Smart Commute Challenge

So I entered a few photos in "The Smart Commute Challenge" photo contest... not that I expect to win, but there weren't a ton of entries and I thought hey maybe I stand a chance. Basically, it was a pledge to smart commute (telecommute, ride public transportation, carpool, etc.) sometime this month. Since we've been carpooling for 5 years, I figured why not? I had everything ready to go all week to take our commuting photo (which just had to be me in the act of smart commuting or something I see during my smart commute) and I had the fisheye lens on my camera on my tripod to add a little flair.. but a series of events unfolded that left me just with these photos just a few hours from the deadline:


Not the greatest shots, by far... nothing close to what I was envisioning... I forgot to put on the fish eye, I decided not to put the breastpump bag in the shot, or Zack's laptop or her bag for daycare... But it's us. With some of the stuff we have to take every day (minus the bike usually).
We'll see if anything comes of it. I doubt it. There were a lot of good photos of interesting things. But here's what I put with the entries:

The Darden Family has been carpooling for 5 years and the recent addition now requires another stop on the route to work (and much more stuff). Morning routine: Depart from Cary Home -> Morrisville daycare drop off -> RTP Mommy drop off -> RTP Daddy parks. Evening routine: RTP Daddy drives -> RTP Mommy pick up -> Morrisville baby pick up -> Arrive at Cary home! (Occasionally Daddy bikes home from Mommy's work).

Hehehe...

Have you seen my block?

Excuse me... have you seen my block? I was playing with it just a minute ago and I seem to have misplaced it.

Hey, that camera looks like a nice substitute. Can I have it? I promise I'll only taste it (just like she does everything else).

Fine, I'll make due with my hanging lamb... but I know that block is around here somewhere...

(Yes, she was playing with the block and somehow put it on her head...)

Other big news. Guess who her favorite parent is right now? I'll give you a hint:

And guess what little Miss Mara started saying Friday morning???

DAA DAAA DAAA DAAA DAAA DAAAA.
Sigh.
I don't think she associates the sound with her Daddy per se... but it's a step up from Bah bah bah bah.

She has also starting pushing herself up really far this week and rolling around like a hot potato!
I kept putting her on the lambskin and she kept rolling right off.
So big!

And here is my favorite:
Until next post....

(Yes, she has to fall asleep with her eyes covered)

A special visitor

We were thrilled that my friend, Heidi, stopped by for a visit this weekend. She and her husband recently returned from living in Washington (state) for a year and a half and I haven't seen her since her wedding almost 4 years ago! Mara got to meet Aunt Heidi and we had a wonderful visit. I miss her terribly.

It's been 5 months!

Mara was quite uncooperative with her photos this evening. Maybe she was mad at me for doing this:

That's cereal, people. This was our second try at cereal. I never actually saw her swallow anything, but she did spit it at me with force. And then I picked her up and she spit UP on me (my front and back) and the floor. So... mission baby cereal has not been successful so far... but I so know she's ready. We'll keep trying! Being Zack's kid, I wonder if I need to entice her with mac&cheese...

On to our 5 month photos. Have I mentioned this child likes freedom? (Um, nakedness...)

Not a good sign. We are not a nudist household by any means... but whip off her clothes (maybe she ruins them on purpose?) and she's as happy as a clam.

She also kinda' resembles Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum right now. Hehe.

Great Paw Paw mailed Mara a cute tee-shirt this week. Check it out!

I put pink shorts on her so she didn't look like she just hopped off a John Deere.

Miss Uncooperative kept doing this:

Which made her end up like this:

And then she punched my 5 month card over the edge:

Soooo, Mommy got the Bumbo seat.

Haha! No escaping the Mommy! Although she sure tried...

(Please don't comment on how huge the melon is here... it's the angle, I swear!)

"Mommy..."

