12.05.2014

Month Twelve

Such a busy month! You underwent the tube procedure, moved into the one year old room and prepared for your first birthday party. 

Sleep: Once the tubes were put in your sleeping went back to normal. It's been amazing. You also started napping in the new room! You take an hour to two hour nap each day. Woo hoo for a much better schedule during the day!

Clothes and Diapers, etc: You have moved into 12 month clothing and remain in size 3 diapers.

Medical: We decided to move forward with the tubes procedure to avoid any damage to your ear drums. The procedure was very quick and you were crazy cranky when you came out from anesthesia, which is normal. Two more of your teeth popped up this month as well.

Food: You officially eat whatever we eat, within reason. You also moved to whole milk a little after 11 months. I preferred you have organic milk instead of formula. After a few days, the transition was complete. After being in your new class for about 2 weeks you became a pro and mastered the sippy cup.
 
Stats: You are a petite doll weighing 19 lbs 9 oz. You are are 28.7 inches tall and your head measured 43.4 cm. Small stats all around!

Development/Mannerisms:You're new thing is pointing. Your dad and you love to point at each other. You also started sharing and will bring me things like a ball. At school you learn new songs and love "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." Your vocabulary has picked up (most likely since you can hear now) and you like to say "no", "nose" and "hi."

Appearance: Your hair has turned blonder and must be put up in a high pony or it is a hot mess. Your eyes are still a gorgeous blue and you have better lashes than I do. Your toe and finger nails are sharp and always out of control.

Likes:
Mom
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Eating - food hoarder

Dislikes:
Pretty content these days

All About Mom:
No more pumping or nursing!!!!! Although I loved the bond with my baby, the free time and not having to prepare bottles on a nightly basis is amazing.

Month Eleven

Such a big month! We found out you were moving up to the one year old room a bit early due to your walking and table food consumption. You also received your first bite from school. Apparently you had a toy that your friend wanted so she bit you. Sounds reasonable to me. 

Sleep: You had some bad nights where you could not get comfortable. So bad that we even resorted to co-sleeping which does not work for anyone except you. Even then, it still didn't really work for you. On the few nights where we had to do this you would grunt and flip around. It turns out that the never ending ear infection was to blame.

Clothes and Diapers, etc: You are still in size 6-9 clothing and size 3 diapers.

Bath: You love Splishy Splashy time with your daddy.

Medical: Blasted ear infections. It kept returning (or never fully going away). After many (like four) rounds of medicine, we had to give you shots to fight the infection. For three days you had to go to the pediatricians office to get a shot. We also were referred to an ENT to discuss the option of tubes. You also may have had Fifths Disease and did have a nasty cold. Cheers for building up the immune system!

Food: I still nurse and pump for you, but am having to give formula more and more. You are only on table food and do so well. You are an amazing eater and will eat anything and everything.
 
Stats: No measurements for this month.

Development/Mannerisms: Such a big month! You started learning the word "no." When I said it you thought it was hilarious and would giggle. Then dad would say it and you would cry. A sign of what to look forward to? You began to walk more and more. You can take 5-7 steps before falling. Also, you are very vocal and make a ton of noise. You will say "dada" and occasionally "mama," but haven't put together many words yet. No worries, your focus seems to be on walking. You were a bit more fussy this month. I'm sure this also had something to do with the constant ear infections. If we (your dad and I) walked away you would fuss and cry. Dramatic. We have also started pushing the sippy cup more since that's all you will get in the new room at school.

Appearance: Your hair has turned blonder and must be put up in a high pony or it is a hot mess. Your eyes are still a gorgeous blue and you have better lashes than I do. Your toe and finger nails are sharp and always out of control.

Likes:
Blowing Kisses
Moo Moo (cow figurine)


Dislikes:
Being left alone

All About Mom:
I've got nothing.


Month Ten



Sleep: Still a delicious sleeper!

Clothes and Diapers, etc: You are still in size 6-9 clothing and size 3 diapers.

Bath: You love Splishy Splashy time with your daddy.

Medical: All we have done is fight the ear infection that doesn't go away! We've been on a couple of rounds of antibiotics and it helps, but never goes away. You have a total of four teeth! Your top two and bottom two are now in, which is great. Apparently once you get past those four the others are okay until the molars come in. 

Food: You primarily get mommy's milk, but occasionally have formula due to supply issues. You get 2 bottles at school that are around 7 oz each (hopefully). We also started giving you more table food. I gave school permission to give you fruits and veggies from their menu so they started you on more "solid" food. It made sense since I am super paranoid that you would choke.
 
Stats: You weigh 19 lbs 5 oz and are 28 inches tall. Your head measured at 42.9 cm. Still a petite girl!

