8 months (and some random stuff)

This little turkey is 8 months old!!  She has been such a joy and blessing to me and B!!  It's hard to imagine our lives before this spunky little thing happened to us!!  She has been a awesome baby and continues to roll with whatever we throw at her!  

She went to her first Auburn game this month and did great!  We have headphones to muffle the noise and after a few minutes of them on, she cautiously pulled at one side and held it off of her ear.  After a few minutes, she pulled the whole thing off and didn't want it back on!  Around halftime she started "yelling" as well and would throw her arms up for touchdown when prompted.  So, I think in general, she likes football!

My increased time at home and wi her has been well spent this month!  She is prepping us for toddlerhood as she is already trying to get into everything, despite her inability to really move on her own!  I believe crawling is coming as she goes from sitting to hands and knees pretty easily now, and is somewhat successfully going from belly to sitting (sometimes she ends up just rolling around as she misjudged her actions).  If she gets close to something reachable, she will pull up to her knees and continue to try to get on her feet...we are going to be in trouble!!  The most she moves right now is backwards when she attempts to crawl (she gets pretty frustrated when this happens) and she rolls around a ton!  I would say one of her favorite things is the jumperoo- she will jump for 20-30 minutes straight if she's really into it!

The biggest thing for this girlie is the emergence of teeth!! Last weekend, we felt the leading edge of a tooth and a couple of days later the other one was well on its way too! At times, she acts like there may be more trying to nudge through, but I've seen no evidence of them yet.  She been a trooper too! A little clingy, but not really that fussy.  She will constantly rub her tongue across those teeth and sometimes get this really confused look like she can't get food out of her mouth!  Other times I'll hear her smacking her mouth really loudly as if she's trying to chew her teeth up!  Poor thing can't figure out what's going on!

A few other things of note, she will wave hello (and at times sound like she is trying to say hi), she will put her hands up for touchdown, she will "bark" at the dogs and still tries to feed them her food, she babbles a fair amount (b,d, g, m, and l sounds so far- some more than others), she loves playing with the dogs and they are particularly gentle with her when taking a toy away, she LOVES puffs and is starting to only want to feed herself, she will still eat most anything I offer her (ie- beets and cottage cheese, zucchini has become a favorite too!), she still isn't a fan of the sippy cup but we keep trying.  We continue to try to do some sign language but nothing seems to be sticking yet.  She is still in 6-9mo clothing, size 3 diaper, 3 meals a day and 4 bottles, 3 naps, and bedtime around 7:30-8.

7 months (!!)

We are officially past the half year mark and moving ever closer to that first birthday! For some reason, this month, that has been more apparent to me...there are glimpses of toddlerhood in this child and I'm slightly dreading it (for many many reasons)!!  Thankfully there are still many things that have to happen before we get there and I will be soaking up every moment!!

This past month for us was actually really nice.  My work schedule changed (for the better) and life seems a little less stressful and hectic which is HUGE!  This little girl seems to enjoy the changes as well!  Although, she is quite the flexible child so long as she is fed and entertained!  One of the toughest things lately has been the beginnings of "attachment" issues, for lack of a better term.  She generally goes to other people fine for a short period of time, but then she is looking for me (except at daycare where she is too wrapped up watching the other kids and playing).  And many times at home, she will get panicked and upset if left in a room by herself for more than a few minutes.  I think some of this will change once she realizes how to move...then I will have a shadow!

Thankfully, E appears to be wanting to chew!  Despite her lack of teeth, she will chew really soft baked sweet potatoes and seems somewhat successful with apples today!  This excites me so much as I will be able to pack the blender up soon!  I will still coarsely purée some of her foods, but the soft mashable stuff will be cubed! Woohoo!! She has also explored some new flavors and seems quite taken with cinnamon (in her oatmeal, apples, and sweet potatoes), nutmeg (in pears), and I've let her taste basil, mint and ginger while I've been cooking- all of which she seemed to like!  She's also doing a TON better at successfully getting food into her mouth on her own! 

