Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Sounds like Life to me: Wrong Profession?

Okay, I've debated and debated about writing this, but I finally realized, like most things, that once I get it off my chest and surrender it to the Lord, it helps me move on.

Today, no this week, I feel like my "boss" is telling me I'm in the wrong profession.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE working the morning and being at home with Brooke for the rest of the day, but apparently I suck at it.  At daycare, they consistently get her to take at least an hour nap in the morning... I get maybe 40 minutes from her and then that ruins any chance of a good afternoon nap.  Yes, I know she has been sick, but when I'm sick, I want to sleep.  Either Brooke loves me sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much she just can't bear to close her eyes, or I'm terrible at reading her sleepy cues and screwing her of a good nap in the morning and afternoon.

Oh yes, and did I mention I've somehow messed up the whole night time sleep thing too? haha yeah regardless of the time I put Brooke down at night, she wakes up at 5:30 on.the.dot.  Okay, almost on the dot.  So lets recap.  Around 10 hours of sleep at night and maybe 2 hours naps during the day = 12 hours total.  MOST other people have their children sleeping 12 hours at night and 3-4 hours during the day = 15.5 hours.  And it's not that she's playing in her crib, so she's  fussing and crying and won't rest.  Then I try to get her to sleep in my arms, and she just wants to play with my face and make me laugh. UGH.  SO either Brooke just doesn't need a lot of sleep or I am clueless on how to get my child the proper amount of sleep.

My house is a mess, I haven't plucked my eyebrows in who knows when, and I honestly feel like anyone else could fix this sleep issue but for some reason, not me.  Yes.  I am whining and complaining because I feel like a bad mom.  I am hardly contributing financially and our precious child's schedule is so inconsistent, I feel like I messed up some how.  Yes, she can walk, smiles and plays all day, can say 10-15 words, but when it comes to sleeping, I missed the memo and am doing something wrong.  I've given up on reading articles/blogs and books on sleep.  Been there, done that... none of it works for me.

And yes, she is napping now.  It only took me an hour and 15 minutes, a diaper change, busting out the bottles that were stored away, thawing expressed milk, holding her til she was almost asleep and then sitting with my hand on her back until she was all of the way asleep.  And I'm guessing it will only be a 30 minute nap.  Mommy fail.

With all that said, Lord, help me to be a better child.  Help me to listen to you and seek your peace, patience and wisdom.  Allow me to see where I need to adjust things in my life to be a better Mom and Wife and create more harmony in my home.  God, please take away the doubt that is in my mind right now and the terrible feeling I have that I am worthless at raising our child.  Reveal to me, if it is your will what Brooke needs or what I need to do to make nap time less of a battle and get the proper amount of sleep for this child.  God I love you, especially because you hear my silly prayer and smile.  You are full of patience and remind me daily that I am not in control.  Amen.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Growin' Like a Weed: 12 Months


Height: 27 3/4"
Weight: 16lbs 15oz

Likes: Sweet Potato Puffs (seriously, every other time we walk into the kitchen she points to the pantry and grunts until we go over and get some!  Brooke loves animals!  Any random person walking their dog in the neighborhood is free game for a Brooke smile and squeal! She welcomes their slobbery kisses with delight! We have a local pet store and B likes to go and see the bunnies, kittens and hamsters.  She's STILL a Mama's girl and still loves anything soft!  Wait... I forgot to add this important fact... BROOKE LIKES TAKING A BATH NOW! Yes, NO TEARS! She'll play and splash and she actually sits down now!  This is sweet relief, I mean really.  It only took 12 months for this child to enjoy getting a bath! 

Dislikes: Still hates getting her finger nails trimmed :(  Doesn't really care for eating from a spoon/being fed (Miss Independent)  Ahhh here's one I never put in this series of blog posts - Brooke DOES NOT LIKE THE SUN IN HER EYES!  Seriously, she FREAKS if we're driving or in the stroller and the slightest sliver of sun flashes across her eyes.  You would think someone was torturing her!  She immediately arches her back and blows a gasket if the bright rays decide to intrude in her personal space.  But, she loves being outside on a sunny day.  If you can't tell, Brooke's a wildcard.  All. The. Time.  You never know what's going to push her buttons! haha 

Sleeping: Still 2 naps a day and 10-11 hours at night.  She started this new separation anxiety type thing and fights sleeping unless you're touching her or right by her crib.  We've had to start a modified cry it out/check system again to ensure we get sleep at night.  This involves A LOT of conversation before naps/beds trying to soothe her and explain that she's safe and protected in her bed and praises "wow what a big girl sleeping so good in your crib!" when she wakes up.  

Eating: Brooke LOVES food, most days!  The only way I can tell a tooth is about to pop is if she doesn't eat well.  Seriously, she's not a fussy teether at all!  It's awesome! Her pain tolerance is amazing!  She'll eat near bout anything, except if it's something semi solid on a spoon... it hits the floor with her agressive FLING before making it to her mouth!  Right now, Brooke's favorite is a turkey sandwich I made up one day (half a piece of wheat bread, half a slice of turkey, pumpkin spice cream cheese, cut into tiny pieces) Seriously, she hoovers it!  Oh yes, and Brooke only nurses morning and night and gets sippy cups of thawed breast milk other times during the day.  I think I'll introduce whole milk soon.  By the way, Aunt Flo has only come once... I'm still waiting or this month, she's late!

Playing: Little love is getting a lot more independent! Some days.  haha she always loves playing with Mom and Dad but sometimes we catch her off in her own world exploring, which is great!  She likes all of her soft stuffed animals and is enjoying her new toys from her birthday!  A lot of times, she chooses to read with us during play time, it's adorable!  We read the same books over and over again.  Any given week, we read 5 stories (though she has over 50). She chooses her favorites for a while, and then we don't touch them for another few weeks!  She points to what she wants and if you pick one she doesn't want to read, she rudely pushes it away and reaches for the one she wants!  Some days we hold up 2 or 3 and let her pick, it's fun!   75% of the time, Brooke can accurately tell me the noise a dog, cat, elephant and chicken make!  She loves talking!  

Welp, that's all folks!  I'm stopping at 12 months. I enjoyed it and hope to look back at these for future babies, whenever the Lord decides to bless us! Thanks for your interest in our sweet girl! 

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Growin' Like a Weed: 11 Months


Height: 26 1/2"
Weight: roughly 16 lbs

Likes: Holy moly... this child LOVES to be outside! Seriously, even when it's cool and drizzling rain, her little precious finger points to the door as she grunts instructing you that she NEEEEEDS to be outside.  I swear, EVERYONE in the neighborhood is waved to atleast 50 times a day. If people don't know us personally, they know that we're the house with the baby ALWAYS outside on the front porch that waves.  Brooke also LOVES stuffed animals and blankets, the softer the better!  Big Teddy is a favorite at the moment and so is our neighbor Courtney's fleece coat that Brooke snatches as Courtney gets off the bus in the afternoon.  And yes, the bus.  Brooke wakes up from her afternoon nap juuuuust in time for the barrage of school busses.  She simply adores them!

Dislikes: Getting her hair washed! Please. SOMEONE COME TEACH US HOW TO MAKE THIS CHILD ENJOY BATH TIME!  Seriously.  It takes MORE TIME TO FILL UP THE BATH TUB 1/4 OF THE WAY THAN THE ENTIRETY OF HER TIME IN THE TUB. And she also sincerely dislikes getting her nails filed or trimmed.  You know, I always wondered about the lady in the Guinness Book of World Records with the longest finger nails.  I bet you her mom had a tough time clipping her nails as a baby and she just gave up and let them grow.  Don't be surprised if you see Brooke's picture in that book one day!

