All in the Colors!

Keeping up the tradition, Libby woke Dad up early for the Arsenal Match and demanded to be dressed in her uniform. Dad reluctantly agreed, and they both sat down to watch the Gunners, hoping for a dramatic win!

Grown-Ups only Birthday Dinner.

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What's new from Mom

Well, we're just a little over 1/2 way through my maternity leave and Libby is already changing a lot!

She has been successfully sleeping in her crib for over a week (yes, this sometimes means she and I are up every hour of the night, but I have gotten a few 3 hour stretches), she continues to grow (last I checked she was well over 9 pounds), she's discovered new sounds she can make, has learned to put her fist in her mouth (hasn't yet, though, figured out how to pop out that thumb!), and she smiles, which is sometimes all that Mom needs.

We're still working on several things, such as taking a bottle and not fighting sleep, but we've come a long way in just 6 weeks. I look forward to what the next 6 weeks may have in store for Team Morris!

Libby's baptism is going to be on Easter, April 4th. Feel free to join our church service at 11:00, Asbury United Methodist, followed by a reception at the Waldo Pizza Tap Room.

Also, Libby has a new friend!!! Ja's cousin, Tyson, and his wife Jen, had a baby boy! Jackson Wayne was born at 12:30 this morning. Congrats to the Markham and Webb family. We look forward to watching them grow together.

Thanks for your constant support! I better get back to my mom duties... :)
Emily R. Morris, RYT
http://bffyoga.blogspot.com

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Last Day of Winter...

Libby and I decided to say good-bye to Winter by watching the sun come up together. It's been great having this week of Spring Break to spend with my girls.

Oh... And Grizzly.

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Happy St. Patty's Day!

For the record...

Libby just wanted everyone to know that she is Quite happy to sleep, despite the impression her father may have given.


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Beware the Ides.....

Well, Spring Break could not have come at a better time for Team Morris. We're entering six weeks since our newest member arrived, and we all are starting to evolve into our new roles. However, an unfair balance of the work had been carried on Emily's shoulders the past two weeks as she flew solo on Mom duty. It was a lot to ask of her, but she stepped up to the plate like a champion and made it through, knowing all hands would be on deck as soon as I got off for St. Pat's week. We decided that it would be a perfect time to try and transition baby Libby over to full-time crib sleeping.

We kept to the old ways on Friday night, just to make sure we all started off the break fresh, and it worked. Long hours of uninterrupted sleep for both Em and I. Only she was on the couch with Libby. Saturday we were refreshed and lounged around until Em personal trained in the morning, and Ja and Libby hung out with Uncle Jeff who was up from Pittsburg to visit. We were planning on going to the Brookside St. Pat's parade, but 42 degrees and drizzly did not sound like optimal conditions for a first Big Day Out for the family. Instead we went to visit Brad, Nikki, and Willa down the street for some awesome pork loin. I was in charge of the sides so everyone got stuck with Mac and Cheese and jalepeno poppers. Still, everyone had fun, and we came back to the house ready to begin our little adventure in crib training. (and The Arsenal even won, so Libby was Extra happy)

So, Saturday night we started the experiment, and by most measures it went well. Lib slept for a few hours while Mom dozed and Dad watched SNL and Poker After Dark (don't ask me why, I don't even like poker but i always end up watching it). A few rough patches throughout the night, but nothing that wasn't expected (although Emily really still ran the show through most of the early morning hours). We took a late start to the day and all felt so good about it that we went for a Sunday trip to Brookside. I strapped on the baby carrier and we all had a great afternoon going birthday shopping for Emily and enjoying a beautiful cold, overcast March day in Kansas City. We even picked up a copy of The Settlers of Catan with the hopes of spending a quiet evening at home playing a game instead of .

When we got home, Mamma and Pappa Ru came over, and Em and I even got to escape to the Salty Iguana for an hour to enjoy some chips and salsa. We came back, cooked dinner, and began to lay out the game. Libby had other plans, however. Every time we started to play, she let us know that she really didn't appreciate being abandoned to some strange crib. We'd calm her and start to play, then hear her protest. Feed her and start to play, then hear her saying "NO!" Change her and start to play, and then... well, you get the picture. This continued for the next 12 hours, long after we had given up on the game and all hope of sleep.

I think my baby calming skills had atrophied over the past few weeks at work though. All the little tricks I had picked up in those first few weeks had dramatically lost their effectiveness. I even tried bouncing on the exercise ball with her but forgot that balance and sleep deprivation don't go well together. To make a long story short, no one slept much in the house, but we didn't give up on the crib. You have to take the little victories. 

Moral of the story?......

Beware the Ides of March.

(heh.. that's a long way to go for a cute baby picture, but I thought it was worth it!)

From everyone here at Team Morris, thanks for dropping by MoTeamGo, and we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on Easter when little Lib get's baptized.

By Popular Request... More Libby Photos!

Okay, so I've heard all the griping, and you're right. The internet is severely lacking in photos of Elizabeth Anne! So here you go:

A Big Mess 'O Libby

Happy 1-month, kiddo!!

So, not to toot my own horn, but I do feel pretty good that Libby and I went for a 50 min. walk today and a month ago today they would not even allow me to walk (not that my legs would of allowed anyways!). So... Little Libby, we've come a long way!!

What comes to mind when I think about the last month: first off, complete and utter doubt, stress, disbelief, uncertainty, love, admiration, sleep deprivation, tears, tears and more tears, smiles, laughs, and joy! Welcome to parenthood, right?! I surprise myself by wanting to type this, but I actually wouldn't change a thing! When asked about our little girl, we say "Libby is spirited." To say the least! Thank you, first and foremost, to my fantastic and perhaps over-caring husband, for all the help he heavily offers and especially for taking off work those first weeks. And thank you to mom for helping me through the next ride (crying baby, anyone?!) and then to mom-in-law for coming up and helping me over the last hurdle (Libby's cute even when she cries!).

I'm coming around and slowly coming up for air. I've decided, as I fly solo, that I would rather swim than sink, so today we left the house (yes, Moms, it is unbelievable that I found my way downstairs!!!) and I even treated myself to Chick-fil-a at the time of her birth. She might be spirited but she's the best thing to come into our lives and I wouldn't have her any other way!

So, here's to you, daughter, and all your funny faces (even those frown lines), the sounds that you make, the way you squirm your body, and the way you feel next to mine. No body touches my heart quite like you little one. I look forward to all the months ahead.

Your humbled mother,

Emily

Learning to fly solo

Step 1: put fussy baby in bouncy. 2: give baby some gripe water. 3: move them to bathroom, heat vent and shower water create "white noise". 4: jump in shower! 5: peak out, baby is content, maybe happy. 6: even shave legs. 7: force myself to leave the peaceful shower. 7: baby is still happy so get dressed, put on make-up, even dry hair. 8: darn! Glitch to the plan! Baby managed to poop through diaper, onto clothes, and bouncy! Ah well! Still feel 2 ft taller... And clean :)

Emily R. Morris, RYT
http://bffyoga.blogspot.com

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