Riley: 6 Months

Its hard to believe that Riley is 6 months old. Her birth and subsequent NICU journey seem like they just happened. Its all still so raw for me. But she has kept growing and hitting milestones and now, all of a sudden, she is as close to a year as she is to birth. I love it and I hate it all at the same time. I am trying my very best to treasure every moment because its all going by way too fast! Riley is a pure joy to be around and just the happiest sweetest baby. It doesn't take much to get smiles and giggles out of her and you can feel her smile from her toes all the way up her body. She is so chill (which was not always the case) and for the most part just goes with the flow. I cannot imagine our family without her in it and we have been so blessed these past 6 months. We love you SO much baby girl!

Stats:
12lbs 11oz (5th % - on the regular non-preemie chart!)
24.6" long (10th %)
Wearing size 1 diapers
Just graduated to 3-6/6mo clothes

Likes:
Laying and exploring on her play mat
Watching her sisters goof around and be crazy
The ceiling fan
Anything that makes the crinkly sound
Cuddling with her Mama

Dislikes:
Honestly, not much. Being overtired.

Milestones/Firsts:
Started baby food!! Oatmeal and some sweet potato, banana and apples.

Sleep:
Hit or miss with naps. Usually takes an 1 - 1.5hr nap 2x a day with a catnap thrown in if needed.
At night she sleeps great! She goes to bed around 7:30ish and will wake up once between 3am-6am and then go back down til around 8-8:30am.
She also moved out of the swaddle this month and into the Magic Merlin Sleepsuit and has done great!

Ellie: 5 Months

5 months!! Almost to my coveted 6 month mark. : )  She is such a fun baby these days and her personality shows more and more each day. She has really taken a liking to her sister and will watch her play and just laugh and smile at her. So fun to see that bond start, they are going to be the best of friends. She is an all around happy baby and goes with the flow pretty well. I am excited for the next few months as some big milestones approach - this is such a fun time with a baby!




Stats:
Guessing around 17lbs
Wearing size 3 diapers
Wearing 6mo and 6-9 mo clothes

Likes:
Watching her big sister play
Rolling around on the floor
Being read to
Sweet potatoes
Jumping in her jumper
Hanging out in her carrier facing out

Dislikes:
Not being able to get something in her mouth
Rolling over to her tummy and not being able to get back to her back

Milestones/Firsts:
No more swaddle!
Rolling from back to tummy
Eating her first baby food (sweet potato and apples so far)

Sleep:
She goes to bed between 7:30 and 8pm and will sleep until around 6am when I feed her and then put her back down til around 9am. During the day she will usually take 2 naps, morning nap is usually an hour long and the afternoon nap is anywhere from 1hr to 3 hrs.




 

Such cuties! 

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Look back at Molly's 5 month update 

Ellie: 4 Months

Hard to believe its been 4 months since I gave birth to baby E right in our living room! Crazy how time seems to move so fast when you look back on it. But I still find myself looking ahead to the fun times we have in store for us as she continues to grow.



This past month has been up and down. Ellie seems to have really "woken up" but she is still too young to really play so its a challenge to keep her entertained and happy. She also likes to be a very unpredictable napper, sometimes she naps for 40 min -- sometimes 3 hours. Its kind of nuts! But for the most part she is a very happy and fun little nugget. And gosh darn, that kid is cute! The hair!

Stats:
14lbs, 14oz (75%)
25 1/2 inches long (80%)
Wearing size 2 day diapers and size 3 night diapers
Wearing 3-6mo and 6mo clothes

Its so weird to have a big baby! M was just so tiny.

Likes:
Being swaddled for sleep
Putting her hands/objects in her mouth
Foot massages
Bouncing

Dislikes:
Being hot (you live in Texas kid, get used to it!)
Sitting still in your lap
Being in the carseat for long
The hiccups

Milestones/Firsts:
Grabbing toys and putting them in her mouth
Really watching people
Lots of laughs
*She still isn't rolling over, probably because she hates tummy time so much she doesn't get much practice

Ellie: 3 Months

3 Months! 3 Months! I now have an easy, happy all the time, on a schedule, great sleeper baby. That's what happens at 3 months right?! Ha! Not quite. But the so-called 4th trimester is over and things have gotten a little easier. Patterns have emerged, we have figured out some of her personality and quirks and she smiles...alot!

