The Princess Diaries

1. Shopping and Style.
For one, I am not even tempted to go to the women's department in stores anymore. Maybe it's because my clothes still don't fit quite right or maybe it's because my brain is on the little guy 24/7, but I now beeline for the baby department and don't even glimpse at the women's clothes. Even if I were to shop for myself, my style has completely changed. No, I'm not talking mom jeans and sweatshirts with my kid's handprints on them, don't worry. I'm talking rather than "That top is so cute, I have to have it!", it's now "That top would be so easy to nurse/pump in, I need to have it." This change didn't happen overnight, it was more of a "you live, you learn" evolution. For instance, you only wear a crewneck dress to work once if you're pumping...know what I mean!? ;-) I still do my best to dress cute and look stylish, but I've come to realize my outfit selections have much more to do with function than they do style. I look forward to the day when my top stays on all day long! ;)

My favorite mom look is matching my baby!

2. My New Accessory.
Nope, unfortunately it's not sparkly. My latest accessory is milk. I'm wearing it somewhere, somehow every single day. It's a fact of life now and no matter how hard I try to avoid it, I can't. Sometimes it's firsthand...like when I'm putting the great invention of hands-free pumping to use and I get caught up in what I'm working on only to discover I've overflowed the bottle onto my pants, or when I've specifically taken my suit coat off so that it doesn't get milk on it only to accidentally fling milk onto it anyway while unscrewing the bottle top.

OOPS.

Sometimes it's been around the block and finds its way back to me. Since I go feed Tristan at daycare on my lunch break (lucky me, I know!), I've learned to take a big blanket with me in an attempt to keep the "repurposed" milk off me. Inevitably, Tristan turns his head and angles himself to hit the one area the blanket isn't covering, go figure. Forget orange, spit up is the new black!

3. Sleep, or Lack Thereof.
It's the question EVERYONE loves to ask, "Are you getting any sleep?!, "Is he a good sleeper?", "Does he sleep through the night yet?" I get it, it's the go-to question for new moms and the easy conversation starter when asking about someone's baby. It doesn't bother me even though my answer is "no" to all of the above (although in reading many posts in the blogworld, many moms despise this question). Babies aren't known for being champion sleepers (at least not once the sun goes down), so I'm not shocked that my little man hasn't mastered it yet. Don't get me wrong, I have a wee bit of envy for those moms who are sleeping blissfully through the night and have a pang of jealousy when I hear that so-and-so's baby has slept through the night since week X or month Y. But, honestly, I'm fine with Tristan waking up during the night. I know it won't last forever and that someday I'll look back on these nights wishing he was still that little bundle of baby who needed me every three hours. For now, I look at it as extra time I get to spend with the person I love most in this world and see those moms who are sleeping through the night as missing out on the 2 extra forehead kisses that I get to give when I lay him back down to sleep. (You've gotta find a silver lining somewhere, right!?)I've learned to function on much less sleep than I used to (my IQ has certainly taken a hit though), to appreciate the combo of a good eye cream and concealer and to savor a caffeine treat when I need it (Diet Coke on the good days, a big coffee on the bad ones and a DQ Moolatte on the really bad ones). This is what I signed up for and I do my best to roll with it and not complain! I will say, however, that the almost two weeks we went through with 7+ wakings a night were AWFUL. I did let the reinfocements (aka Baba) take over one night because I was low on sleep, high on tears and empty on answers. I'm hoping those nights are behind us for good because while I gladly accept the 2 extra forehead kisses, 7 is a bit excessive! ;)

He sure is cute when he sleeps though!

And I wish it was acceptable to just let him sleep on me ALL the time...

4. Every Second is a Photo Op.
I really need to stop this, not only because I'm sure the social media world is sick of seeing T-Max's adorable smiles and giggles, but because Tristan is going to think my phone/camera is actually a part of my hand. But, it's SO HARD to do! Every thing he does and every day he does it seems cuter to me than the last time. It's like every second with him is so special that I feel like I need to capture it with a photo. Well, that is until my iPhone tells me I "cannot take photo, storage is full." The time goes by SO quickly that I want to memorialize every day. I've already forgotten so many of the early days, and I don't want to forget these. Clearly I know where the shutter button is, but where is the pause button!?! Until I find one, I'll continue to capture his smiling face, his cuddles with daddy, his achievements on his playmat, his lunch dates with me (he loves selfies!) and all the other things that make my heart melt because that's what moms do. And my next phone will have the most storage possible. ;)

I mean, really, how can you NOT photograph this face!?

5. Need for Speed.
I'm faster at just about everything I do now. Showers are now taken in record time (and I swear I still hear him crying while I'm in there, a carryover from the first weeks home). Long gone are the days of taking hour to get ready to go somewhere, I can now be ready to get out the door in 15 minutes flat (keep in mind, this does NOT include getting Tristan ready and making sure I have all the stuff that goes with leaving the house with a baby in tow). I log my fastest miles on the treadmill--not knowing when he'll wake up/get tired of the swing/need to eat is a great motivator to get the miles in as quickly as possible! I finish my meals almost as fast as Berta -- much like with the treadmill runs, I never know when I'm going to be needed again, so I chow down while I can, otherwise it's trying to eat with a baby on my lap who's pulling my hair and trying to eat the table OR eating cold food.
One last area where I'm faster than the speed of light is at the 5 o'clock hour -- I'm like a bolt of lightning out the door to go get my little, smiley guy! It goes so quickly...and so do I. ;-)

"Pass me the salad, please!"

(Notice we hadn't started eating yet. As soon as I started serving up, he was over the seat and ready for undivided attention. His timing is impeccable.)

[Total side note and completely unrelated other than the fact that it allows me to achieve my ready-in-15 minutes look, to anyone looking to shave minutes off their getting ready routine, I highly recommend Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush foundation (http://www.sephora.com/amazonian-clay-airbrush-foundation-P380829?skuId=1534692). I'd read about it online, but was hesitant to try it because I didn't think a powder foundation could provide enough coverage. However, I was wrong--this stuff is AMAZING and so quick and easy to apply! I don't think I'll ever use anything else. Plus, it's cruelty-free, go beagles!]

Happy 4 month old!

I'm so cute!

Do you think I'm cute, too?

You're right, I am the cutest.

Cute & Spunky!

At 4 Months, Tristan...

...weighs in at 15lb 10.5 oz (66%).

...measures 25.25in tall (63%).

...has a big brain in a little head (only 25% for head size).

...has smiles for miles.

...has cheeks for weeks.

...loves to get his roll on (in both directions)!

...belly laughs with the best of 'tem!

...decided sleeping isn't his thing.

...must have a hollow leg for as much as he eats!

...can sit up on his own with a toy in front of him.

...enjoys bath time (and peeing in the tub).

...drools like a bulldog.

...is a natural born flirt.

...melts hearts at daycare!

...finds his toes fascinating and his fingers delicious!

...talks our ears off.

...is the happiest baby on the block!

...makes us wonder how we got so lucky. :)

T-Max, even with 10 days of no sleep, I still wouldn't trade my life with you for anything in the world. Thanks for being the most fabulous 4 month old ever!

And now for a month's worth of photos (and videos) to show all the fun we have with the best thing that ever happened to us.

Football family.