No real stats this month and nothing has hugely changed about her schedule.  She has had huge struggles with daytime napping but some of that has gotten better with my schedule change.  I'm thinking once she starts moving she will be too worn out to resist!  Every once in a while she can't handle staying awake as it is😉  She surely seems like she is going to be quite a rascal, but we are definitely enjoying watching her make connections and learn new things!!

6 months

This little nugget is 6 months old!  I can't believe how much she has grown!!  She is doing new things daily and is turning into quite the ham!  She can sit on her own (just started out of no where this past weekend), she is discovering her tongue, loves watching the dogs and finds them quite funny!!  She is eating 3 "meals" a day and loving it!  She is not one to turn down a meal!  (She even likes to try to feed herself- read she cries when you take the spoon away from her! But she does get it in her mouth!). She has also started holding her own bottles😉

She is turning into quite the traveler as well.  She has made it to the beach this summer and this past month we made a trip to Decatur for cousins birthdays.  So long as she is fed, she seems to handle the car trips pretty well!

Her laughs are contagious and undoubtedly end up giving her hiccups!  She also has some moments where she has quite the attitude flare up!😳. She is definitely learning how to tell us when she is unhappy!

Weight 15lb4oz

Height 25"

Diet- 3 meals of baby food and 4 bottles

Favorites- peas, the dogs, sitting up, spitting (making raspberries)

Dislikes- the snot sucker (I mean who doesn't hate this), being dressed (as most kids she would rather be naked)

Catch-up

So, clearly life got a lot crazier after I went back to work in April!  We are closing in on having a 6 month old!!  Craziness!!  

This kiddo has brought so much joy and laughter to this house!  The last 3 months have shown a blossoming personality that is so fascinating and hilarious!  Her 3rd and 4th months went by so fast and she started really interacting a lot more.  Her 5th month has been even more interactive as she starts trying to move and get what she wants!

She is noticeably ticklish on her feet and neck, loves it when the dogs walk up to her but will turn her head quickly if they try to lick her face, she rolls from front to back and back to front, she attempts to army crawl and seems to be on the verge of moving, she blows raspberries (seemingly when she wants attention or is frustrated), she is eating some sort of food three times a day (favorite food so far seems to be peas of all things), and she is working on her sitting skills.

It is really pretty amazing to watch things click for her.  She has noticed the dogs for a while, but only recently have their antics actually made her laugh.  She has observed us doing many things (like spinning a toy) and then figures out one day how to do it herself.  I am soaking up these days as every time I turn around something else has changed! 

She has stayed fairly consistent with her weight gain and growth (as of her 4 month appointment) and continues to be pretty on target for outgrowing her clothes!  I have the hardest time packing up outgrown clothes for some reason!  Although, there are some outfits that I am excited to see her in this fall!!

We went to visit family in May over Memorial Day weekend and had lots of fun!  The cousins couldn't seem to quite get enough baby time and we had quite an interesting anatomy lesson by a 3 year old!!  This was the first decent road trip we planned and it seemingly went off without a hitch, and we didn't even pack the kitchen sink!

We had a family vacation to the beach in June and she had quite the time!  Boat rides, sand, and ocean...she didn't quite know what to do!  Honestly, initially I think she wasn't a huge fan (life jacket required on the boat, sunscreen was like torture for her, and the ocean seemed to scare her initially), but by the end of the week she settled into it and seemed to enjoy laying on a beach chair with her bottle!

Looking forward to this sweet girls half birthday in 2 weeks!

2 months old!

This kid is growing too fast!  She has passed the 2 month mark and continues to eat like a champ and grow like a weed, despite having a bad run in with RSV and now reflux.  She is interacting a lot more with us and her surroundings.  She loves her play mat and bouncy seat.  She is learning pretty well how to let us know when she doesn't like something!  She also has the sweetest smile! We are seeing a lot more of that smile regularly!

