Happy 3 month birthday, Caidyn!

The squeaker turned 3 months old! It was a great day home with both Mommy and Daddy getting ready for her first Christmas! It was a big month for her (1st Thanksgiving and race with Mommy!) but she is perfect as always. 

When Daddy is away...

Turns out we can be OK! And not just OK - but OK and ON TIME!!!

Brian has now gone out of town twice overnight (the first time for one night, this time for two) and Caidyn and I have been able to be in bed near to on time, and out the door on time! Like to go to work!

For someone who it first started taking 2 hours to leave the house with newborn Caidyn, only if I had to be somewhere in the middle of the day (I couldn't even imagine morning plans), being able to wake up and get ready for work, get Caidyn ready for her day with the baby sitter, take the boys on a nice walk, make lunches, etc etc in 1 hour 45 minutes to leave on time is something I am very very proud of!

Her daddy flies in around noon today so he will be picking her up from the baby sitters so I put her in a cute outfit for him to be greeted by! And I took pictures just in case she ends up dirtying that outfit and needs to change - likely with our little drooler :)

Daddy's Princess <3

Just keep swimming swimming swimming!

No one loves the water more than Caidyn - and she is already trying to swim away! Maybe we have a future competitive swimmer on our hands! Brian and I were both competitive swimmers at one point (I think it is a Florida kid right of passage...) and it looks like she might follow in our footsteps!

Newschool and Retro

Caidyn and I wore our first of the two matching outfits I bought when I was still hardly pregnant and before we knew she was a girl.



Her daddy put her in that onsie yesterday morning so I knew when I got home from work a quick change was in order so we could be matching best friends.

I can't wait to wear the second of the two - I'm saving it for a special picture!

5th Avenue Tree Lighting!

A new Wyss family tradition began last night. We took Caidyn to the 39th Annual Christmas Walk and Tree Lighting Ceremony on 5th Avenue last night!

Lights + Music = Caidyn was SO SO SO excited all night!

We put her in the carrier we can both use (that matched Christmas colors) and we tried forward facing! She is still a little small but it seemed silly to take her to a place so she could watch everything and have her face me, and she did just fine!

We dressed her in one of many Christmas outfits!

She had blast walking around and looking at the lights - although she was starting to get tired by the time we found someone to take a family picture for us...

It was a fun tradition we hope to keep going! They had a Santa to meet (the line was long and it was getting close to the time we had to leave to start bedtime at the right time), stockings to decorate, story time, lots of music and dance performances, and of course, beautiful lights to look at! Parking wasn't bad and we even got a DQ blizzard on the way home, just for fun! 

Is our 2 1/2 month old teething?!?!?!?!

So last night we fed Caidyn, changed her diaper, and were watching the Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting. The makings for a perfect December evening. 

Except Caidyn was drooling up a storm and would occasionaly go from this face

to her happiest face

and back and forth. I posted a little GIF type video on my Google+ wall about it!  

What is going on?!?! We felt around and felt a little bump on her upper gums a little to the left of center... but could she really be teething??!?!?!?!!!!! I'm breastfeeding and OH SO NOT ready for that! Eek! 

Caidyn rolled over... sort of

Well... sort of. Caidyn rolled from her side to her belly - which I think is hard because she has to move her arm!

I'm so proud of her. And I realize it is totally cliche` mom to be proud of someone for rolling halfway over. I don't even care one bit :)

Caidyn is 2 months old!

2 months old
11 lb 9 oz 21 1/2"
-so many smiles :)
-sleeps with her arms wide open
-loves to "climb" up her daddy's chest

I can't believe it has only been 2 months since my little girl was born! What an amazing ride. 

Things are going really well! This little girl gives us 3-5 hour stretches of sleep at night. She loves to be swaddled from her arm pits down, but if you include those arms she gets mad! She sleeps with her arms wide open like she is waiting for a hug. It is adorable. The boys sleep in her room with her, and she took to her crib like a champion. Mom and Dad slept in the guest bedroom (right next to her's) for the first couple nights she was in the crib - and Cosmo and Gizmo sleep on the floor of her room for a little puppy protection. 