They say that the first 3 months, the newborn phase, are the hardest. And you can tell by my last post that I definitely agree. I am excited for where we are now and the little human that is starting to emerge.

My newborn is gone -- I have a baby on my hands now.


Stats:
No stats this month, won't know official weight and height til 4 mo doc appt

Likes:
Talking sessions with Dad (he can really get her going)
Watching her big sister play
Tummy rubs

Dislikes:
Tummy time...I mean she really really hates it
Being in the same place for too long

Milestones/Firsts:
Batting at toys
Grasping toys when put in her hands
Lots of drooling has started
Laughing! We got her to chuckle a few times and its adorable.







Cuties!

You can find Ellie's 2 month post here and all of Molly's milestone posts here.

Happy 6 Months

My baby girl is 6 months old today! I. cannot. believe. it.

A full 6 month post is coming in the next few days but in the meantime...



Happy half birthday Molly!

Attempting Solids

Solids...what a new and exciting adventure! Or so we thought. In reality it has turned out to be stressful and overwhelming. So much to learn and do and the pressure to do it right.

Our pediatrician gave us the go ahead to start Molly on solids at around 5 months. I have been a little anxious to start her because the prescription formula she drinks is not at all filling so she pretty much eats constantly. And by constantly I mean every 2 hours totaling up to 42oz a day! No, that was not a typo. This kid likes to eat.

After quite a bit of research and reading I think we are going to combine purees and the baby led weaning approach. And based on my husbands insight and knowledge as a chiropractic student we are skipping rice cereal and going straight to veggies.

To make sure our lil one is getting exactly what she needs (and only that) it is my plan to make as much of her food as possible. So for our first attempt I pureed yellow squash. It was surprisingly easy and took no time at all. I can definitely see that I will only need to dedicate about an hour on sundays to make and freeze her food for the week.

At 1 week away from 5 months we decided to give it a shot. She had been showing all the signs to look for: watches us eat and mimics chewing, is unsatisfied with her feedings, can sit supported, etc. The food was made and ready and it was time to give solids a first attempt.

And this is how it went...









And it ended with spitting up everything. Not exactly the fun first experience at solids that I was imagining. We took it as a sign that she isn't quite ready. Our plan is to try again closer to 6 months. She continues to keep showing all the signs (even pulling my taco basket on my lap at lunch the other day!) so we are confident that in a few more weeks she will be ready to go.

In the interim I am continuing to research and read about what others are doing to become as educated and equipped as possible.

And yes, we fed her in her bouncy chair on the kitchen floor. I am having serious problems deciding on a high chair.

Solids part 2 in a few weeks, stay tuned.

Daddy Daughter Friday: brunch

What better toy than Daddy's tie?

Molly: 5 Months

Is my little baby really 5 months old. Hard to believe. Time is moving so fast. And so many new things are happening. Our baby girl is learning and experiencing so much and watching her get a feel for the world around her is such a joy.

The first 3 months was rough. Really rough. Molly had colic (which I will dedicate a post to eventually) and cried a lot. Then we had a breakthrough when we switched her formula and slowly but surely she has become the happiest baby. It has made our lives so much more enjoyable. And boy do I feel for any parents that have a colicky baby. Its tough.

But here we are at 5 months old. I honestly never thought we'd get here. But we did and its wonderful.

Teething is still happening but no sign of an actual tooth yet. Her gums are super white and she is chomping down on everything so hopefully one will pop through soon. She is getting SO close to crawling. She practices every chance she gets and we have the camera ready to capture the first real crawl. The legs are moving, its just the arms she is still trying to figure out.

We also attempted solids this past month. It was an interesting experience and we learned we need to wait a lil longer. It was fun to watch the faces she would make but we could tell she isn't quite ready. She was not a fan of my homemade squash puree. I will be making most of her food though and I am excited to make all sorts of fun stuff.

She has definitely found her voice and squeals, laughs and gurgles all the time. And she has two different smiles - one sly crooked smile like her daddy's and then another all out super grin. So cute.

I am so lucky to have such a great baby and am really enjoying being her Mom. Looking forward to what this month will bring.

