10m old

Little Miss L... Onto double digit months!  What?  Next you will try to turn 1 year old on us?  

Our happy little baby girl just keeps growing, even though we have asked her nicely to slow down.  Pretty please, with a cherry on top.
I think Big Brother is excited for her to grow, he wants a playmate- one that can handle wrestling.  If I put shoes on Baby L, he assumes that means she can walk.  Excitedly exclaiming, "She walks now momma!"  I then have to explain that shoes do not = ability to walk.  It is an adorable train of thought though. 

Still army crawling, but the fastest army crawler I have ever seen.  She zooms across the floor.  Who needs a Roomba when you have a crawler?  This girl can (and will) find the teeny tiniest bit of fuzz on the floor... and promptly try to eat it.

She is gaining strength and confidence, which is evident in her constant state of pulling up on furniture.  Her favorite spot is the entertainment console, because she wants to push the blue lights shining on the DVR box.  She has also mastered stair climbing and makes a beeline for them when the baby gate is not secured.  I noticed her becoming more interested in the stairs, so one day I followed her, but didn't intervene.  Without assistance from me (besides catching her a couple times when she stumbled) she slowly pulled and crawled her way up ALL 16 STAIRS in our house!  She was so proud of herself. 

This past month the crib was also lowered.  No more worries of toppling baby.  Now she just needs to get over her fear of letting go once she is standing up in it.  As of now, she pulls up in her crib and then cries until someone rescues her and lays her back down.  It's a little tiring, but she just looks so darling standing there stranded and beams such a smile when you open the door to help her. 

She also plays peek-a-boo by herself now... example...

 

Other tidbits: She has 6 teeth.  She is able to push herself into a full sitting position.  And she hates hairbands or bows or hats for the matter.  She loves moochies and is ultra-ticklish.  She likes fresh air and a walk around the neighborhood always makes her happy, especially when joined by our favorite Augusta neighbors The Roods.  The have twins (boy/girl) that are 1 month younger than Baby L.  

And just because,

here she is wearing a little tutu.  

Dressing a baby girl is so fun!

9m old

Baby L has now been outside the womb for the same amount of time she spent inside!  This is always a special time of reflection for me as mother; to recall the pregnancy and the process of falling in love with a person I've never seen, yet have felt move inside my own body.  Wow, baby-making, growing, delivering is amazing!  Here is what 9 months of growing on her own looks like...

That little face turns my heart into a puddle.  And don't even get me started on when she says, "mama"!  She has recently started to clearly make "mama" and "dada" sounds.  Although they don't contain meaning for her, yet- you should see her father and I light up when we hear those sounds. 

Her current health stats:
Height is 27 1/2 inches
Weight is 15 lbs 11 oz
Number of teeth currently stands at 4, but tooth # 5 and #6 are swollen and I predict will push through the gums in the next few days.

She continues to happily scoot around army-crawl style.  She just gets faster and faster at it.  And like any parent will attest to, the first things babies crawl towards are power cords and pet food.  This little girl is no different. 
She will pull herself up onto her hands and knees and rock back and forth, but hasn't gained the confidence to try moving while in that position. 
She has also mastered maneuvering from sitting up to laying on her belly.  Well, I should clarify- she's been able to do this, but it was technically just her falling over.  Now she has learned to control her body and purposefully change positions.  She still does not push up into the sitting position alone, I believe she can, but is content in her signature model pose...

 Followed by a little yoga...

I love this girl to pieces.  Her and her brother are my heart's pure joy. 
Some days are challenging to my patience, but I am so lucky to spend my days teaching and loving them.  To close out her 9 month update, I will leave you with a couple more photos...

8m old

Our sweet princess is 8 months old.

We've been blessed with a very happy little girl.  Her nap and bed routine has stuck, keeping her tired-induced crankiness predictable.  Two naps a day and then off to bed promptly at 7pm.  She still is not consistently sleeping through the night, but at least when she wakes she goes back down easily and quickly.

