New Computer, New Blog Layout

So... What do you think? I purchased a new computer (for our family, but I'm the only one who seems to care or that has used it so far). I figured it would be nice to spruce up the old blog in hopes of motivating ME to post and YOU to read. I do love that the photos pop out at you. I come to blogs to read but I'll admit, I still like to see photos and it's one of the things I love best in other people's blogs. I think it makes me want the story behind the photo, I guess. I hope you like! As for us, we've definitely settled in to life with a new baby. She is just over 4 months old now and she is starting to tolerate the car much better since she was born. She used to despise any type of car ride and it wasn't the car seat because she was fine in the seat as long as we weren't in the car, driving. She would just cry and cry even if we went to a local store 5 minutes away and it didn't get better the longer we drove. Poor thing just hated it. I chock it up to just being a tiny baby in a big world and not being in familiar territory yet. She still doesn't particularly enjoy it but she tolerates drive much better which makes our lives a little easier. Baby girl makes her own schedule but normally wakes up around 6am to eat, then naps an hour or so later. Once she's up, we change diapers, play and eat again then before 11, it's nap time again. We do it all over again before she naps around 1 or 2, then again before she naps around 4:30. Same until her next nap around 6pm and finally to bed by 9pm for the night. Her morning naps are longest and her afternoon naps are typically short but necessary as the day wears her out. I tend to play on the floor with her, teaching her to sit, roll and practicing standing (holding her up, of course) and all while entertaining her with toys, etc. She gets quite worn out I've noticed and I can tell she's ready for a nap when she is, which is a bonus! She hasn't mastered rolling over on her own yet and doesn't seem to have much of an interest to do so but I help her roll over and while she's on her tummy, she tries to scoot forward toward toys. I let her do that for a few minutes but she gets frustrated and eventually tired and I roll her back over. She is quite good at sitting up on her own this week, which is impressive to me because she's so little. She will no doubt be sitting on her own by the end of the month and probably crawling by 6 months at this rate, but we'll see! My 13 year old has been extremely helpful in caring for her little sister if we need time to get chores done or I just need a 10 minute break before her nap time. I can't even begin to express how appreciative I am of this. Nyla is a mommy's girl and likes me best, her sister second and daddy third. Not to say she doesn't love her daddy, and I'm sure that will become obvious later, but for now, she just knows mommy has the food, the toys, etc. and doesn't like to be without me much. I enjoy every second and so does Maya. Daddy takes on baby duty when he gets home from work (mostly) and she loves being held and played with but once she's hungry or tired, it's mommy time. Nyla, at 4 months, weighs 16 pounds and has grown so tall! She is almost as tall as her 1 year old cousin already and only weighs 2 pounds less. She's definitely thriving and getting her baby chunk on! I LOVE IT! We still cloth diaper her and that's proven to be not only the most cost-effective decision we've made, but also MUCH easier than I ever expected. And I didn't expect it to be difficult but I did leave room for frustration and planned that we MIGHT use disposables for longer trips or days out of the house, but we haven't even thought about it! As it turns out, cloth diapering and breastfeeding fit into our lives perfectly. That is another bonus. I have started to make Nyla mashed soft foods such as avocado, banana and steam and mash other foods like pears, carrots, broccoli, peaches, etc. I actually started letting her have tastes of food the week before she turned 4 months and although my plan was to wait until 6 months and start baby-led weaning (Google it, please), she is MUCH too interested in our food already and she LOVES everything we've let her try. Today, at 19ish weeks, she gets about an ounce of mashed food on most days. I always nurse first, and then offer food and she always eats whatever we offer her willingly and I'd even go as far as to say ravenously. This kid loves food! I guess it's true what they say about breastfed babies liking many foods because breast milk exposes them to a wide variety of flavors from birth. Avocados, bananas, peaches and pears seem to be her favorites but she likes everything else pretty much the same. I can't wait until she is at the table eating on her own. We bought her a used Tripp Trapp from a local kid's second hand store for $20 (GREAT DEAL, btw) and she sits in it happily to eat. She is already starting to grab for the spoon. If I knew she wouldn't just drop it or pour the food into anywhere but her mouth, I might give it to her. I'd say, by Thanksgiving, I'll have her try to eat roughly mashed food on her own and see what she does with it. It might even be ON Thanksgiving... I'm sure the family will get a kick out of her messy self. As you can tell, I really love being a stay at home mom and this is my life. It is SUCH a wonderful thing to be home to experience all of Nyla's firsts and to see Maya and Nyla bond as sisters. Even though Maya is 13 years older and I didn't expect there to be much of a bond, I can tell there actually really IS. I am so thankful to be able to see that form. In addition, Joe is an AWESOME dad. I mean, I knew he'd be a good dad and do what he is supposed to do as a dad but how many men do you see changing a cloth diaper or holding his baby while he talks to the guys about his off-road vehicles? Not too many. I'm sure there are plenty of great dads out there but I am really into how great he is with her and how he just does what needs to be done without trying to pass it off to me as a "mom job". If you've ever been a stay at home mom, you know what I mean. You really appreciate being able to use both hands while doing laundry, or using the bathroom without a baby in a bouncy chair looking up at you. Don't laugh. This is my life and I love it but alone time is scarce and when I have it, boy do I appreciate it.