Graduation, 5 Months

Things are happening quite rapidly in the Jaro house.

I earned my Master of Health Promotion and Education from the University of Utah earlier this month. I didn't walk because I had things to do at work and didn't defend until a week after commencement. The defense went really well, though, and I had nothing to worry about.

The best part about having my Master degree is coming home after work, burying my face in my baby's hair and having nothing due the next day.

I celebrated my first Mother's Day last Sunday and felt pretty special with a handmade apron that our friends the Chaffee family helped Essie make for me. It was adorable with Essie's footprints for butterfly wings:

Speaking of my baby, she is more than 5 months old!

 

Milestones:  Es likes to jump. She thinks jumping on my lap is the best thing in the world. She is also happy during tummy time, finally. She can drink from cups and just loves it. The only problem is she thinks all cups and bowls are hers to drink from. She's learning to sit up on her own pretty well but her legs are so little they don't provide her much balance. We're starting to look forward to oatmeal cereal soon and veggies but breastfeeding is still going really well.

At her 4 month doctor appointment these were her stats:

10 lb. 11 oz (2nd percentile)

23 inches long (8th percentile)

38.8 cm head circumference (5th percentile)

Daddy loves: Her big gummy smile, her personality shining through

Mommy loves: Her "swimmy" legs, her shy face (when she buries her face in my shoulder as strangers greet her at the grocery store), her little kissies

Doggies love: Sleeping on her clothes

Esme loves: Playing on the floor, naps (she's a perfect baby), bathtime, being outside, going for walks, drinking from cups

We're looking forward to a long weekend trip to Fishlake soon!

4 months

This post is late but my baby turned 4 months old last week. 4 months! She's grown more adorable, if that is possible, and it astounds me how quickly she's developing.

I haven't kept up with posting as I should because grad school ends in 2 weeks and I've been working myself night and day to get things done. All I do these days is baby, work, baby, homework, and baby. Sleep ocassionally works its way in there. And Shehan, of course. :)

I won't apologize for this but I'll warn: this post is a photo overload.

We had some Easter photos taken about a week before Easter. A local photo studio had a super cheap option and I couldn't resist:

 

 

 

 

 As seems to be my tradition now, here is a month's worth of Istagram:

Milestones: Essie laughs! I don't mean her funny little gasps but full-blown laughter. It's a riot. She's also begun to walk backwards when we hold her. Shehan and I think it's hilarious. She found her feet last week and grabs them at every opportunity. She's eating like a growing monster and I'm excited to find out how much she weighs at the doctor on Monday.

Daddy loves: her fat little tummy, when she walks backwards

Mommy loves: her self soothing "aah aah aah" noises, her giggles, her giant gummy smiles!

Doggies love: all the exciting smells she makes ;) (Clare doesn't love the way Essie grabs her fur now but they'll get used to it)

Esme loves: baths, Sophie the Giraffe, the humidifier, milk!, being outside, playing with her aunties

Esme's Blessing Day

Our beautiful baby girl was given a name and a blessing by her daddy today. The name she was given is Maas Esmeline Beverly Jaro.

I've never heard so sweet a blessing from a father to his baby. Shehan spoke as if he'd known Esme her entire life, well into adulthood, rather than just the short time she's been here on Earth. My favorite parts of his blessing to her, in which he expressed his hopes for her, was that she might be kind and compassionate to those around her. The last thing he blessed her with was that she might be happy and seek joy all around her.

It put me in tears and I'm happy to say she didn't make a peep during it, though afterward she was pretty grouchy. :)

 Her dress was store bought but her lace headband was made by me, the pretty little sash made by my dear friend Mary Rino (a wildly talented seamstress who made my sister's wedding dress too). The sash can be used for all of Esme's future life events too and I'm thrilled to pieces that this heirloom will be around forever. The final touch was the gold and diamond necklace sent by Shehan's parents.

Essie liked her dress and was playing with it all day. :) It was a perfect day - with a huge amount of family and friends who came to support our tiny baby. I'm so grateful for our little family and wouldn't change a thing.

This night

Dear darling Esmeline,

Tomorrow is your blessing day. I waited for a long time to get you blessed because I am terrified of you getting sick. But you've proven to be strong - in will and in health - and I'm so excited for your special day with Daddy tomorrow.

Today you're 3 months old and when you woke this morning and smiled as big as you could at me I had to breathe deeply to avoid a flow of happy tears. You're so sweet and so big now. You're happy as a clam and I love that, for now, I'm your favorite person. Someday not too far in the future I'm sure you'll prefer your daddy but right now you love to snuggle with me all day every day and I'll take it.

This night, this cold (but warming) March night I put you to bed in your bassinet and you were so soundly asleep I had to check your breathing. I kissed your dark hair - so different from mine - and thanked Heavenly Father for your sweetness and the gift that is you.

I'm excited for your blessing tomorrow. Daddy has been preparing for it for some time and I'm sure once he holds you and looks into your beautiful face the words will come. Besides that I'm terribly excited for you to wear your dress I searched high and low for. :)

Until tomorrow baby girl,

Love Mommy

3 months!

Grad School - Almost done

I'm convinced my baby girl is the most beautiful child on this planet. I feel so lucky to be her mama.

I spent the first week of her life completing my comprehensive exams (required to finish grad school) of which the grade is either pass or fail. It was a heart wrenching week and I cried night and day over missing my newborn baby and the stress of it all. I couldn't have gotten through it without my mother and sisters keeping vigil at my home - making sure my baby was held and my schoolwork was finished.

Last week I was informed I passed each of those exams. Hallelujah.

I only have about 8 weeks left of grad school and I'll have my Masters of Health Promotion and Education from the University of Utah. I can do this. I know it'll be worth it and my sweet girl will be proud to have a mama who worked so hard at school. Couldn't have done this without my beloved husband, either. Without whom, my sweet baby wouldn't be.