Wednesday, December 29, 2010

8 months!

Tuesday, Jade was 8 months old. Again, I know I say this every month... but really, where has the time gone? I will say that in some ways it feels like she's been a part of our lives forever, but most of the time I feel like I brought her home from the hospital yesterday.

Our 8-month photo shoot left a little to be desired. I had to wait until daddy got home from work to even try because I couldn't get her to sit still long enough to take a picture. Unfortunately, she was feeling a little fussy so we didn't get any smiles on camera... and then she started trying to eat the sticker. Sigh.


I feel like she has changed so much this month. She's doing new things every day and making Chuck and I laugh all the time. She's still a fairly serious baby, but is smiling and laughing more and more, which I have to admit is nice.

She has started crawling EVERYWHERE. Up until recently, she pretty much would crawl from one side of a room to the other and then stop, but she's started to crawl into other rooms now and is discovering that she can follow me when I walk away. She still isn't quite into everything, which is amazing to me, but I'm grateful for it. She has started to stick her tongue out while she's crawling. I'm not quite sure why, but it's adorable!

Although she isn't getting into too much yet, I still have to watch her constantly because she tries to pull up on everything... even things that aren't necessarily good for pulling up on. The poor thing has probably fallen a bazillion times this month, but she's definitely learning how to balance herself a bit better. She's even started to hold onto things with one hand while reaching for something else. It wouldn't surprise me at all if she walks fairly early. Which will look hilarious because she's still so tiny!

Speaking of tiny... in these pictures, she's wearing 3-6 month clothes. As you can see, they fit fine. We've moved her into a lot of 6-9 month stuff, but it's still pretty big on her and she still fits in most of her 3-6 stuff. We don't go to the doctor again until her 9 month appt, but I will be very interested to see how much she weighs. I know she's getting bigger, but she's doing it fairly slowly :)

She's also started to act "shy" when she sees new people. If I'm holding her, she'll lay her head down on my chest with this little grin on her face. She does this most days when Chuck gets home before she starts smiling and getting really excited.

She still loves bath time... Chuck gives her a bath every night and as long as she's in there, she's happy. She splashes and plays with her toys and sucks on her washcloth. Unfortunately, when we get her out, it's meltdown mode until she's dressed and I'm nursing her. I think she's a bit mad to be out of the tub and a bit mad to be completely out of control, so she screams :) Hopefully that will stop one day...


Her eating skills are improving dramatically. This morning, I gave her 5 peach slices for breakfast and every one of them made it to her mouth. She's even started to be able to get little things into her mouth... she has a lot of fun with Cheerios. She really does just love to eat... she's started to get excited when she sees me getting her tray ready, which is really cute. Last month she was cutting down on her nursing sessions, but this month she ramped back up. Between nursing and eating table foods, she spends a LOT of time eating.

We've been doing sign language with her since she was about 3-months-old and she's finally started to respond to some of them. She still hasn't made any herself, but I know it's just a matter of time. I can't wait until we are able to communicate with her a little bit better.

Her sleep was improving for a while, but then she got sick and then we went out of town so it's back to "normal". After a 2 am incoherent screaming match between Chuck and I which helped me to realize that something had to change, we did Ferber for a few days. It really didn't seem to be helping, and then she got sick so her sleep got much worse. When I realized that we would have to start all over after she was feeling better and then do it again every time we had a setback, I decided I just couldn't continue with that method. I have not read a single thing saying why it's a good thing to let your kid cry (and I've looked), but I've read a ton about how it can be detrimental. So, we're starting the No Cry Sleep Solution again. We tried it when she was 4-months, but I just don't think she was ready.... but now I know she can wake up fewer times every night, so hopefully our results will be better. I'll keep you guys posted :)

She still loves to be worn in my woven. If she's fussy and I need to get stuff done around the house, I can just strap her on and be on my way. That thing is a lifesaver! It's also great for walks... she likes being up high where she can see everything that I can see.

