Time for a Dinner Date!

Tonight we have big plans, I have been preparing all day. I ate an extra big pre-dinner, took a REALLY good nap, and didn't spit-up on my outfit (at least not yet) so I could be ready. We have dinner plans!

Mom went to the store and found something new that she was pretty excited to try. I guess this is a really easy way to make a good tasting dinner. The packet has all the seasoning and spices you need, all you have to do is add chicken and potatoes. Mom and Dad invited their friends Marie, Tony and Reid over to give it a try.

Mom said I was a really good helper, I sat in my swing the whole time she was getting it ready. I didn't think it was too big of a deal, it only took her a few minutes to put it together.


Mom's friend Meg gave me this cute chef hat, it came with a whole outfit but I am a little to small to wear the shirt and pants so mom just put the hat on me for a quick pictures. Aren't I cute?
We'll have to let you know how dinner turns out, mom is about to put it in the over!

Enjoy your dinner!
Linden

Model in Training

The lights, the cameras, the clothing, the attention and all food I want...I could get used to this!

Today the talented Besty Cole came over to cover my first modeling shoot, it was Great! Mom said I was a rockstar, I slept when I was supposed to sleep, was bright eyed when I was supposed to be bright eyed, even fussed a little so she could get some pictures of my funny faces! I had daddy running around the house moving the space heater so I wouldn't get cold, I had mom waiting on me and feeding me when I demanded, and Betsy just adored me! Even Jake, Bella and Turk got in on the action.

I didn't get to see any of the pictures but mom said they were pretty great and can't wait to get them back. This is a photo mom took of our shoot, turns out mom isn't a very good photographer, but we needed something for today's post!



Betsy did the photography for mom and dad's wedding and they loved her work so they are pretty excited to work with her to get some great pictures of me!



Here is the photo that was supposed to go with yesterday's post about being forced to be a Steelers fan, as you can see, I am NOT loving it. Oh well, Daddy said we should cheer for the Steelers so I will try and get over it.


Hope you all have a great weekend!
Linden

I don't want to be a Steelers Fan...

Today was a pretty exciting day, we got to go visit Kiaya Espinoza at the hospital and welcome her into the world. Kiaya's mom (Wendy) works with my mom at Federated and was due last Saturday. She was born yesterday at 3:15 in the morning and weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces. She is a week younger than me but she was a LOT bigger (mom said she is basically 4 weeks older, even though she is technically a week younger, I don't really get it, I just agreed).

Mom and Wendy spent the time talking about their labor and how things have been going, I spent the time trying to get Kiaya up to speed on this living outside in the crazy world thing. My biggest word of advice was to sleep as much as possible and not cry too loud, but she didn't agree, she has a REALLY loud and high pitched scream when she is mad, maybe I will have to try that out with my mom and dad. She is making things WAY to easy for her mom, she wants to eat all the time, I think it is more fun to play hard to get with mom and drive her crazy! Kiaya is beautiful and we are so happy for her and her family.

Kiaya's mom and dad are Steelers fans and her mom was sad that she couldn't find any Steelers outfits any more so mom decided to make her one as a present. Mom asked dad who I should cheer for during the Superbowl and dad said the Steelers. Mom made me a matching outfit, but I am not very happy about it. Mom told me that stealing isn't a good thing and now dad is forcing me to be a Steelers fan...I don't get it. Here is a photo of me in my new outfit, maybe if I spit-up on it enough times dad will understand that I am NOT happy! Kiaya seemed to like hers though, maybe her mom hasn't had time to talk to her about stealing.

After leaving the hospital Grandma Nancy, Grandpa Bob, Aunt Heidi and the kids she nanny's for came over for lunch. We went to Applebee's and it was a pretty good time. I got hungry towards the end and mom was REALLY tired so we had to cut our visit short so I could get some food and mom could get some sleep.

It was a VERY busy day but we had a great time. Now I am cuddling with my dad and we are going to have a quiet night at home.

With love,
Linden

You can call me Cupcake

Happy Birthday to me, that's right, today I am 1 week old. May not sound very significant to any of you, but to me that is pretty grown up!!

I had my one week weight check today, still not quite back up to 6 pounds but mom said that is OK, I am eating better every day, it is just so hard to stay awake!! Mom has resorted to some pretty mean tactics in the middle of the night. She changes my diaper, tickles me behind my ears, and if I am REALLY sleepy and won't eat she gets out cold wipes!! To give her some credit, she doesn't come in and wake me up, she waits for me to be hungry enough to wake her up, but once I am awake she expects me to eat. If any of you have any tricks up your sleeve that are less mean let her know, I'd really appreciate it!!

We went to the clinic today to get my weight checked so mom thought it would be a good idea to bring the girls in Labor and Delivery some treats to say thank you for being so great last week. Anybody who knows my mom knows that she LOVES to make cupcakes. Mom said I was a really great help because I was a good sleeper while she baked and frosted them. I can't wait until I am big enough to eat them, Dad said mom's new chocolate chocolate filling was REALLY good. Mom decided to take a picture of me with a cupcake, I think it turned out pretty cute (don't worry, she threw that one out!)


