Grandma's Roses

Dear Junebug,

There are a lot of wonderful things you'll learn from your Grandma Helene (my Mommy).  But one thing she taught me that was invaluable to my life is how to garden.   I hope you'll learn to love gardening too.  Grandma has an amazing garden and amongst all the greatness there are roses that will take your breath away.  We hope she brings more of her roses over for you.

XO

Mommy

Mommy Tips: Can I state the obvious?

OK... Can we just discuss how it's possible we had lives before Tar-jais?  It's the best. store. ever.  They truly have it all and cheap!  Check out the cute little Circo dress - $5.00!  Little pink leather shoes - $10... Adorable bib $2.00! And all the best products including Burt's Bees, California Baby, Mendela, etc.  And by the way, if you are on maternity leave go to Target during the week while everyone is at work, OMG... people actually work there and help you!  I felt like I had my own personal shopper up in there.  Love it.

Cherry Bomb!

Dear Junebug,

Somehow I think your stylist would approve... (www.target.com)

XO

Mommy

Mommy Tips: How to introduce baby to the dog

Our dog, Lola,  is everything to us and it was so crucial that she fall in love with this baby and accept her into the family.  We sought out the advice of everyone and we think we found the best way to deal with it.  Go out and buy two cheap-o receiving blankets and two little hats (www.target.com).  Right when the baby is born, wrap the baby in one of the blankets and put on the hat.  Those articles will get the strongest baby smell possible and some other bodily fluids.  We brought those home and put them in Lola's bed so she could sleep with them.  Then we did the same with the second blanket on day two.  When we finally brought June home, we let the dog out into the courtyard, let her smell her (now a familiar smell) on neutral territory; THEN we all walked into the house together.  It is very important not to bring the baby in the house when the dog is still in "guarding the house mode".  Also do not change the dog's routine and we ask all visitors when they come over to acknowledge dog before baby.  Most importantly, don't forget to smother your dog with love and affection!  Dog and baby are very happy.

A One-zy Frenzy!

Dear Junebug,

You are very fortunate to have some incredibly talented friends... Alison Sudol aka A Fine Frenzy made this onesie just for you.  And by the way, it's not just her art skills that should impress you, her music is divine!  You will be hearing it ALOT in the nursery.  Maybe someday she'll make a lullaby album - that would be fantastic.

(www.afinefrenzy.com)

XO

Mommy

Kissin' First Cousins...

Dear Junebug,

There are two very important little girls in your life.  Your two first cousins, Ridley and Guiliana.  Guiliana lives in Costa Rica and you will meet her very soon but last Sunday was a very special day because your big cousin Ridley came to see you.  She even made you a special present which is so beautiful and artistic, it should be framed and hung at the MOCA! I'm obsessed with it!  I know you want to wear it but it's just too nice and now lives in a ziploc bag until we can have it framed.  Oh and by the way - Ridley named your horse, Spirit, and I hope you don't mind that she comes over and rides him whenever she can.

XO

Mommy

Mommy Tips: What do you mean I'm tongue tied?!

June was born with a "tongue tie".  It's basically a little piece of skin under the tongue that prevented her from sticking out her tongue all the way.  She had sort of a "snake tongue" although we liked to call it a "heart shaped tongue" which made it difficult for her to nurse... Anyway - yesterday we took her to a great pediatric dentist and within 5 minutes, he clipped the piece of skin and we were on our way.  June was a trooper, I left the room.  No anesthesia necessary and she didn't even cry.  Here she is in the dentist chair for the first time. 

(Dr. Bernie Gross, Westside Pediatric Dental Group - 310/451-5748)

BUNNIES!

Bunnies rule! Thank you to our friend Ken Phillips for the cutie bunny slippers and June's second cousins Danny and Karla for the little sockies... XO

Mommy Tips: Kissy Kissy

Kissy Kissy clothes are so cute and so soft.  You can find them in a lot of places including Neiman Marcus (www.neimanmarcus.com) or The Juvenile Shop (www.thejuvenileshop.com).  June loves them!  This cute little outfit was courtesy of our friend Stephanie Sacco.  Thank you Steph!

Watermelon Surprise!

Dear Junebug,

So I have good news and then I have better news... Our friend Katy wants to be your stylist.  The better news is that as you can see from the picture below, she has very cute style and likes to dress up like fruit.  By the looks of her blog entry from April 18th  she wants to dress you up like a watermelon too! HOORAY!

best purchase of the week.

I’m not having a baby anytime soon… but i know my friend is in labor at present so thank GOD i came across this awesomeness. I’m excited for when i do have little kittens though, they will be dressed in awesomeness like this every. day. yessss. 

(http://katyperryblog.tumblr.com/post/97549239/best-purchase-of-the-week-im-not-having-a-baby)

XO

Mommy

Diamonds are a girl's best friend...

Dear Junebug,

You were six days old and you received your first diamond ring... not bad.  If you are good, I might let you wear it in a couple of months.  See the contents of the card below - you are one lucky girl!  

Dear June -

This belonged to your great grandfather.  May it be the first of many.

Love,

Aunt Barbara

April 24, 2009

GOLF!

