10 Months Today...9 Month Low Down!

Today is LL's 10 Month Birthday --Here's Her 9 Month Low Down 

Bedtime:
Between 7:00 and 7:30 pm. Her 2nd nap ends around 3:30 so she's more than ready to go down around 7:00.

Wake-Up:
Sleeping til 6:00-6:30

Naps: We're taking 2 naps a day.  The first one is around 8:00-8:30 and it last about an hour.  Her 2nd is around 2:00 and is usually around 1 1/2 hours.  I can finally say she's on a sleeping schedule because her night-time is so predictable now.

Bottles:
She usually gets about 5 bottles a day.  I've been making them about 6 oz. to see if she'll drink more.  She was only drinking about 4 oz at a time.  She's getting better.

Foods:
Avery doesn't eat much in the way of breakfast or lunch, but will chow down at dinner.  Doc said it's ok since she's getting the majority of her calories from formula now.  She has really been digging cut-up cherries, peaches, bananas, nectarines, and grapes.  She'll eat the pureed sweet potatoes & squash but no other veggie.  We're back to eating Chiobani yogurt the Honey-Nana flavor and she luuuuuvs  it.

New foods this month:
Cut-up cherries, grapes, peaches, nectarines

Night Time:
OH, GOOD LORD....Avery is sleeping ALL NIGHT LONG.  I have died and gone to heaven.  When she goes down at 7:00 she stays in her crib and sleeps til 6:00am.  We no longer feed her a bottle at 9:00.  If she does happen to cry out, we wait for about 5 minutes before going in.  Most of the time she goes back to sleep on her own before the 5 minutes is up.  If we do go in, we just put her pacifier back in, lie her down and back to sleep she goes.  It truly is the best thing in the whole world.  We feel like we've got control of our lives back.   

Developmental Milestones & Firsts:
We got our top 2 front teeth and 2 new bottom teeth this month.  She's calling for daddy when he walks in..."dada" and crawls for him.  It's so cute.  She says bye-bye and waves her hand up and down, "buh-buh".  She's also learned to click her tongue...which is so adorable because it's the first thing she does when I pick her up from her crib in the morning.  She's still cruising around walls and furniture a lot.  I pray she doesn't walk for at least 2 more months.

Momma's Mental State:
Momma is feeling so great!  Baby has been sleeping so great at night and it makes all of our lives so much better.  LL is happier during the day and so are we.  Now, we're actually planning an "out of town trip" with just Bryan and myself.  It will be our first time away from our sweets but I think we need it.  Let's hope we can pull it off.

Top Left Tooth!!

9 Months 1 Week

Our top left tooth broke through the skin today!  Yay!  I've been feeling her gums everyday for about a month waiting patiently for it to break through. Trying to get pictures has proven to be a bit of a struggle. 

We'll try again when she's more willing.  Poor baby!

8 Months Today...7 Month Low Down!

Today is LL's 8 Month Birthday --Here's Her 7 Month Low Down 

Bedtime: Between 7:30 & 8:00 pm. We were putting her down at 7:00 pm but she was waking up after about an hour and was getting harder to get her back to sleep. 

Wake-Up: Anytime between 5:00am -6:30am

Naps: For the most part, LL is taking 3 naps.  One around 9:00, then again around 11:00-12:00 and the last one around 2:00-3:00.  Some days they are 30 min. and some days they are 1 1/2hours.  

Bottles: LL is strictly a bottle girl, now.  No more nursing.  She never drinks more than 4oz at a time and I try to feed her every 3-4 hours.  I'm amazed when I read about other babies drinking 6 & 7oz at a time.  I wish she would, I think maybe she would sleep better.

Nursing: NO MORE.  I really think LL weaned herself from me, rather than the other way around.  She was so ready to move on. 

Foods: She's not really interested in eating solids.  I mean she will take a couple bites but then turn her face.  I'm not sure if it's her teeth or what.  I'm actually tired of trying to figure it out.  She's just not a big eater.

New foods this month: yogurt...Chiobani Greek Very Berry Yogurt for children.  She loves it.

Night Time: Guess what??? This month of sleeping has been horrible.  Surprised?  Me neither.  Some nights she slept til 3:30am then til 6:30am.  Other nights (most nights) she was up 4 times.  Again, there is no consistency.  We have always had a diligent nighttime routine with her...and I guess we'll keep up the routine.