Development/Mannerisms: You started standing alone for a few seconds before you hit the ground. Next, you were walking with the help of adult hands or the couch. You finally took your first steps to your daddy! Now you love moving with your walker, but we have to pay attention because that sucker goes fast and you aren't quite there yet. You also began to wave which thrills the family members who we facetime with. When you read this will you even know what facetime is? Because you have teeth you sometime like to bite. It's rare, but has happened.

Appearance: Your hair has turned blonder and must be put up in a high pony or it is a hot mess. Your eyes are still a gorgeous blue and you have better lashes than I do. Your toe and finger nails are sharp and always out of control.

Likes:
Splishy Splashy
Walking
Waving

Dislikes:
Getting ready for bed
Ear Infections

All About Mom:
- It's a shame I don't keep notes on myself. :)

11.07.2014

Month Nine

This was a month of many firsts. You rocked the cutest 4th of July outfit and your grandparents came to visit for the Holiday. Your father also shot fireworks off outside of your bedroom and I almost killed him.

Sleep: You my darling, are back to sleeping through the night with an occasional waking. I have also started singing/humming Silent Night to you as we rock. I have no idea why (aside from the fact that I love Christmas), but you seem to love it.

Clothes and Diapers, etc: You are still in size 6-9 clothing and size 3 diapers.

Bath: You love Splishy Splashy time and we have finally removed the baby seat so you can sit in the tub on your own. Your father continues to bathe you as it still stresses me out. 

Medical: It only took 9 months, but you were finally diagnosed with your first ear infection. You showed zero signs as you were still cheerful and ate well. However, you had a fever one night so we took you in. Thankfully, it was only in one ear and explains your occasional waking during the night. Chomp! Chomp! Your first tooth finally popped out (your bottom right) as well. This month was also your first "black eye." Apparently you dove face first for a toy at school and wound up with a bruise under your eye.

Food: We went back to nursing after formula so you are still on mommy's milk. During our nursing sessions you have started moving around a lot and nurse in the weirdest positions. Maybe because your ear was bothering you? You get 2 bottles at school that are around 7 oz each. I usually send two solids for you to have during the day as well.
 
Stats: You weigh 18 lbs 6 oz and are 27.2 inches tall. Your head measured at 42.4 cm. You are a petite girl!

Development/Mannerisms: All you do is crawl and love to push yourself up to a standing position. We started using a highchair when we go out to eat. It has gone very well and you love people watching. I personally love our high chair/grocery cart cover! You started clapping mommy's hands, but one day when I walked in to pick you up from school you started clapping for me. Ha! Recently you have shown much more interest in playing with your toys which is great because you are easily entertained.

Appearance: Your hair is still a light brown color and you have enough to rock some serious high ponies! Your eyes are still a gorgeous blue and you have better lashes than I do. Your toe and finger nails are sharp and always out of control.

Likes:
Splishy Splashy
Sitting in a high chair
Clapping
Foos
Climbing on people

Dislikes:
Getting ready for bed

All About Mom:
- It's a shame I don't keep notes on myself. :)

9.12.2014

Month Eight

Only one month later!!! I lied - I started it a month late and have now finished it 2 months later. Sigh. This month you had your first long car ride (5 hours) and trip out of town (to a place that was not Atlanta).

Sleep: Agh. There was a rough patch where you were waking up twice a night, which I blame on teething. Absolute craziness. You also set a record at school with a total time of 20 minutes napping ALL day. Thank goodness you do not get too fussy. Your crib at school was in the center of the room where all the action was so I spoke with your teachers and they moved you to a crib in the corner. So far it has helped. 

Clothes and Diapers, etc: You are still in size 6-9 clothing and size 3 diapers.

Bath: Bath time has become a fun experience for you and your dad. Your daddy gives you about 99% of the baths now. We now refer to it as "Splishy Splashy" time and you love it! You enjoy splashing around and playing with your bath toys and I enjoy not having to stress over it.

Medical:  Unfortunately you have inherited your mother's awful skin and it is very sensitive. We think you have a bit of excema and cover you in Baby Aveno lotion after splishy splashy time. Equally awesome is the teething process and it appears that you have multiple teeth that may pop through at any time. Somewhere during this month you threw up for the first time. For those who do not know, babies throw up and basically pass out. It was quite scary watching you throw up all hunched over. Babies will become so lethargic during this and immediately after - it looks very scary. It was like you literally threw up all of your energy. We gave you a bit of Pedialite, continued to nurse and you were fine. The biggest medical adventure this month happened while we were out of town. On a trip for a close friend's wedding, I noticed that your hair band was missing one day. Your father and our friend LL thought I was crazy thinking that you swallowed it, but low and behold it passed two days later.

Food: You started off continuing to be EBF. I nursed you in the morning before work and in the evening before bed. Since we started incorporating solid foods into your meals we have cut back on the number of bottles a day. You get two 6 oz bottles at school and about 4 oz of solids. We also moved to size 3 nipples for your bottles. I puree food for you on the weekends and freeze it in ice cube trays. It makes it so much easier to grab and pack it. Unfortunately, I had to have surgery and my frozen milk stash was almost empty. Therefore, you had to have formula or starve. Prayerfully (literally I prayed that you would drink it with zero hesitation) you took it with no problem. Similac Advanced was the only kind we tried so we stuck with it. You were only formula feed for roughly 10 days as I was against nursing feeding you after the crazy medical cocktails I had been on.
 
Stats: I have no stats for this month.

Development/Mannerisms: You are a rolly poly and roll all over the place! At 32 weeks you started crawling while we were in Scottsboro, AL for a wedding. You also began pulling up some this month as well. One night when we were getting ready for bed you began babbling and starting saying "bababababa."

Appearance: Your hair is still a light brown color and you have enough to rock some serious high ponies! Your eyes are still a gorgeous blue and you have better lashes than I do. Your toe and finger nails are sharp and out of control.

Likes:
Exersaucer
Foos
Sophie

Dislikes:
Naps
Discomfort from swallowing hair bands

All About Mom:
- Still enjoying the new job and staying very busy!

- Went to the ER on Father's Day (Sunday)

- Had my gallbladder removed the following Thursday (apparently it can be common after pregnancy). I had been having some "attacks" and knew removal was in the future. However, I tried to put it off by monitoring my diet so I would have enough time to have milk on hand and because I was still very new to my job. Clearly with a trip to the ER things did not go as planned.

- Confession: I am very much an advocate for breast milk, but it was SO much easier to just give a bottle. I caught a glimpse into how much extra time I may have when I quit nursing. While I hate not being able to pick up, feed, and play with E for a few days, it was nice not having to be responsible and catching up on Lost.
8.02.2014

Month Seven

Still running behind on the blog.....Thank goodness for notes on my iPhone!

Sleep: You have been adjusting to a new schedule. Early start times for mom's job means an earlier bed and wake time for you. You are typically a good sleeper and if you wake during the night it is only once. If nap was a class at school, you would get a failing grade. You will nap decently at home, but we have to work for it.

Clothes and Diapers, etc: You are officially in size 6-9 clothing and size 3 diapers.

Bath: Since you are sitting up fairly well on your own we have removed your baby bath from the bath tub. It makes it somewhat easier on us, but still freaks me out.

Medical: You started off this month with a nasty cold and cough. The doctor gave you cough syrup which caused a lovely rash. Luckily, that disappeared quickly. I tried to clip your nails (we can add that to the list of things I hate) and I may have accidentally clipped your skin. You bled! You cried and I may have cried. I can't remember....Thankfully it only bothered you for a little bit and you were back to your playful self.

Food: You are still EBF. I nurse you in the morning before work and in the evening before bed. Since we started incorporating solid foods into your meals we have cut back on the number of bottles a day. You get two 6 oz bottles at school and about 4 oz of solids. We also moved to size 3 nipples for your bottles. I puree food for you on the weekends and freeze it in ice cube trays. It makes it so much easier to grab and pack it. We have added butternut squash and apple. You tried carrots, but were not a huge fan.
 
Stats: I have no stats for this month.

Development/Mannerisms: You are still right on the verge of crawling, but have become a master roller. You will move all around a room simply by rolling. You will get on all fours and rock back and forth. Crawling is SO close!

Appearance: Your hair is still a light brown color with a redish tint. Your eyes are still a gorgeous blue and you have better lashes than I do. Your toe and finger nails are sharp and out of control.

Likes:
Exersaucer
Foos
Sophie
Perry (Auntie Perry kept you for a few hours so I could attend a baby shower - you loved hanging with her and her girlies)
Morning Time

Dislikes:
Naps



All About Mom:
- Still enjoying the new job and staying very busy!

- I had two cysts on my chest removed. They have left some annoying scars, but prayerfully the test results were clear.

- Confession: No idea.





6.28.2014

Month Six

Two months late is better than no post at all, right? Grrr. I usually take notes on my iPhone and unfortunately, they were erased so this post is based off a very tired mommy memory.

Sleep: You are sleeping through the night most of the time which we clearly love. We also transitioned you out of your sleep sack so you only sleep in pajamas now. At first I was going to purchase the next size up in a leggies sleeper by Wombie. However, one night the sleep sack was in the wash so your dad and I dared to see how you would do without it and you were just fine.

Clothes and Diapers, etc: You are almost out of 3-6 month clothes and have begun to jump into the 6-9 month section of your closet. We still have some size 2 diapers that we are trying to use before jumping into size 3.

Bath: Your craddle cap is gone so we are back to using the Honest brand shampoo and body wash for you. Bath is easier and we still use a baby bath thing. We may use that until you're 3. :)

Medical: I was totally freaked out one day when getting you ready for bed when I noticed this rash all over your body. You get so hot in your car seat and will sweat like crazy on the way home from school (even though it's a short ride home). Hence, we experienced our first heat rash. Later this month you also had another really bad yucky cold, but we pressed on and survived.

Food: You are still EBF. I try and nurse you in the morning before work and in the evening before bed.When you take a bottle it's around 5 oz and you still have 3 bottles while you are at school. You are also holding your bottle somewhat. Most exciting though - we started solids at the end of this month! We began with sweet potato and then peas. You have done well with both and we started sending food to school with you.
 
Stats: You weigh 16.4 lbs and are 25.75 inches long.

Development/Mannerisms: The biggest development is that you are making moves which cause us to believe you will be crawling soon. You will also roll to get around the room at school. In fact, you are now moving out of the first baby room into the second baby room. Tears. You still love the foos and are so interested in them. I can make you giggle sometimes and it is so precious to hear your laughs!
 
Appearance: Your hair is still a light brown color with a redish tint. At first I thought the red appeared when using different filters on Instagram, but other people have commented on it in person. Your hair is also out of control and crazy like mine was at your age.   Your eyes are still a gorgeous blue and you have better lashes than I do. Your toe and finger nails are sharp and out of control.

Likes:
Exersaucer
Foos

Dislikes:
Gas
Naps



All About Mom:
- I started a new job this month - hence the delay in the blog post. I am very, very happy!

- My hair still falls out, but not as bad.

- For my first Mother's Day we hired a cleaning company to come twice a month. Best idea ever.

- Confession: No idea.

- Your father was baptized this month.



4.08.2014

Month Five

Per usual I am late again with the monthly post. It's been a crazy few weeks and I rarely have any extra time to do anything that is not necessary for  daily survival. The struggle is real yall. Okay it really isn't quite as bad as I just made it seem. However, things can be chaotic making it difficult to take the time to write a blog post, but I did. Just two weeks late....

Sleep: You started off this month with a sleep regression as you were waking up twice *gasp* a night. Was it related to your shots? Teething? Who knows. It was short lived and you went to only waking once during the night. Because you starting rolling over we had to quit using the Magic Merlin suit. It was heartbreaking as that suit possesses something crazy like Harry Potter powers. In fact, we shipped it off to a dear friend and hope that they love it as well. We continued to use a Wombie sleep sack. It is a transitional sack that allows your arms to be out. In the next month or so I will order the next transitional sack from Wombie to see if that will be successful as well. Your G Daddy and Granny Fox babysat you one evening and Granny Fox was able to do the nighttime routine with you to put you to bed. She greatly enjoyed rocking you to sleep and I was so thankful you went down easily. We still put you on your back to sleep, but by the morning you are on your tummy. You do this at school too - we know you are knocked out when you lay on that belly!

Clothes and Diapers, etc: You are in 3-6 month clothing and really have no pants since they were all 0-3 months. You are still in a size 2 diaper and we will always use an overnight diaper for you at bedtime or for a longer car ride. You remain uninterested in a pacifier which is a good thing in my opinion since I hopefully will not have to break you of that habit as you get older. If given a paci you may pull it out of your mouth and play with it in your hands. You did put it back in your mouth a couple of times which is a milestone I suppose.

Bath: Bath time continues to get easier. I mentioned earlier that you and G Daddy have the same prescription shampoo. In fact the last time he was in town he stole yours and left his (on accident of course).

Medical: This time around you had a mild reaction to your shots that included a low grade fever, small knots at the site and you were fussier. I was also convinced that your chubby thighs were swelling, but we are not sure that it was actually happening. After a few days you were back to your cheery self! Teething is a long process, but one day both your dad and I noticed a little white speck at the surface of your gum (bottom right). It has since disappeared and let's be honest. Teeth absolutely frighten me when we think about nursing.

Food: You are still EBF. I try and nurse you in the morning before work and in the evening before bed. Lately you become quite distracted while nursing. You will lift your head and flash a huge grin at me. Totally cute, but you still need to eat! I increased  your bottles to 6 oz. but then your appetite decreased so you get around 5 or 5.5 oz bottles prepared and take anywhere from 2.5 oz to the entire bottle at a feeding.
 
Stats: You weigh 15.5 lbs and are 24.75 inches long.

Development/Mannerisms: We can hold objects in front of you and you will grab them. From there they are immediately shoved into your mouth. You have also started grabbing my hair occasionally. Sometimes you pinch me. Not to cause pain, but because you are developing! Since you are teething a bit we have brought out some teethers (one looks like a hand which is funny because you loved to chew on your own hands) from the fridge. You are extremely chatty which is so much fun! You are also getting ready to sit on your own. You will use your ab muscles to lift up and grab our hands or a toy within reach. When you are propped up on pillows you use your core to come forward and reach for us. At this age you are beginning to recognize familiar faces and will cry at strangers or people who you do not see often. You are great with females since you are around them all day at school, but are hesitant about men unless it's your daddy. The best part about this month is that you are noticing Miss Friski! You watch the foos and are definitely interested in them because foos are awesome.
 
Appearance: The small area on the back of your head that began to bald has begun to grow back. Woo hoo! Your hair is still a light brown color with a redish tint. At first I thought the red appeared when using different filters on Instagram, but other people have commented on it in person.  Your eyes are still a gorgeous blue and you have better lashes than I do. Your toe and finger nails are sharp and out of control.

Likes:
Making noise
Trying to sit up
Your father
Chewing on anything and everything

Dislikes:
GasNaps



All About Mom:
- J & I had our first date night out.....We did have a few football dates a few months ago, but this time it was a night time date where someone else put you to bed. We went on a double date with DJ and her boy to dinner and then a comedy show with Ron White.

- My hair still falls out.

- I accepted a new job this month. I am totally anxious and excited. It has great benefits and is completely in the career field of what I went to school for. The hours are earlier so I get off earlier and may be able to get to the gym during the week. J & I will be on similar schedules and the location is close to our home and near school. Hopefully it will be a fantastic fit! 

- I also had 3 cysts removed and had stitches for each one. Two were on my chest which made it difficult to nurse at times. One was on my hip and praise be to God that the lab results came back normal.

- Confession: We purchased a Nose Frida Snot Sucker. I absolutely love sucking the snot out of her nose. She gets so congested that I feel very accomplished when I clear her nasal passages. These accomplishments make me feel like superwoman haha.



3.04.2014

Month Four




I was fortunate to stay home with you a lot during this past month. The South had some crazy winter weather and my office was closed probably more than it needed to be. Atlanta basically shut down, but all of our friends and family were safe. The winter storms brought us your first snow! Like the fantastic parents we are, we did not play in it or get any pictures with it. It totally kills me that we did not take advantage of this, but we both had pretty bad colds and your father was adamant about not taking unnecessary chances. I was also told by your teachers at school that we are their favorite parents. Assuming they do not tell everyone this, J and I had to laugh about it. Their reasoning is that we are totally honest and upfront about things and not delusional. This is very, very true. They seemed to enjoy hearing about how your father said I looked like a meth addict who had been up all night when he saw me the next morning after the night from hell. You are doing so well at school and we have been very happy with it so far.

Sleep: Sleep is such a sketchy thing. You started off month four sleeping through the night (for the most part). Then you began waking up to eat around 4-6 AM, which was not so bad since your dad gets up around that time to go to work. Four months to the day you were born (literally), you started waking up twice during the night. You would wake anywhere from 11 PM to 1 AM. I honestly attributed it to the shots you had that day or even the four month sleep regression. We moved you into a convertible Wombie sleep suit because you started rolling from back to belly. The first few nights were crazy with you occasionally sleeping on your stomach and sometimes it would wake you up. Since it’s been a few weeks, it’s gotten so much better. I am sure you would be fine in your Magic Melin suit, but it’s so fluffy that it freaked me out with the whole rolling skill. We put you to bed either asleep or somewhat drowsy. If we put you down and you are still awake, we may give you a paci. You continue to not be a good napper. Yesterday at school you slept for forty minutes around lunch and forty minutes in the afternoon.

During this month we also experience what your father and I lovingly call the night from hell. Your dad fed you and then you screamed your cute little head off and refused to go to bed. Mom came in to nurse you and you continued to scream. Your tummy felt gassy (or so I thought because really I have no idea what a gassy tummy feels like) so we gave you gas drops. Then you proceeded to throw up all over me. You would only quiet down if we held you and walked around the house. About the time we realized this, I received word that work was closed for the next day so your father escaped to the bedroom to get some sleep. I cannot walk for hours on end and you started crying again. Dad and I put you in the car to drive around. Yes, we were those parents and it worked - until we came back home and tried to put you in your crib. At this point, your father moved us downstairs and he went back to bed as he had work in a few hours. I walked you around the house for a while and finally was able to settle into our recliner with you sleeping on my chest. That lasted for a couple of hours until you work up screaming. I walked around with you a bit more and then decided to try the swing. You fussed for 15 minutes as I gave you a paci to use and then you were out! When dad came down to go to work we moved you into your napper and went back upstairs so I could sleep in my bed. Finally. You woke up a few hours later like nothing and happened and you were all smiles. Really?! Since my office was closed for the day, but school was not, I took you to daycare and told your teachers “good luck!” The point of this long novel is to pay attention when you feed a baby with a bottle. If the baby finishes the bottle and is sucking in air while you watch Netflix on your ipad, you too can experience a night of hell with a gassy baby.

