2.5 Month Candids

Daddy & Daughter Face

I just LOVE this Face!

:-)

Aww...

Chillin' with Daddy

Sloane's "O" Face

Smiles for Mommy

Laughs for Mommy

Hahaha!!!

Still not sleepy...

That was a GREAT midnight snack!

Awww Mommy do I have to go to sleep?!?

A Daughter's Love

Nickie & Daddy 1973

Sloane & Daddy 2012

If you know me, you know that I am Charley Branch's daughter. Yes, I am a self professed Daddy's girl. My father always said that it takes a real man to raise a daughter; a woman.

I only had my Father on this earth for 20 years. This June will mark 19 years that I have lived without him on this earth. I think of him everyday, several times a day, and with the birth of my daughter Sloane I think of him even more. I know that he would have been so honored to be her Grandfather.

I have always believed that we as women choose the men in our lives to love based on the the first man we fell in love with and who loved us, our Father's. I was my Father's Princess.  He said that the best gift my Mother gave him was me. He made me feel that way until he took his last breath on June 8, 1994. I am the legacy of Charley Branch and I don't take that lightly.

My husband and I both lost our Father's at the age of 20. My husband and I both wonder what life would be like if our Father's were still living...We imagine it would be different.

It is very important to the both of us that Sloane has the Father/Daughter relationship that I had with my Father with her Father, but even better. My Father was a very kind, loving and strong man. He was not afraid to share his emotions with me wether it be through tears, poems, music and especially through conversations. I share the stories of my Father with my husband becauseI want to make sure he and Sloane have that special bond that no person, place or thing can break.

Now, I am my Husband's Queen and Sloane is his Princess.

It warms my spirit and soul when I see my husband look into our daughter's eyes and tell her how much he loves her. Tells her she is beautiful. Tells her she is special. Tells her she is smart. Tells her that she is a gift from God. However, what really makes me fall in love with him over and over again is his desire and mission to not only "tell" our daughter that she is loved, beautiful, special, smart, God's gift, but to SHOW her through his actions.

I am pleased to say that Sloane is definitely her Mother's child. Sloane Sophia Sharp is a Daddy's Girl...

Charley's Princess

Ashley's Princess

Forever I am...Sloane’s Mommy

To Pacify or Not Pacify

As a new Mom you only want the best for your baby. Simple, right? Well yes, and no. There are so many family members, friends, books, doctors, midwives, etc., ready and willing to give their solicited and YES unsolicited advice on a plethora of topics when it comes to raising a happy and healthy child.

During my pregnancy I read different books, viewed websites and yes I did ask "certain" family members and friends their advice on a few things. One of them being using a pacifier. We hadn't really given it much thought, but I was concerned because I knew I was going to exclusively breastfeed Sloane. I wanted to make sure if I was going to use a pacifier I used the correct one for a breastfed baby. I narrowed it down to two brands: the Gumdrop and the Soothie.

Both are recommended for breastfed babies, used in most hospitals in the states as well as here in Australia. I registered for the Gumdrop pacifier and didn't think anything of it after that, until I had Sloane. I didn't want her to have a pacifier in her mouth. Neither did my husband. One of the things I do not like to see on babies are bibs (though I know they are necessary during eating and teething) and pacifiers. I just don't!

So after discussing it with my midwife we decided that Sloane would not use a pacifier to soothe herself. She can suck on her fingers. After all, we will never loose her fingers! We did not want to be parents who had pacifiers all around the house, or the parents whose child only wants a "certain" pacifier to soothe themselves for whatever reason.

I'm not judging parents who utilize pacifiers for their children, we have just decided not to do so with our daughter. My friend Mariel J. who is a Speech and Language Pathologist  gave me a book entitled Beyond Baby Talk, and she also informed me that pacifiers can deter language/speech development, but so can sucking on the fingers. Our hope and thought is that Sloane will not be a finger/thumb sucking child because we will be able to soothe her during her time of discomfort, and that begins now.

I'm sure there are "seasoned" parents out there who will disagree, laugh, say "Good luck with that Team Sharp!" or "Ahh...New parents". Yep, we are "Newbies" and we will learn and stumble like all parents.

So Team Sharp has decided to not pacify with a plastic object but allow Sloane to be comforted by Sloane, and her Parents...

Forever I am...Sloane’s Mommy

Joyeux Mardi Gras!

Happy Mardi Gras!

Sloane is pictured here in her onsie "My First Mardi Gras" with her Zulu bead and coconuts from last year thanks to my BF since high school Nicole M. 

So you ask what is Zulu? Why are there painted coconuts? Well check out the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club to find out about the BEST parade on Mardi Gras Day!

I quote the famous American author Mark Twain:

"It has been said that a Scotchman has not seen the world until he has seen Edinburgh; and I think that I may say that an American has not seen the United States until he has seen Mardi Gras in 

New Orleans."

Forever I am...Sloane’s Mommy

Happy Lundi Gras!

Happy Lundi Gras!

Well we didn't make it to Mardi Gras again this year as planned. However, Team Sharp will be home in Nola for Mardi Gras next year! Trust! First Mardi Gras for Sloane and Daddy! Good times will be had by ALL! 

Sloane is wearing a onsie that says "My Parents Found Me in a King Cake". 

For those of you who do not have Louisiana Roots please click above to learn more.

Laissez le bon temps rouler!

Forever I am...Sloane’s Mommy

A Day with Sloane

During one of my many 3:00 a.m. feedings with Sloane I came up with the idea of documenting a day in her 2 month life via photos. So here we Geaux!

The Princess Sloane is almost awake...

Biiiiggg Stretch!

One last stretch...

Ok Mommy. I'm ready! With a Smile =)

Time to get changed for the Day!

First book of the day

Hello Camera!

Second book of the day

Yay! My favorite mat!

She loves to look at herself in the cow mirror

It's tummy time!

Whoa! Don't go over the edge baby girl!

Sitting up on my little forearms

If I could just reach my Sophie Giraffe!

Prop Time

I don't really enjoy sitting like this :/

Whew! That was a busy morning! Nap time :-)

There you have it! A day, or rather morning, in the life of Sloane Sophia! Are you as exhausted as Sloane and Mommy? Mornings like these are great and a challenge at the same. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Forever I am...Sloane’s Mommy