She now sit-ups very well.  Her core is strong enough to hold her upright for long periods of time while she plays.  She likes this a lot.  Last month she was starting to scoot, now she has mastered an army crawl style scoot.  It gets her around, so the baby-proofing begins!  

She is eating more baby food, getting a serving at lunch and dinner.  She has turned against squash and now strongly favors bananas and anything mixed with bananas.  She takes baby food best from daddy.
She has 2 teeth fully in, the bottom two.  With more to be coming in very soon.  

Her cheerful personality is shining through more and more.  It is so much fun to interact with her and have her interact back.  He giggles and smiles and babble continue to be as heart-melting as ever.







Baby L is experimenting with different sounds and at different volumes, some are pretty ear-splitting.  The funniest one is when she does the short, loud, bursts of "ahhhh" screams.  If you make the noise back to her, she will happily repeat it.  In the photo below, I caught her mid-scream, notice how she closes her eyes.  Silly little lady.

7m old

Another month, another update.  Happy 7 Months!

Do you notice the little tooth peeking though?  A week ago it pushed it's way into her bottom gum.
Baby L made it to the doctor for her well-baby check-up and is currently 26 inches long and weighs in at 14 lbs 8 oz. 

She is getting steadier while sitting up, but will still topple over fairly easily.  She has been rolling for some time now, but her rolling has reached a new level of speediness and precision.  She will roll all around a room getting to the object that has caught her interest.  She slowly army-crawl style scoots.  Her legs are strong and she is quite happy to stand if someone will help hold her.

She enjoys being read to, as well as being sang to, and she really enjoys a good game of peek-a-boo!  She is a very ticklish baby, the slightest touch will send her into giggles. 
I'm pretty sure she finds her big brother to be very amusing, albeit a little annoying too. 
He has recently started aggravating her, on purpose.  And I once heard a pouty, "she is looking at me!" come from him.  Overall though, he is very loving and interested in her.  Whenever we leave the house, he always reminds us that sister needs to go too.  

As you can read about in previous monthly updates, her sleeping schedule has been good, bad, good, bad... once again we are [thankfully] on a good schedule.  I have a feeling this schedule will stick!  She is up between 630-7 AM
Nap 1 at 9 AM
Nap 2 at 130 PM - big brother goes down around this time too... ohhh stay-at-home-momma joy!
Bed at 7 PM
Now if she would just sleep through the night!

We started giving her baby food this month.  Her favorite (so far) is sweet potato and chicken puree.  Which is so different from Baby J, who hated anything with meat until he was nearly 2 years old.  She has also enjoyed roasted butternut squash and an apple-banana mix.

Every night as she nurses before bed I rub her soft hair, praying for her present and her future. 

6m old

Half of a year?  Yes, half of a year!
It is hard to believe our little girl has been with us for half of a year.  

 

Unsure of her current height and weight because we haven't made it to the doctor for her 6 month check-up quite yet.  At that appointment she will be administered her last round of shots until she turns 1.  I am looking forward to the break. 

She doesn't have any teeth yet, but not for a lack of teething.  A pearly white will, no doubt, poke through soon, but for now I'm relishing her big gummy smiles. 

Her squeals and smiles warm our hearts and when she sticks out that little tongue we can't help but laugh.

 
She took her first trip away from home this past month; going to Papaw-the-Great and Gigi's house down in Florida.  Then a week later she went on her first vacation, spending an entire week on Hilton Head Island.  We couldn't have asked for an easier baby on vacation.  She was happy, slept decently well, and went with the flow... even though the flow really messed up her daily routine. 

Baby L has attempted sitting up alone, but that round little booty has her toppling right over.  She holds her head level and steady when lifted off of her back.  She really enjoys "flying" through the air, and big brother thinks it's funny to watch her.  We brought the jumper out of the attic and it's getting good use.  If she is anything like Baby J was, it will become her favorite activity.