Clothes and Diapers, etc: You are pretty much in 3-6 month clothing. There are very few 3 month pants that fit you. We also moved you up to size 2 diapers. Forget Soothies or Wubbanubs! I never really wanted to get you hooked on pacifiers, but in reality you are not too fond of them. Your favorite pacis are the plain, basic ones. You pretty much chew on Wubbanubs when we give you one. We truly do not offer them to you a whole lot except maybe in the evenings if you fuss while we eat dinner or get ready for bed.

Bath: Bath time has become a much happier time for every member of our family. With the random cold weather, your skin was getting very dry so we started using Burt’s Bees lotion and now use lotion from the Honest Company. Thanks to the prescription shampoo you used, the cradle cap seems to have gone away. We also discovered that you and G Daddy have the same prescribed shampoo. Weird. It the cradle cap continues to stay at bay then we will go back to using the shampoo/body wash from the Honest Company.

Medical: At the beginning of this month you caught a yucky cold. At first we were convinced that it happened to get too cold in your room and we did not dress you properly for bed. Everyone else liked to blame school. You had a very stuffy nose and bad cough so we had to squirt saline up your nose and suck everything out. You loved it! In actuality, you despised it. We happened to be in Atlanta that weekend and Granny Fox and I caught the cold. About a week later, your father woke up with a horrid stomach virus. I threw you into the car and took you to school to get away from our house. That Friday evening, I caught the stomach virus and seriously wondered how on earth either of us could take care of you without you getting sick. J woke up feeling a bit better and I stayed away from you pretty much all day. You managed to miss out on the stomach fun and I am SO thankful you did!

Food: You are still EBF. I try and nurse you in the morning before work and in the evening before bed. Sometimes we will give you a bottle before bed depending on the time. Around 15 weeks, you had a crazy growth spurt and started to cry when you finished your bottles. Plus, you nursed a ton and I was constantly starving. We increased your feedings to 4.5 oz – such a big girl you are! I also changed to level 2 nipples for your bottles and you seem to be handling that well. We have the go ahead to try rice cereal, but since you show very little interest in food we are probably going to hold off for a bit longer. We attempt to put you in your high chair so you can sit with us at the table when we have time to sit and eat together. Some nights are better than others.
Stats: You weigh 14.6 lbs and are 24.5 inches long. Your head is 39.9 cm.

Development/Mannerisms: You have started to grasp objects and love your orange ball because you can easily grab it. Everything goes in your mouth and I mean everything. You chew on your hands like it’s going out of style. It was confirmed at your doctor’s appointment that your bottom gums are swollen so the teething process has begun. It makes sense because you are a drooling mess. You started off the month by rolling on your side and at 17 weeks you rolled onto your tummy. Thank the Lord it was literally right before bed. I came upstairs and your father was like “Hey. She just rolled on her stomach so I rolled her unto her back again.” I flipped out and he was all “What is this a big milestone?” I went over to you in the crib and you did it again! We put you into your convertible Wombie sleep suit as I was afraid that Magic Merlin suit would somehow be bad for you since you were rolling.
Appearance: You were born with a head full of dark brown hair and luckily your hair has remained. It has changed from dark brown into a much lighter brown color – more like your fathers. He said his hair turned blond when he was younger so we shall see if yours will too. Since you have spent so much time laying on the floor, in a swing, napper, etc. the hair on the back of your head has started to fall out. I will not lie to you – it is kind of awkward looking. J Your eyes are gorgeous! They are a beautiful, deep blue color. I know eyes can change colors (as mine did when I was younger), but J has amazing blue eyes so there is a chance yours may follow suit. Your eyebrows are still very light in color, but your lashes have started to grow. Woo hoo! The nails on your fingers grow so quickly and can get very sharp. In my humble opinion, you have a lot of ear wax as well.

Likes:
Play Mat at school and home
Your father – you love looking at him and have the biggest smiles for him
Chewing on anything and everything

Dislikes:
Gas – maybe dairy?
Your swing in the evening
Naps



All About Mom:
- Down 33.5 lbs from pregnancy. Still not sure when I will be able to use that gym membership.

- My awesome, long finger nails have disappeared.

- I am losing so (and I mean SO) much hair. It falls out all the time now. I knew this could happen and it started for me around 3 months post-partum.  