She really entertains herself very well - we can put her down in her napper or on her play mat or in her swing (we have a lot of places to put her...) and she will just enjoy the entertainment above her. She also really loves our room - the colors are red, black, and white - very high contrast, so it is probably one of the most "visible" rooms for her. She will look at our zebra striped curtains for minutes on end. 

Her second month brought her first holiday (Halloween), her first out of town trip (UCF for the homecoming game), and her mommy going back to work. She stays with a baby sitter at the baby sitters house and has a few friends who also stay there, obviously older than her. The daughters of the baby sitter go to school where Nana works and report on how "their baby" is doing each day and what cute outfit she is wearing. We love where she stays during the day and feel so grateful we found her. 

Her nickname of Pipsqueak has been shortened to either "Pip" or "The Squeaker". We were tossing around the thought that if we keep up that nickname one day people could actually refer to her as "Pip" and she would have to explain the meaning behind it. A fun thought for sure! 

On her actual 2 month birthday we took her to the beach for the first time. Her little toesies got to touch the sand, she got to listen to the ocean, and watch the sunset. And she really did watch the sunset! We went to dinner overlooking the beach and sunset and propped her infant seat so she could see the sunset and she stayed awake looking at it not making more than a couple "oo's" and "ah's" and smiles. 

To our little girl:

Each and every day we spend with you we become more and more in awe of what a little person you are. You already love so many wonderful things and are so independent - I can't wait to see how these little characteristics develop into your personality. Your daddy and I find ourselves saying how much we love you randomly to each other and doing any chore while you are awake takes at least twice as long as normal because we keep stopping to watch and interact with you - breaks we welcome. Thank you for helping both of us to slow down and enjoy these little moments with you. Out of all the gifts you have already given us, the ability to focus on the now has been one of the greatest. 

You are so loved by everyone who encounters you, but no one more than your daddy and I. 

These past two months have been two of the best in our lives and we can't wait for even more time with you, little Pip. 

All our love, 

Mommy and Daddy

Thanksgiving!

I have so much to be thankful for this year. And am currently in bed cuddling with my top 4 - Brian,  Caidyn,  Cosmo,  and Gizmo. We are truly blessed and I feel so fortunate.

We spent Caidyn's first Thanksgiving doing a lot!  We started off our morning by doing the Gobble Gobble 4 mile race. We did this race 2 years ago the day before our wedding with most of our bridal party,  and Brians cousin and groomsmen Jay actually won the race!  He is super fast so it was no surprise! 

This race has a costume contest and I wanted to participate this year with my little turkey! 

We may look bundled up but it was only 42 degrees during the race! A fun, cold, Thanksgiving! 

We then came home and watched the parade,  a tradition I was so excited to share with Caidyn!  I'm excited for next year when she can recognize some of the characters!

Then we went to Brians grandparents house for a Wyss Family celebration. It was a great time and Brian even had us stay and eat some of their early dinner; I was grateful they didn't kick us out!  As grace was being said Nathan asked Brian to be a groomsmen in his wedding!  Bridget asked me to be a bridesmaid a few months ago so this was extra exciting so we can be in the wedding together! 

Brian's immediate siblings. His younger brother, brother's fiance, and sister. 

Then we went to my parents house and,  add it turns out,  it was a good thing we had 2 Thanksgiving outfits for Caidyn because she had a diaper explode into her first outfit...

We hung out with my family and enjoyed a full dinner!  Well, most of us did. Turns out Caidyn wanted to eat at the same time as everyone else. So while she and everyone enjoyed their dinner I contributed to conversation and fed her. Then I got my turn - and luckily everyone stayed at the table to eat so I didn't have to eat by myself :)

My side of the family. My three younger sisters and Mom and Dad.
My parents have a giant back porch that acts as a second living room and dining room! This is only about 1/3 of it! 

