Friday, December 13, 2013

Mira's Favorite Things & Introducing Finger Foods

Mira's Favorite things lately:
Emptying out the tupperware cupboard 563 times a day after I restock it 562 times
Measuring spoons
Dinnerware spoons
Spatulas
Her soft giraffe rattle
Freestanding
Attempting to walk holding my one finger (getting confident!)
Babbling
Talking to her toys and the animals on her footsie pajamas (lol)
Taking baths and standing/walking around the entire time

Words:
She still says dada and the occasional mama but they are not intentional yet. Her other go-to words are wiggle, tickle, nickel, and other variations. Again, not intentional.  It's going to be so exciting when she says her real first word! 

Chunks & Lumps

At her 9 month appointment a couple days ago, her pediatrician said we can start finger foods since she's been using the pincer grasp anyway. What doc doesn't know is that Mira hates textures. I can't even mash up a banana or avocado and have her eat that because she gags at the tiniest lumps. When I give her puffs, she ends up throwing most on the floor. So I don't expect her to be liking finger foods anytime soon.

So we bought some happy yogis, which are dried yogurt pieces, and some baby yogurt. I tried blueberry yogurt yesterday, she didn't like it, but it's probably because it's too bitter and sour for her. Then we tried cottage cheese. That was a fail. She gagged and gagged. Those little lumps are the bane of her existence. So I then called it quits and gave her the normal stuff: green beans + pears + oatmeal cereal.

Other puree favorites (basically all mixed with oatmeal cereal):
Sweet potatoes + peaches
Applesauce + bananas + mangos
Carrots + pears + raspberries
Applesauce + blueberries
Squash + applesauce
Peas + broccoli + pears

Then yesterday morning I made pancakes. I made a smaller one and made it soggy with water and ripped off little pieces for Mira. This was a little more successful. Not completely there yet but we are making progress.

I've also tried pear chunks and banana chunks, but once again, fail. She has a hard time picking them up to begin with. The foods that I feel most comfortable with her eating are the ones that slip right through her fingers, go figure. We tried tomato soup last night and she wasn't loving it, but wasn't gagging or spitting it out, just kind of uninterested. Oh well, I'll keep trying. The next finger foods I plan on trying is chunks of cooked green beans and steamed carrots.

Mira really just wants to feed herself, we're in a tough position. The pancakes were probably the best middle ground. She doesn't know how to spoon things to herself yet, but hates to eat "chunks" or the texture of "lumps".

Monday, December 9, 2013

8 and 9 month favorites


Happy puffs (Target). At this point they are just keeping Mira occupied while she waits for me to warm up her food. 
Baby Moccasins. These ones above are the exact ones I have for Mira. Honestly my single favorite thing we have for her. Unfortunately this particular brand is no longer making moccs, but you can email me for similar boutiques. They have elastic around the opening so they're easy to get on and off and stay on. The perfect light weight shoe to stay on Mira's feet while she crawls and explores walking.
B. Fun Keys. These are the closest replica to real keys that I've seen. The keys are made of stainless steel and has sound effects. Since Mira loves our keys this is the next best thing.
Boogie wipes (Target). Mira's had two colds and an ear infection now. Granted, she hates getting her nose wiped, but since they're saline wipes it helps with stuffiness.
Food feeders (Target). Meant for fruits and veggies and I suppose ice. I usually just put a couple apple chunks in one since it's the least messy. Mira loves it.
Teepee play tent. Mira loved being underneath things, so we would sometimes make forts with blankets, but this teepee trumps any fort we've ever made. 
Ergobaby Original Baby Carrier. This is the carrier that chiropractors recommend and after wearing it I can see why. The word "ergo" in the title says it all. Mira's 16 and a half pounds now and it doesn't strain my back whatsoever to wear her with the ergo. 
Wednesday, December 4, 2013

9 months

Mira's 9 months today! 3/4 of a year, soooo weird.


Thanksgiving: went really well. We had it at our place again this year and my mom did all the cooking (I helped...). The food was all amazingggg! And I am reminded of how amazing it is with all the leftovers that we get. We had turkey, stuffing, sweet potato souffle, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, buns with cinnamon butter, and sides like lefsa, cranberries, pickles, etc. For dessert we had a rhubarb crisp, my sister made apple crisp, and I made a pumpkin cheesecake. Yum! Many thanks to my mom for slaving away in the kitchen the entire weekend. We had bellies full of yummy food the whole weekend.

Stats:
Height/Weight: TBD
Feeding: Breastfed numerous times a day, I absolutely lost count. Since she's teething it seems she is non stop nursing and half the time it's just for comfort. Also increasing her solids intake. She's probably getting closer to 8 oz a day, maybe a little less. I've also changed up what I'm feeding her; I've completely taken away rice cereal, and she seems to not like vegetables and pureed meats much at all anymore. So now I am mixing fruit and vegetables for dinner time and only giving her meat every other day. 
Sleeping: She's better at falling asleep, but now that she has this awful cold she not only has a congested nose, but a mucous-y cough. I've got her humidifier, tower heater, and fan all running, so her room is the perfect environment (I like to compare it to a tropical beach at night), but still gets up about 3 times in the night. 
Clothes Size: Growing out of a lot of 6 months stuff, especially pajamas. Wearing mostly 6-9 months, 9 months, and 6-12 months. 
Development: Mira is now able to stand unassisted, but it's usually only a few seconds because she gets nervous! She won't fall over, she'll just squat down and move to the floor. She really really wants to walk and I think it's actually going to happen this month! She's also good at: beating people up, destroying things, climbing into anything possible, stuff like that.

We've now packed away Mira's snugamonkey, her activity mat, and her bathtub. Adam and I thought it was kind of sad that she doesn't use those things anymore. She's taking big girl baths now, which is a fun new thing for all of us. We quickly learned that we needed to have a grippy bath mat and a spout cover. And now that she's getting stronger/taller/reaching further, we are probably going to have to do a second round of baby proofing all over the house. 



Monday, December 2, 2013

Lauren's Christmas List

Lauren's Christmas List

My Christmas Wish List. You can click on the set for information on where things are found. From the top left; Minnetonka moccasin ankle boots, Starbucks Espresso brewer, a crochet coffee mug koozie, Philosophy "hope in a jar" face moisturizer, Kitchenaid mixer, Hunter Rain Boots, printed leggings (found at a lot of places, even Target), BareMinerals "lash domination" Mascara, and a Weekender/Overnight Bag with gold glitter

I realize this christmas list is kind of lame (basically because of the beauty products), but I literally don't buy anything for myself anymore so even getting a new tube of mascara would be a privilege. Also, non tangible gift ideas are a spa treatment or a gift card to barnes and noble for my nook. 

Mira's Christmas List

Mira's Christmas List

Mira's Christmas List. You can click on the set for information on where things are found. 
Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Current Followers

Current followers who want to continue to see my posts, email me at lauren_rae_07@hotmail.com and I will add you to my readers list :) That is all!

Lauren
Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Thankful Post: What I Love About Mira

Ironically, Mira is currently crying/whining/yelling in her crib right now because she doesn't want to take a nap, which has left me exhausted. Granted, it's because she's teething, but she has me completely tired out, more than when she was a newborn. Putting her down for naps and bedtime is almost impossible, and she's been waking up every 2 hours (if not more) in the night just wanting to comfort nurse. I can't imagine having to go to work, which is why I'm the one getting up with her instead of taking turns with Adam. People can try and give all the advice they want, but no combination of tylenol, ibuprofen, teething tablets, cold compresses, or teething toys can really put her pain to rest. The only thing that does is nursing. This is partly why I'm exhausted; I have a baby who wants to nurse 24/7, which means she rarely leaves my side. This is fine and dandy, but I just don't get things done on my to-do list and feel overwhelmed/defeated. I normally bring her to daycare for 2-3 hours today so I can work out and get some work done, but I figured she would probably cry and whine the whole time and let's face it; they won't be able to cater to her every second like I do. So, we'll save ourselves the stress and just keep each other busy at home.

Anyways.... I wanted to make a list of things I love about Mira in lieu of thanksgiving coming up.

Dear Mira,

1. I love how you are so determined, persistent, and never give up. I have watched you attempt to get a stuck book out of your book crate about 18 times after you finally got it out. It makes me so happy to see that you will try and try until no end. I realize that this will sometimes pose as a bad thing, but I'll take it.

2. I love watching you explore. It's so fun to see your expressions, which usually is just a concentrated look, and you always amaze us with what you are able to explore. Every day it seems like you start reaching a little further or standing on your tip toes a little taller or squeezing yourself in a space a little smaller. I always tell daddy, "never underestimate what she can get into". One day you are too short to reach something, but the next day is a whole new story.