Developmental Milestones & Firsts:  Let's see... so much has happened for LL this month.

1.) Pulling up and standing
2.) second bottom tooth
3.) sitting up/playing sitting up
4.) babbling consonants 
5.) stopped nursing
6.) sleeping without sleep suit

Momma's Mental State: I'm feeling the same mentally as last month.  Tired and worn out.  

Look, I'm Standing!

7 Months 3 Weeks

Look what I found this morning after Avery's first nap.  So glad we lowered her crib this weekend.  Not only did she surprise me by taking an hour and half nap but then I heard her squeal from her room and this is what I found!

The last 3 days she has not been napping more than 30 minutes at a time and she has been SO freakin crabby.  So, I was beyond glad to hear the squeal from the room which translates into "I'm in a great mood".  I just know her top teeth are coming in....please hurry up and come through!

Let's re-cap all the changes happening this month for LL:
1. teeth
2. pulling up/standing
3. sitting up--finally!
4. stopped nursing
5. magic sleepsuit gone
6. babbling--ma-ma-ma-ma da-da-da-da ba-ba-ba-ba
7. beginning to crawl--she can do this on the area rugs but still not on the hardwood floors

Poor thing..no wonder she's one big fuss-ball!

LL is Officially Weaned

Last week was the end of breastfeeding for me.  After my left boobie decided not to produce any more milk and LL completely uninterested in nursing, I decided to hang it up.  I thought I would be more emotional about it but LL and I were both OK with it.  I knew it was the right time for both of us.

This is where I sat for 7 months while I pumped....just me, my pump and the computer.  I have to say I won't miss pumping.

Good bye for now.  Here it is sitting on the shelf in the closet.  See ya next time around!

I thought weaning would also be more painful.  But, since my left boobah dried up it was only my right one to deal with.  When I felt it getting full, I would pump just a little.  I only had to pump one time.  It's still a little larger than the left but it's not producing any milk, it has stayed the same for about 3 days.  I guess I should read up on what happens.

Pulling Up, Babbling and her 2nd Tooth

7 Months 2 Weeks

What a week for LL.  She has been waking up every hour to two hours throughout the night this week.  It has B and I on the very edge of craziness. But, I read somewhere that when babies reach milestones it's like that have won the lottery!!  They are so excited and happy that they can't sleep and just want to celebrate!  So, we don't have just one milestone emerging this week, but 3!

Pulling Up:  Both Bryan and I saw LL pulling up this week.  For me, she scooted over to the bouncy seat to play and all of the sudden she takes both hands and pulls herself onto her knees then pulls one leg up to try and get her foot steady to gain balance....that's when I went over to her.  I couldn't believe it!!  I screamed and got so excited for her...and she was just as excited grinning and squealing, too!  Soon after that, she army crawled over to me on the couch (still not crawling) grabbed both my legs and pulled herself up onto her knees then I grabbed her arms and she stood up!  Now, she's pulling up all by herself and so it's time to drop her crib down to the lowest level.

Babbling/Talking:  Out of the blue, LL started babbling consonants...ma-ma-ma-ma....ba-ba-ba-ba.  It's so funny to watch her get really excited about talking!  Before, she was humming, ohhhing and ahhhing to herself.  Now, she has way more to say and wants you to hear!

2nd Tooth:  This week, LL's 2nd bottom tooth is about to break through.  We see it just above the surface.  I read that some babies' gums get really red and swollen and she isn't experiencing any of that.  Drooling and grumpiness has been the only give away...oh and not sleeping.

Such a big girl!  All of this excitement rolled up into one week. 

So, YAY for you LL!!  It's so fun watching you grow up!

Scooting

6 Months Today...5 Month Low Down

Today is LL's 6 Month Birthday --Here's Her 5 Month Low Down

Bedtime: between 7:30 and 8:00.  We moved it..for some reason she likes this time better and sleeps longer.

Wake-Up: Usually around 6:30 but lately sleeping to 7:00.  I'll take it!

Naps: LL takes 4 naps a day.  The first 2 in the am are over an hour sometimes an 1 1/2 hours.  The 2 in the afternoon are shorter...about 40 minutes...one because she's usually in the bjorn napping. Her last nap is around 3:30/4:00 and it goes about 40 minutes. 