This blogging thing is a lot of work, I have to go take a nap so I am rested when dad gets home from work!

Hope you had a great Thursday!
Linden

Fan Mail

My public Adores me!! Well, at least Grandma does!

Today was a pretty laid back day, dad said the car was making a funny noise so they had to take it to the shop so mom and I couldn't go out today. I wonder where they will take me when I make funny noises, both grandmas say I squeek a lot, hopefully I don't have to go to the shop...

Anyways, back to my fan mail. The doorbell rang today and a man in a brown outfit dropped off a package, mom and I looked at the name and it was for me (at least that's what she said, I can't really read yet). Either way, I was pretty excited, I like the name mom and dad picked for me. Dad came up with Linden. He grew up on Linden Avenue in Alexandria, so that is where Linden came from. Mom liked it because it sounds girly (one of dad's requirements) yet it sounds traditional at the same time (one of mom's requirements). They also liked it because they thought it would be easy to pronounce and spell, turns out that isn't really true, but it is too late! Ruth is my mom's middle name and her grandma's name.

I got off track again, sorry, my fan mail. The man in the brown suit dropped off the package, it had my name on it, and that meant it was for me!! Dad helped me open it when he got home, mostly because I am not allowed to play with scisors. Inside were all sorts of great things from Grandma Carolyn and Grandpa Tim. I got a great new outfit set with elephants, a blanket, some onsies, and some really cute socks. I need socks, dad says I got mom's cold feet. This is a picture of me in one of my new outfits!

It is time to eat now, wish me luck!

Linden

I'm pretty much Amazing...

Hey everybody!

Today was a big day, we went to our first Amazing Newborn Clinic today. It is held at one of the local community schools, a couple nurses come and weigh everybody and then we have a chance to hangout with the other babies and the moms get a chance to talk too.

There were a lot of babies there today, one even shares my birthday!! I got to meet Emma today, her mom works with my mom at Federated, she was born a few weeks ago so mom had met her. We also got to see Kenna again, she goes to our church so I met her on Sunday, it was fun seeing them again.

Mom made me get weighed today, I wasn't a fan, why can't they weigh me with my clothes and diaper on?? Mom stripped me down and I was one of the most quiet, it was REALLY noisy with all the naked babies! When I was born I weighed in at 6 pounds 6 ounces, when I left the hospital I was at 5 pounds 14 ounces. As of today I had gained one ounce, the nurse said that any weight is good, mom was hoping I had added a few more, maybe next week. Mom just had to snap this embarrassing photo of me, I don't know what I am going to do with her!

Turns out I am a pretty amazing newborn. I am trying really hard to be a good eater, I only wake up a couple times each night, and I am pretty content unless I am hungry, what can I say, I make life WAY too easy for mom.

I have to get going, mom is going to try and convince dad to take us out for dinner tonight!

Lots of love,

Linden

Heaven

Today mom and I had our first solo adventure out of the house. The doctor told mom to get some medicine to help her heal and dad forgot to pick it up for her so she said we were headed to Target.



I didn't quite know what the big deal was, but mom was pretty excited. She loaded me up in my carseat, put the cozy, warm cover over me (made by Grandma Nancy, Thanks Grandma!!) and we headed out. When we got to Target I immediately knew why mom liked it there so much, there is SOO much to look at and so many people to see. I knew the nurses at the hospital and all of mom's friends would like me, but I didn't know I had an adoring public there too!



After picking up all sorts of goodies (I got a new sleeper, hopefully it helps keep me warm tonight) mom headed over to the pharmacy only to find out that the Target pharmacist doesn't really know what she is doing. They didn't have the prescription she needed and had never heard of the other stuff that mom was told to get. Fortunately we were able to head to Walgreen's and they had everything mom needed!



Here is a picture of me in my carseat in the cart at Target:





Today's adventure was pretty great, I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Love,
Linden

Best Buddies

Before going home from the hospital the doctor told mom that my Bilirubin levels were high, I'm not sure who this Billy guy is but mom sounded like she cared. The doctor told her to make sure I get lots of food and time in the sun.

Mom set me by the window this morning after church so I could catch some rays, she said something about it being too cold to actually sit outside, I was pretty warm in my carseat on the way to church so I don't know what that is about. Jake and Bella tried giving me kisses when they came inside and their noses were REALLY cold so maybe mom does know what she is talking about on this one.

It turns out I am not the only one who likes to lay in the sun; Jake, Bella and Turk all decided to join me! They didn't seem too interested in me when I came home yesterday so I was a little worried they wouldn't like me, I think we may turn out to be good buddies after all.

I'm getting kind of hungry now, and mom is already worried about me laying in the sun so I guess I better get in the shade and enjoy some lunch.

Until next time,
Linden

Life According to Linden

I came home from the hospital less than 24 hours ago and everybody is already telling me how much they miss me, turns out I am a pretty big deal :-) Mom decided to create this blog so both my grandmas could see what I am up to from time to time. Mom said she would love to post something every couple days, but we'll see how much sleep I let her get.

Happy Sunday!

Linden

(Just so this first post has a photo, this is me in my going home outfit at the hospital. Mom and the nurses all said I looked pretty cute!!)