It was a great day!  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love the tradition,  the food, and the family time.

This morning we are taking our time waking up and going to decorate for Christmas!  Tis the rest of this holiday season! 

Pregnancy Recap

So now that I've been not pregnant for a while I feel I can recap the things I LOVED and the things I wasn't as crazy about so I can remember if there is another go round.

Cotton clothes are the best and most comfy. I have no idea what I will do if I am pregnant in the winter.

Maternity clothes are overpriced - especially shirts. The key is length.

When getting up to pee in the middle of the night remember that in a few months you'll be nursing a baby for about 45 minutes instead of a quick 45 second rise. Its not that bad.

And, what I was really trying to do this for - lets see those week by week pictures!

So there are a few missing weeks (like 27, 28, and 29... which I know I have somewhere...) but all in all I grew a lot! Now to ungrow... haha. When I was like 25 weeks on I would look at old pictures and be like "I was so little!" and now I look at pictures of pregnant me like "I was so giant!". This is one of my most favorite pregnant pictures, taken on my 25th birthday:


Caidyn was born 24 days after that - holy moly!!! And now I have to write her 2 month recap post this weekend!! Yay!

Two Years

Happy 2nd Anniversary to my best friend, wonderful husband, amazing daddy, and fantastic man, Brian!

I feel like I am supposed to say "I can't believe it has been 2 years already!" but... let's be honest... a lot has happened in 2 years AND, although our wedding was WONDERFUL and I had a great time, wedding planning was not my cup of tea and I was glad when that giant project was complete.

But lets recap everything that has happened these past two years...





We had our beautiful wedding on 11.25.11 at the Quarry Golf Club


Puerto Rico was the destination for our honeymoon!


In January we bought our house!

We celebrated the wedding of our great friends Justin and Kristin in April

This was also the spring I had to use crutches for 4 weeks and a cane for 4 weeks because of my year long knee injury...

Brian turned 26 and had a surprise birthday party at the bowling alley (and I can't find pictures...)


I threw a baby shower for my friend Robyn and her little one Addison was born!

I worked my first summer at Southbreeze Day Camp.

WE CLOSED ON OUR HOUSE!


I turned 24 and we took the excuse to go on a vacation to Savannah, GA to visit our friends Ashley and Collier



Ali had her senior night! She was the 4th Block girl to go through the GCHS band :)


It was fall, so obv UCF football...



Not sure where these pictures are either... but I went to Atlanta for the NSTA Regional Conference and Brian was able to join us!

Our friends Joe and Josephine got married and we partied VERY hard! And solidified some new friendships :) That picture was before I broke that glass (the like 5th one I broke that night...)


We hosted our first thanksgiving! And forgot to take pictures of more than just the place setting...



We went to a UCF game the next day with some of our closest friends and Brian surprised me with a second wedding band by the Reflection Pond (turns out that was where he had intended on proposing but thought I wouldn't be surprised if he did that... probably true ;) )



And we went home to eat wedding cake and celebrate!



We hosted an Ugly Sweater Party!



Had our first Christmas in the new house



Rang in 2013!



And the enjoyed giving our family the best Valentine's day present/news ever!



Ran some races (very slowly now that I was both pregnant and still coming back from that pesky knee injury...)



I worked another summer at camp and Ali joined the staff as well!

We went to Minnesota to visit lots of family!



Brian and I BOTH received promotions over the summer - Brian to Service Delivery Manager and myself to Science Coach

I grew...



Turned 25!



My friends Jeanne and Robyn threw me a BEAUTIFUL baby shower. And my grandma borrowed my camera to take pictures and my camera was different than hers so no pictures were taken... but I hope to see some soon!

And on September 23 our little girl joined us for the best birthday party ever!



We celebrated Caidyn's first holiday



And now we are just a very happy family!



It has been an amazing and busy two years! Thanks for being a support, mentor, companion, friend, entertainer, confidant, and everything else you are to me! Love ya :)