Whew, this was a long update post! But like I said, she's doing so many new things. I really feel like she's starting to grow up a bit :)


This isn't an "8-month" photo, but is just an example of how hard it is to get good pictures of her these days because she never sits still! I was trying so hard to get the tongue sticking out while crawling and I did... just a little late :)

I still have some pictures to post from our visit to Indiana and first Christmas, I'll try to get those up soon.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Christmastime

We have had a great trip to Indiana so far. Chuck's Auntie Beth did an amazing job getting the house ready for us and having things around for Jade. (my food-loving baby needs a high chair!)

Jade started to feel much better before we left home and was a champ on the flights here. Unfortunately, her nose has started running and she's coughing and not feeling so great now. Poor thing just can't seem to shake this virus.

I don't have internet access here so I can't upload any of the pictures I've taken with my "real" camera, but rest assured that we were all spoiled. I think jade got 15 new outfits.

Here's a cute one of her from Christmas day:



I hope you have all had a good Christmas with your family as well!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Saturday, December 18, 2010

My poor sick baby

Beginning last Saturday, Jade started acting fussy. She had no real symptoms, just waking up a lot at night and fussy during the day.

On Thursday she started acting worse, so I called the doctor. She said it was probably teething. "even without swollen gums?" I asked. She said yes, that this tooth might not break through until next month so the gums don't have to be swollen for the tooth to be bothering Jade.

I'm ashamed to say that my first thought was "yay, a fussy baby for another month".

Well, Friday night she felt warm to the touch, so I took her temperature. 101.1. No good. Tylenol helped bring it down, but as it wore off around the 3-hour mark it kept coming back. All night long.

This morning I called the nurses hotline. She said it no longer sounds like teething and encouraged me to go to urgent care.

Where I was told that my baby has a cold. A cold. While I am grateful it's not something worse, I'm frustrated because there's basically nothing I can do. Administer Tylenol, suction her nose, give saline spray, run a humidifier, and let the virus run its course.

Prayers would be appreciated :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

More Christmas stuff

In my family, we have about a bazillion (yes, a technical term) Christmas traditions. One is that my brother and I each always have a little tree in our room with our Hallmark ornaments on them. Every year, my parents got us an ornament that was part of a series... one of mine (Mary's Angels) has been going on for 23 years. It's pretty neat to put up the tree every year and see all 23 of them.

























So I had to buy an ornament for Jade. I wasn't really a huge fan of any of the "first in series" ornaments this year, so we got her one that says "2010" and is supposed to go for 10 years. I figure sometime in the next 10 years, Hallmark will start a new series that I like.


















My parents contributed her "Baby's first Christmas" ornament, along with a little nativity scene to sit under her tree.










































Growing up, we also had a little tin that we put under the tree that Santa would fill up with goodies... usually Chex mix or something like that. I found Jade's tin for .99 at Michael's. Can't beat that.


Monday, December 13, 2010

Stocking

Chuck is about the pickiest guy I know. Most guys I know say "yeah, whatever" when it comes to certain things. Chuck is not that guy. He has an opinion on everything. Except for what I cook for dinner, but that's another story.

So when it came time to pick out Jade's stocking, we had an extremely difficult time. I didn't want anything that was baby-ish because I want it to be her stocking for the rest of her life. None of our stocking's have our names on them, so I didn't want hers to have her name on it. I didn't want to buy new stocking for the whole family, because then what happens when we have another kid and we can't find those stockings? We have to buy all new stockings again? I don't think so.

So I picked out several while I was out shopping this year. I would take a picture and text it to Chuck. He would immediately (or not so immediately) text back and say "no" and then give his reason. Seriously, why can't you just say "yeah, whatever"?

But now I know why. Because it challenged me to find the best.stocking.ever. I love this stocking so much that everytime I look at it, I smile and think "wow, I love that stocking". It's girly, but not too girly. It looks good with the rest of our stockings, but it's not matchy matchy. Frankly, it's perfect.

Even Chuck likes it. Not so much that he looks at it and says "that stocking is perfect," but he doesn't look at it and grimace, which is what he would have done with any other one that I had picked out.









































I found it from Etsy seller Mrowe. Etsy never disappoints :)

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Glimpse

Since posting yesterday, I have wanted to edit my post about 40 times. I have considered deleting it entirely,but figured someone might notice.