It has been a joyful 6 months full of growth and change.  I'm certain the next 6 months will prove just as amazing.  We love you dearly precious girl.  

5m old

                             As much as we'd like for her to slow down, she just keeps growing!  

At 5 months old she is getting her sleeping back on track... thank the Lord!  While she still wakes at night to eat, it's very quick and she's right back to sleep.  Her naps are improving too.  She takes 2 longer naps or 3 slightly shorter naps, depending on the day, our schedule, her mood, and the volume of her brother.

She is really observant.  She loves to watch her brother run around, and is especially entertained when he dances.  She has also started noticing the dogs and really enjoys watching them.  And there is this baby in the mirror, at whom she loves to smile and stare!  

Her smiles and giggles continue and now she has added squealing to the mix!  It's really, really cute.  

The bibs have come out of storage, for teething has officially begun.  She chews and chews and chews...

on fingers, clothes, toys, blankets, anything she can pull to her mouth.  And the drool, oh the drool!  

One of my favorite things is when babies discover their toes.  

She is fascinated by them and we are fascinated by her. 

  

 

4m old

Another monthly update, introducing Miss 4 month old...

As of turning 4 months old Baby L can now roll over in both directions.  She is proving to be quite the strong little lady. 

 

Her nice schedule and good sleeping patterns have went haywire!  We were spoiled by her sleeping, and are having to readjust.  She now wakes in the night wanting to nurse and is taking 30 minute catnaps instead of real naps during the day.  It's been a frustrating battle, because she is tired and gets fussy, but just won't sleep.   Good thing she is so adorable and is loved to pieces!

  

Baby L is a gigglier.  Showering us with the beautiful sound of baby laughter.  It makes my momma heart feel like it might burst.  She is also a lover of water; thoroughly enjoying every minute of bath time.  She splashes and kicks... a lot.   

Baby L has made our family feel perfect.  It's hard to remember what it was like before she was with us.  

3m old

With a bittersweet heart we say goodbye to Sister's newborness and hello to our infant.  I once heard a doctor refer to the first 3 months of a baby's life as the 4th trimester and I agree with his mentality.

Baby L's smiles, giggles, and babble are so much fun.  She is a happy baby; growing calmer with each month of life.  She still sleeps tightly swaddled at night.  Daddy is the master swaddler of the family.  She enjoys small bouts in the swing and is now big enough to go to the church nursery on Sunday mornings.  Big Brother J absolutely adores her.  I love watching him with her and look forward to seeing their relationship grow.  Juggling 2 kids has become much less scary; I even venture out of the house [alone with the them] regularly... which usually makes me feel like super mom!  

And just as I say with each passing month... I can't believe she's 3 months old already!     

2m old

Today our little girl turns 2 months old. 
She weighs in at 10 lbs. 9 oz, nearly doubling her birth weight in just 9 weeks of life.  Interesting tidbit- her big brother also weighed 10 lbs. 9oz at this exact age.  She has grown to 22 inches long.

Baby L started grinning just before 7 weeks.  Now she treats us with smiles and baby-babble daily.  One of my favorite things is to smile and talk to her.  Big brother J likes to mimic her baby noises, which just makes us smile even more.  Her head is getting a little steadier.  We are thrilled with her learning to take a bottle, after a few rough sessions she has learned to drink one well.  We even left her for 2 hours while my aunt was in town visiting- it was the first time she had been away from Momma.  While she isn't old enough to show interest in toys, she will bat at them hanging overhead when laying on her playmat.   

We see a natural routine forming and it looks something like this...
Wakes around 7am 
Up for an hour to an hour & half.
Nap #1
Up late morning and awake for couple hours
Nap #2 - Momma tries to time Big Brother's nap with this one for a bit of a break
Awakes late afternoon and stays awake for the evening... with maybe a quick cat nap on someone cuddly.    
At night she is usually swaddled and snoozing by 9pm... and I won't say how long she sleeps in fear of jinxing it, but will say she is a champion night sleeper!

   

1m old

Our little girl is 1 month old today!  What an amazingly fast, busy, sleepy, joyful, and a bit stressful month!  Everyone always advises new parents to enjoy babies because they grow up too quickly.  I have been determined to soak up as much newborn cuddliness as possible with Baby L, but even while being conscience of her quick growth, I am still surprised that an entire month has already passed.  She remains tiny, wearing newborn diapers and clothes, but she is definitely filling out.  Her cheeks and thighs are getting chunky and she has some adorable double chin action... if it is even possible, I believe she gets cuter and more squeezable by the day. 

All things baby [8m]

Baby J is growing up quick, right before our eyes.  Just as every parent we have ever known warned!  He is 8 1/2 months old, full of personality and energy!
His current stats:
Weight 17lbs. - 25th percentile
Height 28 inches - 80th percentile
1 Tooth - This was the newest milestone to be reached; with a tooth on the bottom pushing through in the last few days. 
From birth he has been a laid-back and happy baby and thankfully his attitude has not changed.  He is a self entertainer, but loves interaction especially if it includes clapping!  He is currently obsessed with clapping.  Even when he is fussy.   If someone starts clapping he will probably continue to fuss, but with a smile on his face!
 

Speaking of smiles, Baby J has a great big one!  MM (Medical Man aka my husband/baby daddy) and I still catch ourselves saying, "Awww" aloud when we see his big gummy smile.  It never loses it's heart melting power.

Besides smiling, another common facial expression is the bottom-lip-out pouty look.  He does it all the time, no sadness needed.  It's just one of his normal expressions.  If sadness does occur the pout just grows a little.

non-sad pout

A couple months ago we started the baby food phase of life.  He eats a good serving every evening, and we are currently trying to get him to eat a 2nd serving mid-day.  This week being the first week he has cooperated.  He is a great eater once he gets started.  Sometimes we have to be a little forceful with the first spoonful of the meal, but soon he is opening up before we can get the next spoonful ready.  [Inside joke: "Like a fish after the bangominnow"]  On days when eating is off to a slow start, it's nothing a few claps and cheers won't fix!  Again with the love of claps!

prunes + apples

He has tried many fruits, vegetables, and combinations.  Only once did he absolutely refuse something and that was a spinach, peas, and carrots mix... too many vegetables at once for him I suppose.  In his defense it did smell pretty awful!  His favorite food seems to be sweet potatoes, he gobbles them up fast each and every time.

He loves to jump!  And is developing some very strong legs!  This bouncer is worth every penny our friends spent on it (fab shower gift idea).  I love it as much as Baby J loves it.  It gives me a chance to get things done around the house without worrying about what the baby is doing, or better yet what the dogs are doing to the baby.  Holding him can be more difficult now as he wants to bounce constantly giving my arms a workout.  Even when he is sitting on my hip his legs are kicking non-stop.

He is at the everything goes straight into the mouth phase of life.  Needless to say this is a house of slobber.  And when I say everything goes into his mouth, I mean everything including any body part of mine or daddy's that he can manage to get a hold of, such as (but not limited to) noses, shoulders, fingers, chins, cheeks, collarbones, etc.  The kid actually gave me a hickey the other day!  When he gets a good latch he likes to shake his head back and forth, we call this the "Shark Attack"!  With the new addition of a tooth this game is going to be retired. 

feet make the best chew toys

He has started "talking".  While the jibber-jabber has been around for awhile, recently he has started making recognizable sounds such as "da da da da" and "ma ma ma ma" and once even "na na na na".  Of course "da da da da" is the most used sound (because it's the easiest to make) and his Dada is loving it.  I'm starting to think that he might actually be figuring out the connection between the "da da da da " sound and his Daddy.  The few times I have heard him make the "ma ma ma" noise has been a joyful experience even though I know it's just noises and there is no connection being made to me... YET!  Now when I try to coax him into saying "momma" he grins real big and then says "da da da da".  He also enjoys yelling.  Not in an upset manner, just in a did you know my voice could get this loud?  I just made this discovery and it is fun! manner.  