Sleeping: Ehh, she has her good days, she has her bad days.  A GOOD day is 1.5 hour nap in the morning and a 1.5 hour nap in the afternoon then 11 hours of sleep. A BAD day is no nap at daycare, and a 30 minute catnap in my arms as a result of sheer exhaustion from fighting sleep for so long.  I still love watching her sleep in the video monitor.  Some may think that's creepy, but I love seeing her wiggle and squirm to a comfy spot and cuddle with Teddy.  I just hope I don't have to share a bed with her one day, she's seriously all over the place in her sleep!  

Eating:  Well, Brooke was eating like crazy and seemed uninterested in nursing in the afternoon, so I cut out a feeding.  "Aunt Flo" returned and I've also stopped pumping at work.  Brooke is now down to nursing 3 times a day and drinking her "milk" from a sippy cup at daycare! No more bottles! Way to go B!  She loves food too! The more flavorful, the better!  Her favorite food is cheese (my child)! She's funny.  One day she'll LOVE a certain food, then the next day she can't stand it.  She cracks us up! She also likes playing during meal time.  She takes her spoon and hides it in her seat until we say "Brooke, where's your spoon?" then, with a goofy grin on her face, she pulls it out and shows it to you (and repeats this 20 more times) until you distract her with more food. 

Playing: As stated before, Brooke loves being outside! She likes climbing in to her little chair or standing on furniture and dancing or standing without holding on.  She enjoys reading and cuddling with pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals. She's much better at playing independently with Daddy than Mommy. B enjoys riding her 4 wheeler (inside and outside) and has a good time pulling things out of her toy box.  She's pretty darn amazing and we absolutely ADORE her!

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Growin' Like a Weed: 10 Months


Height: 
Weight: 

Likes: Playing with her toys in her toy box, ANYTHING SOFT (pillows, Teddy, Puppy, Teddy Bear, the caterpillar at daycare, blankets) it's hilarious how much she loves soft objects.  She also started pointing at everything and will basically show you exactly what she wants to do next.  Brooke also has started to say a few words!  We officially and accurately have MaMa, Dada, papa, book, ball, truck, uh oh, uh oh dada, byebye, and hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ... it's pretty adorable and AMAZING to hear her ask for things!  Brooke really likes animals!  She's never met a dog or a cat she doesn't love and try to chase after!  She adores their wet kisses and just wants to crawl all over them and squeeze them (note, we don't have pets so we have no clue where her love and fascination for animals comes from).  Brooke likes being outside and looking at the rain and laughing when it thunders.  She's fearless! She's strangely fascinated with her Scooby Doo book right now.  Seriously chick points to it EVERYTIME we ask her what book she wants to read!  Between that and Baby's Goodnight Blessings Flap Book, that's all we read!  She's great at turning the pages and pointing to the flaps in the book!

Dislikes: Getting her hair washed/water in her eyes. Or really taking a bath in general :(  She's not a fan of being alone.  There are some days, okay, MOST DAYS she'll erupt if we're out of sight.  Sweet girl also has had trouble napping lately and has to be held to sleep (and then will only nap 30 minutes).  I guess she's just so excited to play and learn she can't wind down to rest.  She also doesn't like getting her hands and face wiped off after eating.  The car... STILL!  

Sleeping: Most days are great!  Normally an hour nap in the morning and a 1.5 hour nap in the afternoon and 11 hours and night!  Yes, we wish she would sleep in on the weekends but we really can't complain.  She's been waking up for about an hour in the middle of the night again, which is really annoying, but she puts herself back to sleep after she's done playing, singing, pulling up and cruising on her crib and yes, fussing.  

Eating:  Brooke LOVES food! She's a great eater and really enjoys meal time! From chicken to peas, this child eats a variety of foods and has yet to have a reaction.  I can't recall the last time I fed her from a spoon.  She is so good at self feeding and rarely makes a mess!  After she finishes the food on her plate, we wipe off her hands and clean up, when we pick her up we look together to see what food dropped in her seat and she has a 2nd meal! haha she loves eating the few pieces she let slide past her hands!  Brooke holds and drinks well from her sippy cup and a straw!  She learned how to blow bubbles in my cup and drink from a straw very well.  She can also play a "harmonica"! Still nursing every 3 hours during the day and none at night. "Aunt Flo" still hasn't come to visit me either... 