And just for a comparison, here she was at 11 days old:

Oh, and here is my favorite picture from this evening:

She laughs and grins at Arson. Mara is sitting on my lap as I slap this post together, and Arson wandered by and licked her hand and she just squealed in delight.

Love you all!

Happy Mother's Day

Not the greatest picture of me, but I had to get a picture before my Mother's Day flowers keeled over. Mara and Zack sent these to me Mother's Day morning. :) It made me smile!

I'll be taking Mara's 5 months photos in a few days! WOW! Right now I'm just looking forward to the weekend.

Same ol' same ol'...

I made sure Mommy and Auntie Kelly made good use of the baby room at church tonight.

Auntie Kelly and I also posed for a few more shots by Mommy.
I held on to Auntie Kelly reaaaaal tight, see?
Didn't want her falling.

I am going to miss her when she leaves. She gives such good kisses.

We also took some more pictures of me and Mommy. This is her first Mother's Day. I did that to her.
Don't feel sorry.
She loves it.
I mean, initially, pushing me out... a little tough since my head is so freaking huge...
But well worth it.
Mommy is pretty cool for being a first timer. A newbie. I guess I'm a newbie too...
Well, we're pretty good at doing this together.
So Happy Mother's Day to all you Mommies out there! Thank you for making us "bornded," so my Pop-pop says.

Here's me and new blue bunny!


Oh! And I got a new toy:

Aunt Kelly's Visit

This is me and my Auntie Kelly. She drove all the way from Pennsylvania to visit with me, Mommy and Daddy. I think we look alike! Maybe one day I will have Auntie Kelly's beautiful hair...

She loves me a super lot.

I love her a super lot, too. Check us out posing for the camera.

We were able to take a few photos before the mosquitoes descended.

Hopefully, we will take more pictures tomorrow... when I'm a little peppier.
But Auntie Kelly did take some pictures of me and Mommy, which is an extra special treat.
Mommy and I had a really good time posing. I felt like a supermodel baby!

We also went shopping today and I made Mommy buy me some more clothes, a pink Bumbo seat, and an Exersaucer! Stay tuned for pictures of my new toys.

Well, that's it for now. Time to eat sleep and poop. (Mara, that is)

Here's one last one of me and Mommy:

Testing video.

Another week older.

Mara was doing this most of today:

She must be growing again. It's wake up, eat, play for a little bit, poop a lotta bit, sleep. It's been hot here this weekend, so Mara's been running around (not literally) without pants. Anything I can do to keep her cool! I sent her into daycare in this again:
And I totally thought Teacher's Appreciation Week at her daycare was this past week. Yeah. It wasn't. It's this week. And I realized my mistake on Friday. I feel like an idiot. At least the teachers got my small gifts when they weren't expected, right? Maybe they were surprised, kinda' like this:
I dunno. Mara did bring home her first artwork from daycare, which I have lovingly displayed on the fridge. What a proud Mommy I am!
Yes, those were made from little Mara toes. You know, these things that she loves to grab:
I think she's growing a little hair, evident mostly in the tub when I scrub it. And Daddy pointed out a few sprigs hanging over her ear the other night. Woot!
"Mom, you've got to get over this hair thing."

I hope we're not encouraging her to grow up too quickly.
She weighed in at 11 lbs 13 ou. at her 4 month appointment this past Monday.
Frankenstein Baby!
Which put her in the 13th %ile for height/weight.
And the 50-75th%ile for head circumference. Ummm....

Yeah, do I resemble a bobble head? I hope not. (BTW, this looks very similar to a picture I saw of baby Zack starting to walk... he balanced with his hand on his head.)
"I'm too cool for walking right now, Mommy."
She was a very brave baby with her shots. She didn't cry with the shot in the first leg, and only cried one breath worth with the shot in the second leg. Mommy was so proud!

This will be my first Mother's Day. So much has changed, but being a Mommy is pretty awesome. It definitely has its challenges, but the rewards are far and above worth it. My little love.