whirlwind...

Wow! I feel like it's been forever since I was last on here! The title of this post fully explains the type of summer we have had... A whirlwind. We returned from our family vacation on Monday and it had been 17 days since I was last at our house. Crazy, right? We were in Chicago for my sister's shower and I stayed there for a few extra days while MBL went to San Diego for a conference. And, I joined him there without Piper. That's right, we've already had our first baby-less trip! I was really nervous about leaving her, but she was with my capable parents. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up; my parents were available to watch Piper, MBL's flight was paid for and so was most of our hotel, and we used miles for me to fly there. We could have brought Piper with us, but I was too nervous about exposing her to all the germs on the airplane and too nervous about navigating four airports without any help. I LOVED San Diego and would totally move there in a heartbeat, BUT my parents are here in the Midwest, so this is where we will stay (for now).

When I returned from San Diego, we packed up and headed to a cottage on a lake for our annual family vacation. It's one of our favorite weeks of the year and this year was no different. We had a blast going out on the boat, taking Piper swimming, playing with our nephews, playing games late into the evening, and going to the zoo. It went by WAY too fast!! I love being surrounded by family and waking up to a house full of the people I love. I SOOOO wish MBL and I lived in the same area as my parents because spending time with them is just one of my most favorite things and I love that they are getting a chance to see Piper grow up. Eventually we will live closer than three hours away...

So, I can't believe it, but Piper is already 11 weeks old!! We had her two month appointment on Monday (overdue because of our vacations) and she is 22.75 inches and 11 lb 1oz. Her weight is the 40th percentile, her height is in the 48th percentile, and her head is in the 87th!! I swear she doesn't look like a bobble head doll! We also got her vaccinated, which was great because she starts daycare next week. Speaking of that, I cannot believe my maternity leave is nearly over. I'm absolutely dreading going back to work. I only work one day during the week and every other weekend, so Piper will only be at daycare one day a week, which is really ideal. Although more ideal for me would be if I didn't have to work at all! BUT, we still have about $5,000 left to pay on our IVF and then we have to start working on my school loans. Because I work 20 hours a week but only two days, we're maximizing our income while minimizing our expenses... I just wish I didn't have to work every other weekend! I hate that I'll be missing out on quality family time with MBL and Piper!

There is so much more to update on, but I need to get some chores done before Piper wakes up from her nap. So, I will leave you with two pictures; the first is when she was one month old and the second is from Monday (2.5 months). I can't believe how fast she is growing!

One month old:


Two months old: