Bath Time

Maya gets sponge baths every day, but on Saturdays she gets a real bath. We setup our bath station in the kitchen sink and the little angel gets a full immersion bath. When we first started our immersion baths Maya was very skittish and would wiggle a lot, but she has now come to really enjoy her baths. I think Maya will turn out to be a water baby. Once the bath water has been checked, Maya is immersed and with a measuring cup, I pour some water over her head. She is really brave about water dripping into her eyes. Once all the nooks and crannies are washed, it's time to turn over and pour warm water over the back. Maya loves it when her stomach touches the water - it's almost like she's swimming. After washing all the soap off, we wrap up really warm and cuddly and are off to the changing station. Bath time is so much fun!

Maya's First Visit to the North Pole

The Smiths in the Xmas Spirit











Maya, all bundled up and ready to face the cold.











Mummy and Maya at the North Pole











Mummy showing off her snow bunny.











The Smith Family meets Santa Claus







For Maya Rose, the North Pole was located at Travel Town in Burbank. Brad surprised us with a nightime rendevous with none other than Mr. Claus. After a very successful physical therapy appointment, we piled into our trusty Corolla and braved Friday night traffic. Once we got to Travel Town, we piled into a train that took us to the North Pole. On the way we saw lots of reindeer, candy canes, snowmen, and lots and lots of fairy lights. It was 49 degrees so Maya was bundled up in her snow bunny outfit and wrapped in a warm blanket.
After standing in line and feeding, Maya had the energy to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what she wanted for Christmas...wonder what she asked for. Her first visit with Santa was a success and even Santa commented on what a beautiful child she was. The people in line were also taken aback by her beauty...do I sound like a proud Mum or what? After our visit with Santa we took a return train ride back to our car and onto another adventure...Sebastians.

Santa Has a New Elf

Santa Claus recruited a beautiful little elf named Maya Rose. She has a button nose, rosebud lips, three chins, rosy cheeks, a thick head of hair, and chubby arms and legs. At seven weeks this elf is now responding to our voices with giggles and smiles. Maya has a swing that keeps her busy for hours. As she swings back and forth watching the mobile overhead, she listens to what sounds like church music. This swing allows her Mummy and Daddy to eat dinner and watch TV in peace. This swing hypnotizes the little elf and sends her into slumber. Maya is now very animated, laughing when tickled and giggling away at her reflection. Her sleep patterns are getting more consistent and she has increased the amount of milk she has. The eating and resting is a good thing since Santa is going to depend on little Maya these next few days as he races around the world.

Shopping for Maya

Well, this year, Christmas shopping has taken on a whole new dimension. It's been difficult getting to the stores, but thanks to Grandma Betty, I have been able to get quite a bit done. I usually do my shopping through the year as I see things that people may like and try to get everything wrapped way before December 20th. Having just met Maya seven weeks ago, I am now getting an idea of what she will like. The problem with this is that I am reliving my entire childhood through her. My shopping cart has been piled with dolls, a doll house, a radio flyer wagon, a kitchen set, shoes, clothes for a toddler, and all sorts of ridiculous stuff. Thank goodness my brain restarted itself and helped me rationalize the situation and put the stuff back on shelves. Instead, I settled for some rattles, books, lots of cute infant onesies, a red velvet dress with shoes to match, a porcelain ballerina pig piggy bank, and some learning toys.
Thanks to our good fortune this year, Maya will be blessed with a household full of love, warmth, grandparents, family, friends, and a few extra items under the Christmas tree.