Bottles: LL gets 2 bottles a day.  The first one at 6:30pm (4oz of Isomil) and the 2nd one around 9:30 (4oz Isomil) for her dreamfeed.  We do not mix the breast and the formula together anymore she likes it by itself now. yay.

Nursing:  LL nurses about 5 times a day.  Right when she wakes up, between 6-7...then again around 9:30am, 12ish, 3ish then again sometime in the 3am area or when she wakes up at night.  I pump around 7:00pm.  It's amazing how your body will adjust to the supply and demand of your baby.

Foods: She eats 2x a day.  The first time is after her first nap around 9:00ish.  She usually eats 1/2 container of a fruit and a 1/2 vegetable. Then she eats dinner around 5:00ish...this time she usually eats 2 full containers.  Our ped said to start incorporating lunch sometime after her 6 month birthday.

New foods this month:  Peaches and Green Beans

Night Time: The night time sleep has been soooo much better.  We put her down around 7:30 and she sleeps all the way to 2-3am!!  So nice.  She no longer wakes up about 45 minutes after putting her to sleep which is also nice. After her 2-3am feeding, she sleeps till 6:30ish.  One thing we did differently is we blacked out her windows so it is completely dark in her room.  It has also helped with longer naps.  I also think the formula before bed helps her sleep longer, too.

Developmental Milestones & Firsts: LL is ALL OVER her play area.  I am constantly getting up to move her back to her "safe area".  I'm thinking of buying a gate type area.  I am currently looking at this...

I would purchase 2 of these to make the play area larger!  Seems cruel after looking at the poor girl alone in the picture with no toys or anything....but I would make it like a mini Disney World in there.

LL is not sitting up by herself, but when I sit her up she will stay and balance for about 3 seconds.

When on the floor on her tummy she will scoot both legs under her belly and lift her body up and rock back and forth...which I think is the beginning of a crawl which scares the sh!t out of me.  She has also just started to do the army crawl or the "low crawl" as my dad calls it where she scoots across the floor using her elbows.

She also rolls and rolls and rolls and rolls all around.

Favorite Toys: We bought LL this Baby Einstein Mozart DVD when she was 4 months old but she did not become interested in it until recently.  She LOVES it! 

Momma's Mental State: I'm feeling really good lately.  I'm taking LL out and about everyday!  I just put her in the Bjorn and off we go.  We usually wait until after her first 2 naps.  When she gets tired, I turn her around in the Bjorn facing me, put a blanket over her head, give her her pacifier and say "night-night" and she goes right to sleep.  Love it!  I should have done this from about 4 months on...but I was so scared to leave the house.  With my next babes, I know I'll be in a better state of mind plus not so freakin scared all the time.

I finally feel recovered "down there"!  I can walk 20 feet now without feeling like I need to tee-tee all over myself.  Sorry if TMI but recovering down there was NOT fun.  I really thought it would be like that forever.

****On a side note....went to my first consignment sale called Sweet Repeats last night and bought LL some fun new toys! I'll post on those next week.

5 Months Today...The 4 Month Low Down

I got this great idea from Beach Bum & Baby so I thought I would update LL's monthly happenings this way as well.  I added "Momma's Mental State" to the list because that changes just as much as LL does. haha

Today is LL's 5 Month Birthday -- 4 Month Low Down

Bedtime: between 6:30 and 7:00

Wake-Up: Usually around 6:30

Naps: LL takes 4 naps a day...each one around 45 minutes.  Lately, they have been going a little longer and  she misses some of the 4 o'clock naps  She may be transitioning to 2 naps a day.  When she does miss the last nap, we move night-night time earlier. 

Bottles: I just started to give LL a bottle for her 6 o'clock meal and her dream-feed meal at 9:00pm.  For those bottles I mix part formula/ part breast milk.  We're using the soy formula.   Each of those bottles are 4-5 oz. equal parts formula/breast.  I started doing this b/c 1.) my supply was really low in the late afternoon and 2.) I'm trying to get her used to the taste of formula.  She WILL NOT drink it by itself.

She nurses/bottle about 6 times a day about 4 hours b/w each feeding 5-6am, 9-10, 1-2pm, 5-6, 9-10, 1-2am

Night Time:  I read somewhere that at this age sleeping through the night was about 5-6 hours straight.  LL has done that on occasion.  But we are still very inconsistent with sleep at night.  She'll have 2 great nights of sleeping...then BOOM....back up every 2 hours.  Gotta love it. :)

Foods: She loves food!  We stopped the rice cereal and are now just sticking with Prunes, Pears, Apples, Bananas.  That may seem early, but the girl was literally grabbing at B and I's forks during dinner.