Playing: Once Brooke is fed and rested, she's ready to go! She always enjoys climbing up to her toybox and picking out her favorite toys (it's normally a tiny washcloth, a blue wooden ring, or a small plastic smiley face shaker ball).  Brooke loves to keep something clenched in her right hand.  She enjoys crawling and pulling up on everything, clapping, singing, and holding our hands and walking around.  Brooke isn't very shy in unfamiliar places. Though she does fuss when we drop her off at "school" or the church nursery (for 30 seconds or so). She loves to be tickled or thrown on the couch.  Brooke enjoys making funny faces in the mirror and any toy that makes a noise. She likes playing fun games Daddy makes up and likes it when he wrestles with her and tosses her around.  Brooke still loves to go outside and watch the cars, trucks, busses, and lawn mowers in the neighborhood.  I feel like the unofficial welcoming committee, because we're always waving at people! 

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Growin' like a Weed: 9 Months


Height: 26 3/4"
Weight: 15lbs 8oz


Likes: Brooke officially LOVES LIFE! haha Okay I know that sounds odd but really, at 9 months a switch flipped and this sweet child is RARELY fussy about anything!  She plays well, eats well, and sleeps well... Our hearts are bursting with love, joy and gratitude for the amazing blessing she is!  Brooke loves to crawl (real crawling now) and pull up on everything! She still LOVES anything soft, especially pillows and soft blankets or stuffed animals, she's a hoot!

Dislikes: Hmmm being still for a diaper change?  She wants to roll over and start crawling up the table to get to the wipes/lamp.  She still doesn't like to get clothes on (something about pulling a shirt over her head or over her arms really ticks her off!). Ahhh yes, and getting her hair rinsed in the bath... that will set her off! We haven't gone on a longer drive lately so I'm not sure if she still despises the car.  She's amazing, very little she dislikes right now (and we're sooooooooooooo thankful!)

Sleeping: Pretty darn good! An average of 13-14 hours a day (3ish hours napping - 2 naps, and 10-11 hours at night). She had a few days where she skipped naps/took short naps/woke up playing/singing in the middle of the night but now she's good!  She likes to sit up and pull up in her crib now (yes, we lowered the mattress).  She has a little travel pillow tucked into the corner of her crib and her beloved TEDDY!  We really should buy a 2nd one, though she's great at letting me wash him.  It's adorable how she sings to herself to get to sleep... she's amazing!

Eating:  Three meals a day and nursing every 3 hours!  Exact same as last months post! She's great at nursing, feeds herself finger foods. Meal time is awesome, really the BEST time for me to get stuff done because she's so good at feeding herself! She can hold her sippy cup and drink out of it by herself, hold her pouch, and even share! haha she offers us food, puts her hand in our mouth and then takes it out and eats it herself!  We also learned she can drink through a straw and blow bubbles! We were all belly laughing!

Playing: Brooke loves to play with toys that shake/make a sound or something small she can hold on to.  It's normally Puppy, her little shaker ball, or a tiny wash cloth that goes with her dirty puppy toys that she holds/tries to hold everywhere she goes.  She likes to crawl/pull up on everything, especially Momma and Dad.  She will look at the TV a little bit if I have something fun on, but prefers music.  We also found out she really likes the pool (big pool or baby pool) regardless, you have to be in there with her for it to be fun :)  We absolutely LOVE watching her learn and grow!

