those feet too!

She's figured out how to use her hands, and she's still enthralled by them. She'll hold them up in front of her face and turn them over and over studying her fingers.

She pulled the tabs on her own diaper this morning like she was going to just rip it off and change herself! (I think this is more of a funny accident than an actual development though!)

She's still blowing spit bubbles, rolling from side to side and doing a pretty good job of sleeping at night, but I'll be happy when I can quit getting up to put dropped pacifiers back in!

Also, she smiles more and more. She even does a bashful smile now where she balls up her little fists and hides behind them! She's getting really expressive and learning to like short stories, other babies' faces, peek-a-boo, and patty-cake.

Otter than that, she's been really cranky for the last few days, chewing on her fists and her pacifier and biting me along with super fussies make me think it might be early teething. I made my first "fretful mother" appointment with the pediatrician today.

We Love Football

Here's Matilda's first college football game with Daddy three weeks ago. This week will be a repeat--highschool game Friday night and college all day Saturday, in her special football watching onesie!

Matilda is so Laid-Back

Beth's Visit

Beth came out to visit and meet Matilda. We had such a nice time together and I was really happy to have the help. Matilda behaved well, and did a good job being cute!

Matilda and the duck

Buddies

Little Pumpkin

I love mornings!

Matilda is always at her best in the morning. It's her way of appologizing for waking me up during the night. She's all talkative and smiley and playing with her toys while she sits with us at the breakfast table.

Angel

By Special Request

I have received a request for my chocolate fudge recipe and been told that I should occasionally post recipes. So, always happy to oblige, here's the fudge recipe.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I did not make this up, it is the Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk recipe which can be found with a delicious looking picture here.)

Ingredients:
3 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
dash of salt
1/2 to 1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Melt chocolate, salt and milk together in a saucepan or over a double boiler.
Once melted, remove from heat.
Stir in nuts (optional) and vanilla.
Pour into a wax-paper lined 8 or 9 inch square pan and spread out.
Chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours before cutting into 1 inch squares.

Enjoy!

In the comments let me know what else you'd like to see here, now that I'm taking requests.

Friday Feature

Matilda is growing so fast and learning so many neat new things that I've decided she deserves a weekly post highlighting all of her new developments.
So, this will be the first Friday Feature.

Matilda is 11 weeks old today. This week she:
Has been fascinated by her hands and feet and has learned to kick things on purpose. She especially loved splashing in the tub this week!

Is talking more and more and has started squealling to get our attention. As usual, she's at her best in the morning, but she is chattier and chattier every day now.

Will smile in response to my smile from across the room. She used to only smile if I got right up in her face and smiled at her, now, she's more attentive and notices me smiling from farther away and will reciprocate.

Is getting harder to take smiling pictures of. She's noticed the camera and now when we pull out the camera she just looks at it, surprised or confused, and we need to tag-team her to get the smiles on film now. So neat that she's noticing the world around her, but I wish she would smile for the camera!

Slept for 9 hours straight without even needing me to put her pacifier back in. Yes, last night was heavenly. Down at 9:30 and not a peep until 7.

I know this stuff is probably more interesting to me than it is to anyone else, but y'all can deal with it once a week, right?

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Just chillin'