Five Months

Layla, you turned five months old on December 17th.  You have changed so much this month!  You are such a character, and make your daddy and I laugh every day.

We started you on food this month, and you love it!  So far, you've tried rice cereal, applesauce, bananas, peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, and squash.  You love everything except the green beans.  You have a hatred of green beans like I have never seen.  You seriously screamed for a good five minutes after I stopped feeding you just because you were mad.  I thought something was wrong - I tasted them and they were fine - I made them!  So I hurried to whip up some bananas for you and as soon as they hit your lips, you stopped screaming and gobbled them down.  I'm scared to try green beans again!

You are eating about 7 oz each bottle feeding, and I would estimate that you weigh around 15 pounds.  You are officially in size six month clothing, and we have had to add a new item to your wardrobe - teething bibs.  I don't see any teeth yet, but you are constantly drooling!  So we have to keep a bib on you or we would be changing your shirt constantly.

You go to sleep at 8 and usually wake up around 3.  I was hoping the food would make you sleep longer but it's actually done the opposite.  You usually just want a quick feeding at 3 and are back asleep by 4 for a couple more hours.  However, you still don't like naps and we usually can't get you to sleep more than 30 minutes at a time during the day in your crib.  You'll sleep in someones arms though!

You are getting so good at grabbing things and are always trying to pick up or reach for anything you can.  You also love to watch people talk to you and reach out to touch their faces.  Also, you are starting to be able to sit up on your own.  We definitely have to hover because you will topple over after a bit, but you've done great and look like such a big girl sitting there all by yourself!

You also have finally started to take a pacifier, and it has made such a difference.  For some reason you just hated them when you were really little, but once we saw this:

we decided to give it another try.  Within a minute of you having the paci, you fell asleep! 

You babble quite a bit, especially in the mornings.  Your daddy and I will just sit and listen to you talk  and squeak over the monitor when you wake up. You'll also "say" things to us and laugh and laugh when we respond.  You've discovered how to blow raspberries, and still love to make the growling noise.  And of course, "mmmm" while you're eating!

You love being read to, which I'm really happy about, and try to reach out and touch the different pictures on the pages.  You have a lot of fun in your jumper, and really like toys that you can get a good handle on and shake.  And, as always, you LOVE the dogs!  You reach out and pet them now and it's so sweet - I just have to make sure I'm right there because you obviously don't know the difference between petting and grabbing a handful of hair.  But the dogs are very patient and gentle with you, no aggression at all.  I'm so happy that you will have a special relationship with your puppies!

We love you more and more every day.  You bring us such joy and we've loved every minute with you!

Thanksgiving 2010 - Part 2

We were so happy to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with both sides of the family this year.  The Saturday after Thanksgiving, we drove to Bay City and spent the day with Nick's family, and we had a wonderful time.  The food was great - especially my favorite Hash Brown Casserole that Nick's mom makes!  We also had homemade ice cream, which I've been hearing about for a while and finally got to experience.  Layla was super interested in watching the girls turn the crank to make the ice cream - maybe next year she can actually join in!

It was so nice to relax and visit with family, and Layla loved being held by everyone and getting lots of attention.  By the end of the day, she was pretty tired out and fell asleep in my arms - look familiar??

I guess there is something about Thanksgiving and that position that puts this little girl right to sleep!

Rice Cereal

I was really excited when we got the green light from our pediatrician to start Layla on rice cereal.  She loves her food, and I couldn't wait to see how she took to something more substantial than milk!

So, Nick and I broke out the high chair last night and got her all set up.  I had both the video camera and digital camera out to capture this "first" so we can show it to all of her future boyfriends ;).  She was a little wary at first, but once she got used to the spoon she loved it!  She was making little "mmmm" noises while she was eating, so cute.  I was hoping that feeding her would add maybe an hour or so of sleep to her morning, but so far no luck...maybe this weekend will go better!

Here are a few pictures - what a mess!  It seemed like for every scrape of food off of her face and into her mouth, twice that amount came back out. She kept getting a surprised look on her face, and I could just see her thinking "What is this stuff??!"  We'll see how next week goes with the cereal, and if she's doing well, then on to oatmeal and veggies!