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Growin' Like a Weed: 8 Months


Height:  
Weight: 

Likes: Saying Dadadadada, PUPPY, or really ANYTHING SOFT! haha she also really likes pets, anytime we are at a friends house with cats or dogs she starts giggling and wants to pet them or chase after them.  Brooke is starting to like the TV and playing independently with toys.  She also likes to sit at her high chair and feed herself.  She really likes drinking water from our cups :)

Dislikes: Once again, this is tough because there's not much Brooke doesn't like! She's an amazing baby!  But, if I had to choose I would say, she doesn't like getting her diaper changed all of the times (she's a wiggle worm and doesn't want to lay still.) Ahhh okay, from day 1 she doesn't like to get her clothes changed! hahaha thankfully I'm not one of those mom's who actually cares what her child looks like/wears because Brooke wears two outfits a day, the clothes we put her in in the morning, and pajamas at night.  Child has a FIT when we try to put on or take off a shirt!

Sleeping: Brooke is GREAT at sleeping now!  Okay, she still fusses for a few minutes most time when we put her down for her naps/bed, but she sleeps 11 hours at night consistently and 2, 1.5 naps during the day!  The only time her sleep schedule gets off is when we travel in the car.  She won't nap any longer than 45 minutes in the car.  She also sleeps with a tiny travel pillow now... I know... bad mom, haha but she LOVES soft things and can roll/move well so she ends up off of it most of the time.

Eating:  Three meals a day and nursing every 3 hours!  No more biting, LIFE IS GOOD!  Brooke really prefers to feed herself rather than us spoon feeding her... it's great!  We love enjoying meal time together!  We always keep puffs/yogurt bites handy for her to snack on if we're eating our meals at separate times.  Child will eat ANYTHING though! We've yet to find anything she doesn't like!

Playing: Brooke loves to play! Anything from sitting outside and waving to cars to singing the wheels on the bus keeps her engaged and entertained.  She really likes throwing toys out of her carseat now and likes "talking/singing".  She's not quite crawling yet but can scoot anywhere she needs to go!  She likes to bounce up and down and ride in the shopping cart.  Our happy girl is great at playing with her older cousins and peers, too!

Growin' Like a Weed: 7 Months



Height:  
Weight: 

Likes: Standing/walking holding onto our hands, music/singing, and looking in the mirror!  Brooke gets bored REALLY easily (doesn't play with a toy for more than 5 minutes) so we're always looking for new fun things to do with her!

Dislikes: Hmmm this is a tough one.  She doesn't like playing independently for long, unless she's in a really good mood.  Ahh, okay she dislikes unclenching her fists! haha this 7 month old still doesn't hold her bottle and 9 times out of 10 her hands and toes will be clenched shut for no apparent reason.  Relax a little bit Brooke!

Sleeping: We started a new schedule with 2 naps a day (2-3-4 plan) and it seems to be working well! Yes, she gets fussy, but she's doing a lot better at sleeping 11-12 hours again! Bed time is on or before 7 everyday.  She naps well, most days (3 hours total between the 2 naps).  She LOVES sleeping with her "teddy" and doesn't wear a sleep sack anymore!  Sometimes she uses Teddy as a pillow, it's hilarious!

Eating:  Her solid food interest has gone down, which I'm fine with.  She gets 2-3 small meals a day (around normal meal times).  She's also started BITING when nursing... ugh!  I tried one day of solely pumping and bottle feeding her and wow was that exhausting or what?! So now we're back to being patient... yes, I flicked, smooshed, and NO-ed her, and she still thinks biting is fun... bless!

Playing: Brooke loves to roll around on the floor and play with her toys!  She chews on EVERYTHING and loves  to talk/sing (we always have music on).  Her favorite things are soft surfaces... she loves to roll around on a bed or a soft blanket, she even likes it when we play peek a boo and cover her with pillows or blankets (she can get herself out of them well).  She also likes it when Daddy wrestles with her and we bonk her in the head/face with a pillow.  She LOVES to look in the mirror and talk to herself.  Brooke really likes sitting outside and looking at the birds and "waving" to all of the cars in the neighborhood.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Growin' Like a Weed: 6 Months


Height: 25in  (30%)
Weight: 12lbs  13oz (5%, but the Dr. isn't concerned, he said she's perfectly petite and well proportioned)


Likes: Sitting up by herself, rolling from her back to her tummy, inch worming across the floor on her back, eating her hands, giving kisses, singing and talking loudly!  Brooke is growing into a playful and hilarious little girl!  She smiles at everyone and everything! Even on her fussy days, she manages to make us smile!
 