The thing is, I know I'm not a hippy. And I know that the things
I posted don't make me a hippy. I read a lot of blogs and post on some message boards and through those things have realized I'm fairly middle of the road.

However, around the circle of people I know here in Virginia, I'm an oddity. And while I have nothing against being the "weird" one- it's certainly happened before- I won't lie and say that it doesn't bother me at times. I would love to expand my circle and meet some moms more like me, but that is easier said than done. So until then, I will be the token crunchy mom at my church.

I will try to return to normal posts soon. I know most of you read for updates on Jade, but the increased darkness combined with sleep deprivation makes me think way too much.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday, December 6, 2010

Embrace the crunchiness

There has always been a small part of me that had a bit of a hippy ("crunchy", if you will) nature. I'm slightly freakish about recycling, and compared to my ROTC/Air Force buddies was quite the liberal.

Since becoming a mom, this has multiplied exponentially. I was talking to Chuck the other day about how I wanted to get some bamboo inserts for Jade's diapers because they're more absorbent and he looked at me like I had been possessed. Now that I use cloth, I hate putting disposables on her because they're so paper-like and the chemicals weird me out.

My parenting choices have put me in line with all the no-showering/no-shaving people. I denied it for a while, but it's true.

I baby-wear, and not with a Bjorn or some other mainstream carrier, but with a woven wrap.
I cloth diaper.
I breastfeed exclusively, nurse in public (without a cover) without batting an eye, and don't think it's "weird" or "creepy" if people nurse their baby past a year.
I really try to limit battery operated toys, and prefer toys made of natural materials.
I think bed-sharing is just as "normal" (if not more so) than babies having their own room.
We Baby Led Wean, instead of feeing purees

But all of a sudden, I have nothing in common with most of the moms that I know. I was talking to some ladies at church the other day and realized that I was definitely an oddity. But I am embracing it. A couple women now call me "the hippy" and I think this will be my new name.

That is all.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Thanksgiving

Somehow I got home and don't have a single picture of Jade eating turkey, but until I find that one here are some other pictures from our trip home.


















On a walk with the whole clan.


















Sitting with daddy.


















Talking to Grandmama during her bath.


























Showing off her adorable new Auburn outfit. She wore this during the AU/AL game. I believe that it was the deciding factor in Auburn's win :)

























Eating one of her Christmas presents.


















Showing off her standing skills.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

7 months

Sunday, Jade was 7 months old. I think this month has brought the most changes so far, mainly with her physical milestones.

She can now sit up by herself no problem, and is far less wobbly than before. She also finally figured out to put her arms out when trying to go from sitting to crawling, so there's not so much face-planting going on :)

She learned to crawl. She still mainly scoots, but she is crawling more and more and is definitely mobile and going after things.

She can pull to standing while holding onto our fingers, and is really close to being able to pull up on the couch. We're going to have to lower the crib mattress tonight because last night she kept trying to pull up on the side- she wasn't quite successful, but it's just a matter of time.

She is finally sleeping a bit better. Her naps have improved drastically. If I put her down 2 hours after she wakes up in the morning, she goes down without a fight and normally sleeps for at least an hour. The afternoon nap is still a bit of a struggle, but is still better than it was. She now only wakes up twice at night more consistently than anything else, so that's been nice as well. When we were traveling, it was worse, but that's understandable. Two times a night isn't perfect, but it's so much better than it was so I'm super-thankful. It also helps that Chuck takes her first waking because I'm normally asleep by then :)

Speaking of Chuck, she's started to get excited when he gets home from work, which is super cute. I have a feeling she's gonna be a total daddy's girl.

She LOVES to eat. She's actually started to cut back on her nursing sessions a little and is eating 3 full meals of solids a day. So far, her favorite food is peaches, but I haven't found anything she won't eat.

Without further ado, her 7-month photo... I'll post soon about our trip home for Thanksgiving!

























It was impossible to get her to sit still for this one.. but I thought this one was cute :)