Thanksgiving 2010 - Part 1

We celebrated Thanksgiving with both sides of the family this year.  We had our first dinner on Thursday with my family, then headed out to Bay City on Saturday to celebrate with Nick's family.

My parents came up to stay with us on Wednesday night, and my wonderful husband manned the grill and made us a delicious dinner.  After we ate, we just hung out with the baby for a bit until it was time for her bath, and went to bed pretty early since we would be going over to my older sister's house the next morning.

Steph hosted us at her house on Thursday.  Everything was sooo good!  She had a wonderful spread of appetizers for us to snack on while the turkey was cooking, and we had a great time visiting and playing with Layla until dinner was ready.  The meal was incredible, Steph is a wonderful cook and we, of course, stuffed ourselves silly. 

After our meal, we went outside for a bit to work off some of the food, and my nephews brought out their Rip Boards.  Basically, these are kind of like inline skateboards..  My nephews were just shooting down the street like pros and made it look so easy, but let me tell you - these things are IMPOSSIBLE.  Nick got the hang of it towards the end, but I tried it and couldn't even stand on the thing!  I'll leave that one to the boys...

We had such a nice time, and Layla really enjoyed all of the attention.  By the end of the night, she was pretty exhausted (aka cranky), and there was really only one person that could get her to calm down...

This holiday has taken on a whole new meaning now that we have Layla.  I am so absolutely thankful for everything in my life.  I'm living the life that I always dreamed and hoped of having, and I thank God every day for everything He has blessed us with, especially our sweet, healthy baby girl.  She brings us such joy every day, and I can't even remember what our lives were like without her!

Part 2 of our Thanksgiving celebration is coming soon...

Out and About

We had a great time visiting with friends this weekend.  We started our Saturday with a trip out to Spring to visit Nikki, Matthew, Luke and Lily.  I love our visits and wish we lived closer!  Nikki is a great mom and has been a huge help to me from Day 1 of my pregnancy - she's provided advice, a listening ear, and a shoulder to lean on anytime I need it.

Lily and Luke are such great kids.  I seriously cannot believe how big they have gotten.  I feel like it was just yesterday that Nikki was leaning over the cubicle wall, telling me she was pregnant with Luke, and now look at him!  And sweet Lily is such a doll, look at that smile!

It was WAY past Layla's naptime



Sunday afternoon, we headed over to Sonia and Michael's house so Nick could try out his new toy:

Nick and Michael rode out to some trails near their house to go four wheeling and left us girls to visit.  Sonia's girls are precious - I heard all about dance class and purple sparkly nail polish!  It was a fun glimpse of what's to come.  Since it was such a nice day, we decided to go outside and feed the ducks that live at the lake behind their house.  Nick and Michael got back just in time, and Nick took over with Layla so I could snap some pictures.  She was definitely interested in the ducks - but the dogs are still #1 in her heart!



Four Months

Layla, you turned four months old on November 17th.  I can't believe it.  I feel like we just came home from the hospital with you!  Last year at this time, I was still in disbelief that I was actually pregnant, anxious about all of the changes that were going to take place, worried about making it through my first trimester, but most of all, overjoyed at what was to come.  And here we are a year later, and I have the best little girl I could ever ask for!

We had your four month pediatrician check up on Friday.  You now weigh 14 lbs 3 oz and measure 25 inches long.  You are in the 50th to 60th percentiles for all of your stats, so we are right on track!  You are in size 2 diapers and wear size 3-6 month clothing.  You usually eat about 5 oz every 2-3 hours.  We also got some good news - we can start you on rice cereal!  I can't wait to see your reaction - you are definitely an eater, so I'm hoping you'll do well once we start you on food. 

We have a pretty good bedtime routine set.  We start your bath at 7, then put on your PJs and give you your last bottle at 7:30, and you are asleep by 8.  You usually wake up anywhere between 4-6 AM for a quick feeding, then sleep for an hour or two more before you're officially up for the day.