Dislikes: Napping.  Okay, not always but it's like she has a switch, if it's flipped, she'll take a nap without a fuss or care in the word, if the switch is off... ohhh you're in for it!  haha She'll fuss herself plum frustrated and there's nothing you can do (inside, outside, play, walk, sing, read a book) to make her happy. Then she gets over it... crazy, I know!  She also doesn't like her carseat for long rides (i.e. to Raleigh) and she really doesn't care for the sun in her face on evening walks.  She's starting to cry when I drop her off at daycare in the morning, too.

Sleeping: Nap info above.  Also, she can't nap if she's not in her crib, or at her crib at daycare, and sometimes in the car.  She will not nap in her pack n play or in her cousins crib.  haha Grandma did get her to nap in a stroller though.  Brooke normally naps every 2 hours or so, but sometimes, she's awake 4+ without a nap.  The crazy thing is, she's not fussy, unless you make her nap when she's supposed to and doesn't want to.  She's GREAT at night time sleep.  She has had a crummy bout lately with waking up early in the morning... we're still working on that some mornings. She sleeps on her back but can now roll over to her tummy. She has to be REALLY tired to sleep on her tummy, if not, she fusses until you come and get her.
Eating:  Brooke LOVES her "milkies" as we call it! haha I'm still nursing her and it's really been the easiest part of motherhood for me.  She'll eat anywhere.  I love seeing her sweet face when she's calm and satisfied after she eats.  It warms my heart to know that I am creating the perfect nourishment for her growing body!  Brooke also started solids last month! We started out with giving her whole foods and letting her play with it, yeah that didn't work too well.  Then we went to the mesh feeders, she liked it, but I didn't like cleaning it.  SO we waited a few days and tried pureed food again, and she loved it!  I make her food (bananas, avocado, apples, sweet potatoes, and peas so far).  She's having fun eating and she's REALLY cute when she eats!
Playing: This child loves to play! She's really into sitting up and grabbing her toys.  She likes music and singing.  She has fun looking at the mirror and standing up holding onto things.  Brooke's favorite toys are her hands and feet, this child can keep herself entertained... it's awesome!  Brooke really likes to play with Mommy and Daddy.  We aren't really using the exersaucer or walker anymore because I read somewhere it halts their movement/balance.  Brooke likes to roll from her back to tummy but hasn't yet mastered tummy to back. 

Monday, April 15, 2013

Growin' Like a Weed: 5 Months


Height: 24in
Weight: 12lbs 5oz


Likes: MOMMY... still a Momma's girl!  She even say's "Maaaa, Mommmmm" when she's fussing! haha Yeah, we know she's not really calling for me "by name" but it really sounds like it some time! Brooke's new favorite thing is sitting up! She can sit up alone for around 20 seconds at a time so we are sure to stay close to her.  She LOVES playing in her exersaucer and singing/talking :) It's hilarious to hear her "chat" to herself and us!  She also found her feet and enjoys playing with them.  They still haven't made it in her mouth.  B also enjoys walks and being outside! We are very thankful for this because the weather is so nice!
 
Dislikes: Tummy time :( Chick still doesn't really love to be on her belly.  She's not interested in rolling over either.  Some days she is great and plays a long time on her tummy, but that's rare. Brooke is not a fan of 6-7pm... haha really, most days she's SUPER clingy and fussy during  this time unless she is distracted or simply having a great day with good naps. Oh yes, and Brooke doesn't like saline drops and her snot being sucked out.  Poor thing... daycare = constant congestion.