Stats:

12 lbs 10oz  (at home weigh in)

No length or head because we don't have a dr visit this month.

She is still pretty petite but really starting to put on some weight quickly! Has finally grown out of all her newborn clothes and some of the 0-3 months stuff. She mainly wears the plain old 3 months outfits. 

Likes:

Practicing crawling

Playing with the remote

Being outside

Watching people eat

Dislikes:

Not being able to figure out crawling

Being in the carseat in restaurants

Daddy Daughter Friday: cuddle time

Molly loves playing with her daddy and now that she is starting to really "play" Dad is really enjoying it too. But nothing is better than a little pre-bedtime cuddle.





Happy weekend all.

To Kick Off Spring

In honor of Spring's arrival we packed up the car last week and headed out for a picnic at the park. And not just any picnic, Molly's first picnic.


It was a beautiful 78 degrees and sunny with a mild breeze. The husband picked up some burger patties and organic hot dogs on the way home and packed up his mini Weber grill. My dad was in town for his Manny duties so he joined us as well.

Delicious food, cold beer and cute baby moments ensued.











We had a fantastic time. And Molly thoroughly enjoyed herself. We are looking forward to lots of picnics this summer!

The Dreaded Sleep Regression

Our sleeping situation has had a lot of twists and turns along the way...and we have hit a new twist the last month.



Before baby M arrived we decided we were going to put her in the crib from day one. Well for some reason as soon as we laid eyes on her we changed our minds. Having her across the hall, in her room, all alone just wasn't going to do. But we didn't want to purchase a big bassinet and we couldn't fit a pack in play in our room so we opted to co-sleep with an in-bed bassinet. Well let me tell you, a mini bassinet in a queen size bed does not leave much room to get comfortable. We stuck with it though for about 5 or 6 weeks before deciding we had to do something different.



Turn #1. We moved the swing into our bedroom and she slept in the swing, all swaddled up. She was sleeping really well and we now had room to actually, I don't know - roll over. But she was still in our room which meant that we had to tip toe around to do things like brush our teeth.

Here came another twist. Let's move her to her room. We didn't want to put her through too many changes at once so we just moved the swing into her room and she continued to sleep in it. Ahh, we can walk from the bed to the bathroom in peace and brush our teeth with the bathroom light on. Freedom!





At around 3 months we made the decision to try to transition her to her crib. And we just went for it, cold turkey. No naps first or playtime in the crib...we went through our normal bedtime routine and then put her down in the crib. She slept...with no problems!



And through all of this, from around 3 weeks old, she was "sleeping through the night" -- which at first meant 5 straight hours and then slowly worked its way up to 11 hours! Yep, you heard me right. Wow, how lucky are we?

Then came the latest turn, one we had read about and hoped wouldn't happen to us. Please, no. We had been spoiled and were enjoying it. But regardless of our pleading it happened. The 4 month sleep regression. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, with no warning a 2 am wake up! Its okay, its only a one time thing, right? She will get back to normal tomorrow. Then another wake up the next night, this time at 3am. And so it began. And now here we are, our amazing little sleeper has hit a wall. A 2am wall.

Here is to hoping its a short lived phase. In the meantime, watch for my tweets in the middle of the night.

Simple Saturday

On Saturday we took advantage of the beautiful Spring weather and took Molly on her first trip to the Dallas Arboretum. And we got some other unexpected firsts as well.

It was so insanely crowded (two spring breaks colliding plus a beautiful Sat = chaos!) that we had to park a mile away and take a bus shuttle back to the Arboretum. Just as we were pulling into the parking lot Molly started to melt down. Screaming at some insane levels. Yikes! This was going to be fun. For a moment we contemplated throwing in the towel and heading back home because a screaming baby in a sea of crowded people isn't too fun -- but we thought what the hell. We hopped on the big shuttle bus and Molly instantly calmed down while she took in her new surroundings. Wide eyed and mystified at the people, noises and motion of the bus. By the time we got to the Arboretum and strapped her in her stroller she was a pure gem.









We can't wait to take advantage of our membership all spring and summer long. I see lots of picnics in the lush green grass in our future.

And oh yea, it was St. Patrick's Day too.





Molly's name is inspired by our rich Irish heritage so this was a special day for her -- our little Irish lass.