You smile all the time!  You still love being sung to, and definitely want to be the center of attention. You are rolling over from stomach to back, and trying to roll back to stomach but aren't quite there yet.  You have really strong legs and always want to "stand" - as Dr. Wilber commented on when you kicked him while he was trying to examine you!  You're also becoming very vocal - the sounds of cooing, screeching, and most recently, this cute little growl, are filling the house.  And you are reaching the stage when you are starting to put things in your mouth, so we have to watch you carefully, you're quick!

I can't believe how fast you are developing!  You are reaching out and grabbing everything around you, whether that be toys, your blankets, or my face and hair. You are becoming much more interested in being read to, which is great!  You are also learning how to make all of your toys play music - it's amazing to watch you figure out a certain one and get really excited when you have it down pat. I've been trying to make sure I'm picking out toys that are more interactive - I'm so proud of how fast you are learning. 

You are a complete Daddy's Girl - no one can make you laugh like he can.  Not to mention, you look exactly like him!  You are also starting to really notice the dogs, and your gaze follows them wherever they go.

You make me and your daddy so happy, nothing is better than your sweet little face at the end of a hard day.  We love you!




Sweet smile




What I have to fight through to get your PJs on!  And there is a little bump on your leg from your shots :(



Concentrating on your Baby Einstein toy




The dogs standing guard, as usual




"Ooh, who is that?"




Playing with Daddy

 

Happy Birthday, Kate!

We went out for a girls dinner last weekend to celebrate Kate's birthday.  As usual, I had a really fun time and laughed the entire night.  Every time I get together with the girls, I remember how lucky I am to have such wonderful friends. And I actually stayed out past dinner, which, as sad as it sounds, is late for me since I've had Layla.  I usually try to grab any chance for sleep, but I couldn't pass up spending time with these great girls and continuing the celebration of one of my dearest friend's birthday!  Happy Birthday, Kate!

Cotton candy, sweet and low, let me see that...

I know, I know, but the song is a classic and it's been running through my head ever since I bought Layla's Halloween costume! 

We had a pretty low key Halloween - we stuck around the house and handed out candy.  My mom came up to visit, so Jamie came over and we all traded off on door duty until it was time for Layla's bath. She was so cute in her little outfit, I just wanted to eat her up!  Here are a few more pictures from Sunday night.  Next year, we'll actually leave the house!



Lots of "Firsts"

Layla has experienced a lot of new things over the past couple of weeks.  Time is just flying by, she's growing up so fast.

She outgrew her little baby bathtub, so we tried out the big girl tub this past week.  I can tell she likes it - she has much more room to kick and wiggle.  Look at how small she seems in there!

She also met Gene and Dottie this past weekend.  It was really nice to visit with family, and Layla loves all of the attention.  Dottie made the most beautiful blanket for her and they gave us a book of children's prayers that we'll be reading from every night.



"Layla, would you like some candy?"

Layla smiles all the time, but I swear, as soon as the girl sees a camera, she stops.  These are really the first pictures that I've been able to get, and they still don't do her justice.  She can let out some laughs and it's so cute!  One of these days I'll capture it...

I also finally got a picture of her on her belly, lifting up and actually not crying. She's getting pretty good at rolling over - she really doesn't like tummy time, and I'm a mean mom by making her do it every day.

Finally, a first for both Layla and us - the pumpkin patch - every parent's rite of passage.  I was really excited to go and thought we were finally going to get some great photos of the baby.  OK.  We seriously took no less than 40 pictures and NONE of them turned out well.  I guess she's not at the best stage for posed pictures right now.  She's not big enough to sit on her own yet, but she's too big to just stay where you put her.  So we had lots of pictures of one of us propping her up, catching her as she tipped over, fixing her shirt, the list goes on and on.  I kid you not, these are the best ones:



My favorite, look at that face!  She was tired and had little puffy eyes.

Her shirt was much more interesting than the pumpkins

I know it looks like she was aboout to fall through the opening, but she wasn't, I promise!

Pumpkin head!

As you can tell, a photographer I am not, but we still had a great day.  I'll worry about getting good pictures next year!