Sleeping: BROOKE IS AMAZING! She can self soothe, sleep without being swaddled or a blanket, she can still sleep if her paci falls out/music turns off!  All in all, we are SO BLESSED to have a great night sleeper! She is normally about 11 hours at night at 4  or so for naps during the day.  (2 short morning naps and a longer 2 hour afternoon nap, and sometimes a nap at 5pm).  We still pray every night that she sleeps through the night and doesn't wake up until 7am.  She has been waking up at 6 instead of 7 lately.  But she plays/sings in her crib until I come and get her.  She doesn't nurse at night anymore either.
 
Eating:  Still nursing about 5 oz every 3 hours.  We started introducing solids a few days ago.  She didn't like being fed from a spoon, she doesn't like "chunks" of food (banana - rice size pieces) that gets in her mouth when she sucks on food, she likes to use the mesh fresh food feeder and eat bananas!  We do about a 1/4 of a banana a day.  I'll probably try avocado soon.  She also really likes pork! haha I was eating a piece of pork I grilled for shiskabobs and she kept trying to eat it, so I held it in my hand and let her gnaw on it.  She loved it and I let her do it 2 more times the next two days.  It was really cute!
 
Playing:  She's  GREAT at entertaining herself most of the time.  Other days she wants your undivided attention.  She's always grabbing at our faces and inspecting our eyes, nose, and mouth.  She's very good at intimating noises and making funny facial expressions.  She also started laughing a lot... it's hilarious to hear her precious little chuckle!  Brooke is also pretty good at playing in her walker.  Most of the time, she simply enjoys laying on her back and playing with her feet! She cracks us up!

Brooke Grayson, we love you so much!!! Seriously, we can't imagine life without her! She is a blessing and our little sweet love!

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Growin' like a weed: 4 Months

 
Height: 23.3” (%)
Weight: 11lbs 8oz (%)
She hasn't changed since 3 months... but, that was our "at home evaluation". 

Likes: Talking, singing, standing in the exersaucer, standing while being held, Mommy... she's a pretty happy baby, except when it comes to naptime!  She is so expressive and really responds well when we play with her.  Her facial expressions and "conversations" crack us up! She's also getting MUCH better at riding in her car seat!
Dislikes: SLEEPING! Honestly... I could go on and on, but I'll save that rant for the next section.  She doesn't like tummy time, but she's getting better at it, I think she just wants to roll over and can't doing it consistently so she gets frustrated.  There's really not much she doesn't like... except for naps and sleeping! 
Sleeping: Oh my... this has honestly been the toughest thing.  You would think I have Mt. Dew in my boobs! Baby girl cannot get herself to sleep without us being deliberate to make her rest. It's VERY frustrating, especially because she started 1/2 days at daycare and will go anywhere from 5-6 hours (wake up - when we get home) to take a nap.  It's INSANE!  Our night time prayers are solely focused on this!  She's still swaddled (one arm out).  Night time wakings are normally 1-2 times, sometimes she nurses, other times, she just wants to be held.
Eating:  So good! Brooke is eating like a champ from the boob and the bottle!!! I had a plugged milk duct but it went away within a few days and wasn't too incredibly painful.  The doctor said we could start her on solids at her 4 month check up because "it's fun for them"... ehh I think we'll wait until 6 months, thanks for the OK though!
 
Playing: She LOVES being in the Exersaucer ... or being upright in general.  She is always happy to sit/stand (with assistance).  She hasn't rolled over by herself in a while, but is totally engaged in all of her toys! She's really good at grabbing toys with both hands and holding onto them.  She can also push buttons on some of her toys and make the music/lights come on. 

Friday, February 15, 2013

Growin' like a weed: 3 months




Height: 23.3” (48%)
Weight: 11lbs 8oz (32%)

Likes: Mommy… sheeee’s a Mama’s girl.   Brooke has found her voice and ohhhh man is it loud! I wonder who she gets that from (cough cough) SERIOUSLY, chick only has one volume… LOUD! Hahaha she can be fussy and not wanting to go to sleep and you turn her around and shake your head at her and she’ll give you the biggest grin and talk your ear off! How can you be upset at something so stinkin’ cute!? She also likes her hands.  Those suckers are ALWAYS in her mouth! And she likes drooling… she does it a whole lot.  Yuck! And she likes kissing J

Dislikes: Daytime naps. Hahaha okay this is still the same… BLESS.  She’s now sleeping with one arm swaddled and one unswaddled. Progress.  I’ll take it!  She also doesn’t like socks apparently, they NEVER stay on her feet!  Brooke isn’t really a fan of tummy time, she’s good at it but she gets frustrated quickly. 