A Day in the Life

Now that I have been a Mom for a little over 4 months I thought I would share what my day looks like. We don't have a set schedule, I just go with what Molly is feeling that day, so this is not the exact same everyday but you'll get the idea. I also work from home so this is a non-working day.

7:45/8am- I hear Molly starting to wake up in her crib and get out of bed to rush around doing a few things before she is fully up. Things include letting the dog out and feeding her, getting Molly's bottle going, making coffe, brushing my teeth and throwing on some pants. (on ocassion I get up early before Molly to grab a shower-otherwise I will shower after she is up)

8:15am- "Good morning Sunshine!" Molly is up. I unwrap her from her swaddle and let her stretch and look around. She smiles at me, love it. We then change her diaper, take her Zantac, and put on her outfit for the day. After she is all set I feed her.



8:45-10am- Playtime. In the morning she is the happiest and can play on her own for the longest amount of time. She lays on her blanket in the living room and rolls around, plays with toys, coos etc. I usually sit on the floor with her and sip my coffee while Good morning America and Live with Kelly is on in the background. (If I didn't get up early and shower I do it now while Molly sits in her bouncy in the bathroom)



10:15am- Naptime! She usually takes a morning nap of around 45 min. While she sleeps I buzz about the house doing laundry, emptying the dishwasher, giving the dog some attention, taking a deep breath and maybe stuffing some food down.

11am- She is up! I hear her fussing and know that the nap is over. And she is hungry and not happy about it. I get her bottle going, go get her and change her diaper. Then I feed her again while sitting at my computer.

11:30-1:30pm- Errands. If I have errands to run or just want to get out of the house this is generally the time I do that. Molly usually stays up for the first half of the errand running and then crashes in the car seat (unless the car comes to a complete stop -- then she cries).

2pm- Time to eat again. Man this kid is always hungry! Again, I fix her bottle, change her diaper and then feed her.

2:15-3:30- Afternoon playtime. We walk around the house and look at things, play on her activity mat, walk around the backyard, etc. etc. Molly likes to be entertained most of the time and gets bored quickly so we are always switching up activities.





3:30-5ishpm- Afternoon nap! This one lasts 2 hours if I am lucky but most of the time 1 1/2 hours. I check email, Facebook, Twitter for a bit. Then I again tend to any laundry, vacuum, watch a little something on the DVR, read a magazine. Just try to relax a bit.

5pm- I hear the rumblings of Molly awakening once again. I go and get her up, change her diaper and then yes, feed her again. Chase usually arrives home around this time and she is excited to see her Daddy.

5:30pm- Walk. We strap Molly into her stroller, grab the dog and head out. Molly takes in the sights for the first half of the walk and then usually nods off for the remainder. I tell Chase all about our day and we talk while we walk.



6:15pm- Back home. And time to eat again.

6:30-7:30pm- Evening playtime. She is starting to get her evening fussies at this point so it generally involves us walking around with her and just overall being extremely engaged.

7:30- Bath time! At this point we only give Molly a bath every other day or so. Our doctor recommends not bathing her everyday because it will irritate and dry out her skin and she really isn't dirty. Molly enjoys her baths and starts to calm down for the night.



7:45- Bed time ritual begins. We put on her PJs, give her a little baby massage, take her Zantac and read a bedtime book. Then we feed, swaddle, rock/bounce, and put her down to bed. Generally this is a pretty easy task getting her to sleep but occasionally its a battle.

8:15-10pm- Non-baby time! Chase and I eat dinner, watch some of our shows, have adult conversation and so on. From time to time we have friends over for a drink on the back porch.

10:30ish- Bedtime for us. We try to get to bed at a reasonable hour but its hard when there is so much you can be doing when the baby is asleep. But eventually we give in, turn off the lights and fall asleep.

Between 3am-4am- Molly is up and hungry! This just started happening about a week ago and its not fun. We had a great all night sleeper and then BAM -- no more. Chase gets up and makes her bottle while I go in and console her until its ready. I feed her, in darkness and silence and then put her back down as fast as possible. Generally 35 min or so. Then its back to bed for us.

7:45/8am- Another day is here and we do it all over again!

(*note: As I type this we are having an off day and it looks nothing like what I just wrote. ha!)