hanging out with his DaDa

He loves the dogs!!  I think he used to be confused about the small furry creatures that roamed the house, but now I'm pretty sure he believes they exist simply for his entertainment!  I am grateful that Wrigley & Ruby are very patient dogs because he has learned to grab their fur and hold on tight!  The first time this happened Baby J was laying on the couch and Ruby was hovering over him.  When I yelled for her to get down she tried jumping off the couch, but he had her floppy ear in his chubby-fingered grasp.  She shrieked and is now a little leery of getting so close.  If he does manage to grab one of the dog's fur, they freeze (silently willing J to let go).  The dogs run back and forth through the house playing and chasing one another and Baby J just watches and laughs.  While he is in his bouncer Wrigley likes to lay underneath and attempt to lick his feet while Ruby prefers to stand up against it and attempt to lick his face.
He makes a single "duh" sound when the dogs come around.  It's a different sound from "da da", which uses the A sound and tends to be multiple syllables.  So I wonder if he is learning the word dog, which I repeat over and over and over throughout the day. 

GAMES.  Peekaboo is fun.  I hide behind pillows or cabinets or my hands and then pop out and J always giggles without fail.  Stinky Feet is also a popular game.  I grab his feet and put them to my nose then yell "phew-ehhh stinky feet!!" while shaking his feet in the air, that one always gets a good laugh too.  Big-Strong-Baby (BSB) and Don't-Shake-The-Baby (DSTB) are the other everyday games we play.  BSB is played by him laying down on his back while he grabs my fingers and I pull him up to the standing position with one quick motion while cheering "big strong baby!" and DSTB is simply me shaking him a little while signing "don't shake the baby".    
He is ultra ticklish, which shouldn't surprise me too much because so am I.  The slightest poke to his rib cage or squeeze of his thigh and he is in a fit of laughter sometimes laughing so hard he gets choked up.      

He can roll from his stomach to his back with ease.  And although we know he can roll from his back to his stomach, he Very Rarely does.  He still gets his arm caught when rolling that direction and it makes him mad so he just won't do it.  I'll put him on his hands and knees and he can hold himself up really well, but when he tries to make a move he plops down on his belly and kicks his feet, gets annoyed, and rolls over to his back.  He can sit up all by himself now!  This is such a helpful milestone for him to have reached!  And because of it he can ride in grocery carts without his car seat and he can sit in restaurant high chairs. 

 

1st time in a high chair @ Mellow Mushroom, Columbia, SC

He is an avid reader.  Big Rex and Squishy Turtle are his top picks.  

Other Tidbits...

• He puts himself to sleep.  Yay-Parental high five!  We have been training him to go to sleep in his crib instead of letting him fall asleep on us and then laying him down in bed.  I would say 85% of the time he is put into bed awake.
• Pretty sure he prefers to sleep in the big bed with Momma and Daddy, but we try to limit this to early morning only.  He tends to wake between 5-6am, wants a little milk and then goes right back to sleep until 7ish.  At this time we will let him lay between us in our bed.  We also partake in Family Naps all together, usually on Sunday afternoons.  
• He loves bath time.  The splashing, the chewing on the rubber toys, the trying to drink the water.  Induces great sleep as well.
• He enjoys being outdoors.  We sit on blankets outside to play in the fresh air when it's not too hot.  And he likes going on walks, rarely complains when being pushed in his stroller.  If running with him in his stroller he always falls asleep. 
• Favors his left hand when picking up toys, not sure if that means anything at this early of an age, but it's an observation we have made.  His grandpa is left-handed. 
• "Healthy as a horse!"  He is right on track with his physical and mental development, it's easy to take this for granted.  We are so thankful for it.