Developmental Milestones & Firsts: Rolling over both ways (she was just rolling from back to stomach but recently started rolling from her stomach to her back), eating, scoots around play mat, while on her stomach she pushes up with her forearms and stays there longer, plays & entertains herself longer.



Favorite Books: She LOVES books!  Hello, Baby! By Mem Fox,   Hooray For You By: Marianne Richmond ,  Goodnight Moon By: Margaret Wise Brown

Favorite Songs: Bryan and I both made up songs for her that we sing to her all the time.  They're both name songs. 

Favorite Toys:  Bright Starts Bounce-a-Bout, Sophie, Bright Starts Tug Tune Pig.
She loves any of those hanging toys that are normally clipped on to car seats, etc.  Her fav is the pig.  You can see it hanging on her Bounce-a-Bout below.

Momma's Mental State: I finally feeling like I'm pulling my head out of the sand.  My hormones seems to be under control.  I had no idea it would be that bad.  I heard it's just as bad when you stop breastfeeding.  Great.

I'm feeling more confident about taking LL out and about.  Before, I was having these strange visions of me dropping her or something totally irrational.

Believe it or not, I still feel like I'm recovering from having her...yes, I mean "down there".  How come no one talks about how traumatizing that is?

On The Move!

4 Months 4 Weeks

I can't believe it.  LL is moving all around the floor.  This morning when I put her down in her play area, she immediately flipped over and then proceeded to scoot, roll and play....scoot, roll and play...eventually making it to the other side of her play area.  I was watching her the whole time and when she looked up and saw me, she smiled really big and then squealed!  This literally happened overnight.

I love that she's playing more independently.....but kind of hate that she's growing up so fast.

I've Been Outsmarted!

4 Months 4 Weeks

Remember this post about how LL was flipping over while lying on her mat?  I thought I was so sneaky and clever to use her sleeping-wedge-thingy to keep her from flipping over.  It seemed she couldn't help flipping over because she was pulling her legs up towards her head and "weeeee"...she was rolling on her tummy.  Well, I look up today and here's LL...

"Momma thinks she's so smart....but I'm always one step ahead of her!"

Not sure why I thought that wouldn't happen...just another example of how naive I am when it comes to mommyhood.

Push-Ups & Crunches...

LL wants to sit up so bad.  Every time I lie her down anywhere...play mat....bed...crib....she immediately goes into a stomach crunch.  Every time I lie her on her stomach...she straightens her arms and lifts her entire upper body and then relaxes and does it all over again.  What happened to my stay put and observing child?

I've Rolled Over and I Can't Roll Back!

4 Months 2 Weeks

Since LL has learned to roll over from her back to her front...that's all she does.  As soon as you lay her down, she hikes her legs up and rolls right over...weeeee!  Hey, this is great and all and she needs the exercise but after a minute or 2 she starts to really let me know..."hey...hey you...I don't like it like this anymore and I really need your help to flip back over so I can continue to play with my hanging toys".  After about 30 times of this, I decided to outsmart her.  I got her sleeping-wedge-thingy (also a hand me down from C who gave me the Miracle Blanket) and laid it on her mat so she couldn't roll over...HA. 

"Thanks, momma! If I rolled over one more time I was gonna scream!"

Now, please don't think I keep her from rolling over and doing tummy time...because Momma does tummy too.  But baby girl needs time on her back too to practice with hand eye coordination. Anyway, this works!

Rice Cereal

4 Months

So LL and I took a trip to see MeMe and PawPaw this week (I needed a major re-charge).  While there I made the executive decision to introduce cereal.  I've had this gut feeling for a couple weeks that her liquid diet just wasn't cutting it anymore...she just didn't seem satisfied after nursing. Plus, B and I were noticing her eyeballing our food.

We mixed it with formula, put the spoon in her mouth and she gobbled it right up.  Kicking her legs and saying "Mmmmm"  the whole time.  She looked at me like, "What took you so long?"

I NEVER thought I'd try cereal before 6 months, but Momma has to listen to and follow her instincts.

I bought both the Rice and Organic Oatmeal to try.  I'll update with the results of the oatmeal when we try it.