I will be returning to work in about a week, so we are in transition mode as we prep her and us.  It will be interesting to see how it all goes to say the least!  We've been working at having her on more of a schedule and breaking the swaddle since she will be in daycare.  Now that we are getting a better grip on the tummy issues, I hope this becomes a little easier!

By the looks of her you wouldn't tell, but her 2nd month started out pretty rough!  She had RSV and was attached to a nebulizer machine for almost 2 weeks (every 4 hours most of that time).  Blessedly she responded well and she was spared some of the complications.  She did have some pretty worried parents though and a couple of pretty pitiful weeks!!  Once she started feeling better, the medication made her one jittery mess!  So needless to say, we did a little happy dance when we were able to finally stop treatments!  After that run in, we hibernated for a little bit waiting for that magical 8 week mark (and shots).

Weight- 9lb 7oz

Length- 22 3/4"

Food- the dairy farm called mom

Clothing- still 0-3 month but some are getting short! (Diaper size 1)

Favorite pastime- playing on the playmat and in her bouncy seat (blue monkey is her favorite), watching the sunlight move through the (though she is not a fan of actually being in the sun)

First month

It's hard to believe our little nugget is a month old!!  It has been a crazy month but a good month!  Steep learning curves for the parents and lots of tolerance for E! In general, she is quite a good baby and maybe a little spoiled!😉  She is quite a trooper and takes most everything we throw her way!  We have done a little traveling already to see great grandparents and she handled it like a pro!  She has also tagged along to a couple of restaurants when mom and dad have gotten too stir crazy!  And amazingly, the dogs don't seem to bother her much at all!  They bark and lick her and she rarely even flinches!

She is more conciously smiling at us (when we make utter fools of ourselves).  She has let a few coo's out this past week too.  She still sleeps the majority of the day, but this past week she has had slightly more awake times and is more focused on her surroundings.  She seems to like tummy time and does not seem to like being left alone (she's a big fan of baby wearing).

This last month has been one of the most rewarding times of my life.  It has been pretty awesome watching the gradual transformation from newborn to more infant-like.  Yes, there are sleepless nights.  Yes, the growth spurt week felt like I constantly had a baby attached to me...but then I realized some little girl was not fitting in her newborn clothes anymore!  And goodness, this kid can run you out of the room!  (It's actually really funny, I had assured Brian that nursing baby diapers weren't nearly as bad smelling as he was thinking...well, shes's surprised me!)

A couple of stats for my own sake- (pregnancy brain extends beyond the pregnancy people):

Weight- 9lb 7.5oz

Length- 22 inches

Clothing- all 0-3 months (in the last couple of days! Still NB diapers but about to bump up to size 1)

Food- eating every 2-3 hours from 6am to 9pm, then generally every 4 hours overnight (still no set schedule per se, but we do generally go to bed around 10 and get up between 6-8)

Favorite pastime- peeing on mommy during diaper changes (this has ONLY happened to me so far!)

The Great Hair Exodus

Okay, so everyone knows that during pregnancy and postpartum a woman's hormones are going crazy! Up, down, cycling around and around...and this causes all sorts of body changes (not to mention to help sustain the pregnancy and grow a person, then help you feed said person).  I was pretty aware of the hormone changes and their potential effect on my body during pregnancy.  Some of the effects I didn't see until after birth and some a realized before...like the linea nigra, so didn't notice that until after my belly deflated (and I actively looked for that because the possibility weirded me out)!  

But one of the biggest indicators of these hormone shifts has been my hair.  Thick and lush during pregnancy, plenty to pull up and style, I mean a serious amount of hair.  Now, it commonly seems like all of my hair is trying to abandon ship at the same time! I could probably save the falling hair and make a wig for when I am completely bald!!  No, really, all exaggeration aside, I knew this would happen, but there is no preparing yourself for those first few sleep deprived showers that end with a huge wad of hair in the drain! (And the continued loss even weeks out!)

Otherwise, the hormone shifts are pretty amazing...I mean, you grow a person on the front end and then everything jumps into gear to sustain and provide nutrients for this tiny person.  Some of my own body reactions have surprised me and made me laugh to an extent.