- Confession: I miss dates with my DVR. As soon as I get home in the evenings I am trying to get dinner ready, finish getting dinner ready or eating. Then it’s time to feed the foos, wash and sterilize bottles and pump parts, get pump bag packed, make labels and bottles for the next day, pack breakfast and lunches, get the coffee maker ready for the next morning, etc. We both get E ready for bed and one of us will feed her and put her to bed. Around this time, I usually take a shower and J gets in bed since he works such early hours. I may watch a bit of tv or Netflix while I pump before bed and then it’s lights out. I thrive on having a schedule/check list for the evenings, but the day is literally over before I know it. J helps out SO much. I have no idea what I would do if I was by myself or if he did not help. Guess I will find out in the next month or so since it is grass cutting season! It is totally worth it, but I sometimes daydream about the time I will have when I am no longer your food source. Oddly enough, it saddens me to think about it.



2.06.2014

Month 3


I went back to work in January after 10 weeks with you at home. You also started school on the same day that Auburn played for the National Championship. Unfortunately, you and I were way more successful at going back to work and starting school than Auburn was at bringing home the win, but we love our tigers regardless! I also started using the “Moms On Call” app to assist with getting us on a routine schedule. It has been very helpful and I believe it greatly aided us in being able to get out of the house. As much as I miss being home with you, I get so excited to pick you up after work! It also gives me a sense of great accomplishment when we make it out the door in the morning, like I am a super mom or something.

Sleep: This month began with a sleep regression that resulted in a 5 hour stretch at night which amounted to me getting up 1-2 times a night. Luckily that only lasted a short while and you went back to sleeping 10 hours straight around 11 weeks. Glorious! At this point we decided to (lovingly) kick you out of our room and transition you into the crib in your room. At exactly 12 weeks old, you spent the night in your Wombie in your crib. Obviously you had so much more room to move about so you were a crazy wiggle worm that first night. I stalked you through our video monitor (which I LOVE) and your father and I decided to forgo the sleep sack. I feared that you would roll over on your stomach and I could not deal with that anxiety. For the next few nights you went without a sleep sack and it was okay, but not great. At our household we like to “go big or go home!” Clearly this is evident in our parenting as we switched you out of our room, into a new crib and without any sleep sack all at once. What is wrong with us?!? Surprisingly, you only had trouble falling asleep and would wake yourself up a few times with all the movements you continued to have. I decided to order another Wombie that freed your arms and a Magic Merlin sleep suit to try. The Merlin sleep sack reminds your father of the kid on the movie “A Christmas Story.” It’s so thick and allows you to move, but muffles the movement so you are not constantly waking up. You once again started sleeping through the night. Success! There have been a few times we have put you to bed awake and you have put yourself to sleep. You typically wake up in the morning and peacefully hang out until I come and get you. Although you are still not a great napper, you are doing much better. This past month we have gotten better about reading your tired cues. In addition to actually yawning, your eyes get a bit red and you will continually rub them when it’s bedtime.

Clothes and Diapers: You are in 3 month clothing and typically wear onesies to school. I have also discovered that it was a successful day if I pick you up from school in the same outfit you were dropped off in! You are a size 1 in the diaper world, but will be moving to size 2 soon. We began putting you in size 2 overnight diapers (they do not make them in a smaller size) when you go to bed or when we head on a longer car ride out of town. So far there have been zero leaks, but I’m sure something crazy will happen since I put that in writing. You wear Target brand diapers during the day and Pampers Dry at nighttime. We primarily use organic wipes from Earth’s Best or the Honest Company. I swear it helps keep diaper rash away!

Bath: Good news – we still bathe you! And it is still a family event with you, the two of us and the foos. Twice a week we attempt the craziness that is bath time. I seriously need to Google easy ways to bathe a baby. Bath time makes your parents want to drink.

Medical: We haven’t had any more blood issues so the GI specialist was not too concerned. Between you, myself and my medical degree from Google, I really think you are anti-most dairy. I still eat some, but have cut out a tremendous amount.

Food: You are still EBF. I try and nurse you in the morning before work and in the evening before bed. Sometimes we will give you a bottle before bed depending on the time. You currently take 3.5 oz per bottle and will eat anywhere from 3-4 bottles when you are at school.
Stats: You weigh 13 lbs and are 23.5 inches long. Your head is 39 cm. You had a big head when you came into this world. Yup.

Development/Mannerisms: Your fists are unclenched! You have now discovered your hands and love to chew on them and stick them in your mouth. The drooling has begun and you blow bubbles all the time. Such a pleasure you are to be around because you smile A LOT. You are a happy girl and we love to see that big gummy smile! Like mother, you love to stare at yourself in the mirror on your swing – you make yourself smile and are so happy to see yourself - so sweet and vain at the same time. J My favorite new development has been conversing with you. I will sit in front of you to talk to you and you get so excited and “baby talk” back. I always talk to you about school and explain what I am doing (making dinner, cleaning/prepping bottles, etc). I love it.