Sleeping: She’s a 45 minute at a time napper during the day… UGH.  At night she goes down between 7:30 and 8:30 and will normally wake up once between 1 and 3 eat, and go back to sleep.  It’s been a while since we’ve gotten the long 8-10 hour stretches.  She can only sleep if we put her face right by her bumper.  No, she doesn’t suffocate or keep her face by it all night, but I think she really likes snuggling so it comforts her.

Eating:  Still breastfeeding but it’s getting harder.   I almost have to keep her swaddled and put a blinder on her (joking, but I should) in a dark room because she gets soooooooo distracted and wants to play!  Her hands are EVERYWHERE! Haha really Brooke?!  Boob=food… not a play toy! Oh yes, we refer to her food as “milkies” she’s a very messy eater and often times gets sprayed atleast once per feeding from my insane let down.  She doesn’t take bottles that well anymore, guess we’ll have to work on that!

Playing: All the time! She can now intentionally grab rings, rattles, push big buttons to play music and lights!  She played in a friends exersaucer the other day and LOVED IT! She realllly likes sitting ( in her bumbo) and standing!  We’re going to borrow an exersaucer until we can find one for her.  She likes playing with her activity mat, but more so enjoys talking/standing/drooling on whoever wants to hold her and play with her!

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Growin' like a weed: 2 months




Height: 22 1/4 " (50%)
Weight: 9lbs 9oz (19%)

Likes: Being held… Still. Haha but she’s getting better at sitting independently.  She LOVES activity time on her play mat, especially the bug that plays little melodies and bird noises that Grandma Barrett got her! She is SUPER STRONG and loves to stand with no help and very little support from us, I think she’d really enjoy an exersaucer or jumperoo thing but she’s too tiny. She is a big talker and LOVES to eat her hands… oh yes, and drooling, she’s GREAT at blowing bubbles and drooling!

Dislikes: Daytime naps. Some days it’s a struggle to get the girl to rest… UGH! And she doesn’t like to be swaddled, but can’t sleep if she’s not swaddled. Dilemma. Haha hopefully we can wean her off of the swaddle sooner than later! Note to self, NEVER SWADDLE ANY OTHER CHILD WE HAVE, LET THEM LEARN TO SLEEP WITHOUT IT. She doesn’t like getting out of the bath/getting dried off and changed.  She loves being naked though!

Sleeping: Ehh daytime naps, as I stated above are hit or miss.  She sleeps the best tummy to tummy on me, she gets the occasional weekend long naps/snuggles with Momma. At night, she’s great! Anywhere from 5-10 hour stretches J She wakes up at most 2 times a night (1am and 5am some nights) but mostly just once at 3am and then like clockwork at 7am.  She’s a wiggle worm! We put her in the middle of her crib at night, and she ends up way at the end in the corner… swaddled!? Yeah, she’s something else!

Eating: Still doing well breastfeeding. She can take bottles and is really cute when she eats from one!  It’s hard to do anything else when I’m feeding her, she gets really distracted! So I have to look at her, talk to her, hold her close, or else she’ll totally forget what she’s doing and want to play. She eats really fast, like 10-15 total, with burps.

Playing: She’s so strong and fun! Wiggles her arms and legs on the play mat, bats at toys and grabs the rings attached to the bottom of them too! She loves looking at the mirror on the top of her mat.  It’s really fun to have conversations with her :) Mornings are her best playtime.  She definitely a morning person!  She doesn’t love to play on her tummy as much anymore, anytime she does she’s really more interested in sucking on her hands than rolling over like she used to.