Dear Junebug,

Attached is a photo of you, Lola and the Daddy in the TV room.  Get used to this picture.  Your Daddy likes to watch golf... a lot!  And when he's not watching it, he's playing it!  He eats, lives and breathes GOLF!  I used to get annoyed about the golf on TV because the tournaments are loooong... they go on for hours (crazy) but I finally realized that if you lay on the couch on a Sunday afternoon, open the french doors to get a nice breeze, golf on TV is the perfect soundtrack for an awesome nap.  So just indulge him and treat yourself like Mommy.  Oh, and by the way, whenever Tiger wins, he actually cries.  Yes.  Here is a picture of Daddy with his all time hero, Tiger Woods.

XO

Mommy

P.S. your Poppie is a cookoo bird for golf too... just warning you.

Completely Gratuitous!

I mean...

Mommy Tips: Baby Nurses Rock!

My #1 tip for new Moms - GET A BABY NURSE!  After spending 8 days in the hospital, I came home to an angel named Veronica who has expended endless amounts of energy on taking care of me and my baby.  She has helped me feed her, burp her, change her... she has cooked, cleaned, shopped for food and baby supplies, given me heavenly massages and kept me informed, educated and most important - showered!  Then every night at 7pm, the other angel, Piri comes and makes sure that June gets fed all night long.  She wakes me up, makes sure everything is going well and keeps things in order throughout the night.  She has even taught Daddy how to bottle feed and made sure he gets his bonding time too.  I don't care if you have to take out a second mortgage on your house to pay for it - it's worth it!  Although Piri tells me that there are many different price ranges and you should always look into it as these women care so much about babies they will work with people's budgets.  

Here is Veronica's website, check it out and tell all your friends:

http://www.babynurseanddoulaservices.com/

The scene of the crime...

Dear Junebug,

You've been home a week and we are definetely developing some habits and rituals... but can I just request we lose the projectile poopy every morning at 8am?  It went over 4 feet for goodness' sakes (we measured)!   I don't mind you pooping all over me but that poor little lamb on your changing table holding your pacifier has committed no crimes.

XO

Mommy

Meet the Grandparents...

Dear Junebug,

You are one lucky girl because you've got FIVE grandparents to love and spoil you rotten.  Here are some pictures of Gran and Grandma and Grandpa.  We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Poppie and Nana from Tucson.  I can't wait for you to meet them!

XO

Mommy

Just the STATS.

Name: June Alba Baehler

Born: April 18, 2009 at 11:26am

Weight: 5 lbs, 13 oz.

Length: 19.3 inches

Birthplace: UCLA Medical Center, Westwood, CA

Labor time: 17 hours

Sign: Aries

2AM Canine Surprise...

Dear Junebug,

As you now know, there was another baby in this house before you arrived... a baby way more spoiled than you.  Her name is Lola and she rules the house.  Somehow I don't think that will change.  The first night you were home, I got up to feed you at 2AM and when I returned to bed,  there she was... head on the pillow, curled up in a ball, ready for her turn to cuddle.  As tired as I was, I couldn't resist.  I'm afraid this has become a nightly ritual... sigh.

XO

Mommy 

Rumor Mill!

Dear Junebug,

You were only a couple of days old, and the gossip columns were buzzin'... well, not really like that! But, here's the first published item about your birth in our favorite music industry website, www.hitsdailydouble.com :

JUNE BUSTS OUT: Warmest congrats to one of our favorite people, EMI Music Publicity and Creative Services SVP Angelica Cob-Baehler and frequent I.B. Bad poker partner, scratch golfer and world-famous rock photographer Chapman Baehler, on the birth of beautiful daughter June Alba Baehler at UCLA Medical Centeron Saturday, weighing in at a robust 5 lb. 13 oz. after 17 hours of labor. Baby and Mom are doing fine, and Dad just pulled an inside straight. We bet someone "kissed a girl" and "liked it," and we don't mean Katy Perry. Well, at least Angelica won't give birth during that Depeche Mode concert on Hollywood Blvd. Check out the first approved trade shot of young June at left. (4/20a)

Welcome to the World, June Alba!

Dear Junebug,

Welcome!  Most people wait 9 months for a baby but your Daddy and I have been waiting almost 9 years.  You were conceived in our minds and in God's divine plan even before we were married and to say we are excited for you to finally enter the world would be the understatement of the century.  First of all, I want to say I'm sorry that our "birth plan" didn't quite go as we had hoped and discussed.  I certainly never intended on your entrance into this world to involve your Mommy having a kidney infection with 103 fever, you being induced into labor, epidurals and drugs, 17 hours of labor, that horrible little suction cup on your head as you were coming out, blood test after blood test to make sure Mommy didn't give you any of her nasty ailments and a case of jaundice that kept you in the hospital having to sleep in an X-Files looking blue light box for an extra two days.  

But if there is anything we've learned in the last week of being here at the hospital is that God did have a plan for you and this was all a part of it.  As you get older, I want you to always know that although we want life to go the way we want it to go, that doesn't always happen.  It's important to be grateful for the way life is.  Live this life one day at a time and always know that you are a child of the most high God, a Princess born to be great.   

You are the most beautiful creature I've ever seen in my life and I am absolutely in love with you.  I am so proud of you just for breathing.

XO

Mommy