Likes:
Mommy Milk
Playing on the play mat
Chatting

Dislikes:
Dirty Diapers
Diaper Changes
Gas


All About Mom:
- Joined a gym. I have no idea when I have time to even attempt to work out, but it’s there when I can.
- Went back to work.
1.07.2014

Month Two


Sleep: You are now sleeping in a 6-8 hour stretch at night - it's glorious! However, I am writing this a week late and for some reason this week you have gone back to 5 hours, which I predicted would happen because I was going back to work and things like that happen to me. You have also started to nap a lot less. I am hoping school can help with that.

Clothes and Diapers: I have moved you to 0-3 month outfits with an occasional newborn outfit thrown in there (although they are getting snug)! You are a solid size 1 in the diaper world and we beat the diaper rash - for now.

Bath: We bathe you about twice a week and we aren't very good at it. You are so fresh and so clean, clean, but I feel like there is an easier way to do it. Right now it's a family event with the three of us and the cats. They watch, but keep their distance from the water. The first few times your fussed a bit, but as long as we keep you warm you are content.

Medical: Sometimes I think that we are picking up thrush again and give you a bit of medicine, but I am beginning to think I am just crazy. Currently, I do not think we have thrush. Hehe. You had your first well visit with the doctor and received your first vaccinations. The whole debate to vaccinate or not to vaccinate freaks me out, but I simply pray about it and leave it to Him who has already written the story of your life. I got to hear what your "ouch" cry sounds like and I may have cried more than you. I also cry when I take the cats to the vet so I knew taking you to the doctor would be harder! On a more serious note you have been having some blood in your diaper so we will be seeing a GI specialist in January. The pediatrician ran some tests to rule out any infection and everything came back negative. It's not necessarily a lot and it's very sporadic. I think it is something that I am eating that bothers you so I have cut back on my dairy intake and it has been MUCH better, but I am not a doctor.

Food: You are primarily EBF, but I have mastered the whole pumping thing. Thankfully I can still nurse you and you will take a bottle. We try to stick to the Dr. Brown bottles to cut back on gas. You will take anywhere from 2.5-4 oz. You love to eat at night before bedtime. So much that we usually give you a 3 oz bottle and then I nurse you for a bit before you start snoozing. You also took a bit of formula when being baby sat in Atlanta because you gulped down all the milk left for you. It eased my mind that you would take it if necessary.

Stats: You weigh 11 lbs & 6 oz. and are 22 inches long.

Development/Mannerisms: You are not a fan of tummy time, but you love to hold your head up. Your neck muscles are getting quite strong! You clench your stinky fists ALL THE TIME and it's a battle for me to clean them. I have no idea how they get dirty, but they do. On Christmas Eve you freaked out and had a meltdown at one of our many stops to see family. You screamed your ouch cry and then you actually cried tears for the first time. So very sad. It shook your dad and I up for a few minutes, but you calmed down after a few HUGE burps. You have also mastered the skill of sticking out your lip before you cry. It's totally cute.

Events: You are a good luck charm to our Auburn Tigers! Thanks to the bottle situation, mom and dad went to the Iron Bowl this year. It was epic!!! Auburn won in the last second of the game (literally) and headed to the SEC championship game. Thanks to a fantastic friend, your parents were able to see Auburn win the SEC championship in person in Atlanta. Later that night Ohio State lost and Auburn is headed to play for the national championship in January! You had your first Thanksgiving and slept through most of it. When we were in Atlanta the following weekend you met your great grandma, great aunt and one of your great uncles on J's mom's side. When we did our brief trip back to Atlanta for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day, you met your grandma (J's mom) and your other great grandma from J's dad's side. During this month I finally felt a bit more comfortable taking you out in public so we went out to eat a few times. A week ago I received a phone call that our first choice for day care or "school" for you was available! Such an answer to prayer and an ease to my Law & Order/CSI mind.
 
Likes:
Mommy Milk
Car Rides
Nighttime Feeding
When G Daddy or Auntie Perry sings to you. You love it!

Dislikes:
Dirty Diapers
Diaper Changes
Gas


All About Mom:
- Down 32 lbs ish, but I need to work out and focus on building back my muscles.
- Have really weird joint pain in my hands and knees. Doctor thinks it will last until we are done nursing.
- Had my follow up doctor appointment and was cleared for everything.
- My BP was down, but I have to wean from the medicine for the next 30 days
- Had an allergist appointment and no more allergy shots for the first time in many, many years!
- Left the house by myself for the first time and went to Target for the Britney CD and to grab groceries. It was heavenly.
- The Iron Bowl marked my first adult beverage in 10-11 months. I heart mimosas....and pumping.
- Speaking of beverages I celebrated my 30th birthday with some fabulous friends while J babysat. He was totally jealous. #thirty&thirsty
- Mastered the pumping and even got a little crazy with it at our tailgate and in the parking lot of a MARTA station. Sketchy, but worth it to go to the football games. War Eagle.