3. I love when you grab an object and have to twist and flip it so you can see what it looks like from every angle. This shows me that you don't just want to see something for what it is, you want to understand it. You want to see all the colors, the shape, try to figure out how you can interact with it, what you can make it do, etc. Then you either decide if this object has value to you or if it doesn't. You then ditch it when it doesn't and you're on to the next thing :).

4. Now when an object does deem valuable to you, it's usually something you're not supposed to have. I don't even have to physically see you to know when you have something like this in your possession, I just have to hear you. You will be yelling/screaming and babbling up a storm in excitement, much louder and more intense than normal. This is when I should probably come running and save my iphone headphones or nail polish that I swore was out of your reach.

5. The way you dive like a slip-n-slide onto a newly washed floor. Since you've started crawling, I've become obsessed with having a clean floor, so I get on my hands and knees and wash it every other day, if not every day. The second I'm done with an area, you take your window of opportunity and slide on the slippery wet floor and basque in it until it's dry. It's quite funny to watch.

6. The way you speed crawl towards something that I catch you heading for. It goes like this: I see you about to head for something you're not supposed to (like the massive amount of cords in our bedroom that we usually keep closed), I say "Mira, no no..." or something related, you stop, look back, smile at me, then giggle and speed crawl over to it thinking that you'll quickly get to it before me. Well, you're actually close to beating me, but not close enough. This is why you are our troublemaker, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

7. The way you can hit your head 3 times in a row on something metal, wood, etc. and still not do as much as flinch. Daddy and I will just look at each other and laugh in amazement at how much of a beating you can take from things. Dad calls you the hulk. I'm pretty sure everything you've touched in this house has been hurt more than you have. You are kind of violent ;).

8. The way that you need me. I know this doesn't last, but I'm really taking in the ways that you are needy with me, like when I've been gone for one hour and you crawl over and reach up to me the second I walk in the door, or when I've been cooking in the kitchen for a while and you tug at my pant leg wanting me to pick you up, or when I pick you up from daycare after you've only been there for 2.5 hours and cry out of happiness because you missed me so much, and when you're extremely tired or not feeling well and nuzzle your head into my chest and eventually fall asleep- it's something that I don't get as often anymore since you are such an active active active girl.

We love your personality and seeing you learn. Every day you explore a new area in the house, figure out how to make a new sound (or word, whatever you want to call it), and get into a new shenanigan with an object or area that you are already familiar with. This is such a fun age, and it's not possible for you to be ANY cuter. We loved you just as much as when you were a newborn, but it's a different kind of love now that you are actually giving back and loving us back. We love our smart, determined, energetic baby so much!
Saturday, November 16, 2013

Mira got her first tooth :)


Sometime on Wednesday Mira got her first tooth! Granted, she will not let me look at it whatsoever, but I can feel it and I'm so excited! She has just one so far and I'm sure the second bottom one is working its way out soon. The last few nights have been hell, though. Not only was she teething but she's had a cold for three weeks and can barely breathe out of her nose. So those two things meshed together mean she has been waking up like 5 times a night. Her cry has never been this bad, not even as a newborn. We've been giving her tylenol, ibuprofen, teething tablets, frozen teething rings, you name it. Once she wakes up it can take up to 2 hours (actually last night I think it was 3) to calm her down and get her to sleep. It's come down to having her co-sleep with me a couple times, which only lasted maybe an hour before she woke up screaming in pain. At least she's fine during the day! Something about laying down must really hurt that tooth?

Proud mom moment of the week: We put Mira in her snugamonkey (we almost never do anymore) and she has learned how to rock herself by shifting her weight back and forth. Probably means she's a little too old for it and we should pack it away.

Proud dad moment of the week: Mira managed to take an 8 pound weight off my weight rack and tried to roll it around. Of course Adam was loving it.
Monday, November 4, 2013

8 months! / 35 weeks

Another awkward pose of our non-stop moving munchkin

Insert another cliche "time flies" line here. 

Mira has always been a mover and a shaker and I don't think she will ever slow down. EVEN when she is sick. She has had a bad cold for a week and a half and we decided to take her to the doctor today. Apparently she has an ear infection in one ear and the infection is almost moving to the other ear. The doc also thought she might have a sinus infection too, so she prescribed some antibiotics. Mira honestly hasn't acted any different besides getting up more often during the night (probably because her nose is so congested she can't breathe). We have really made use of Boogie Wipes, her humidifier, and infant tylenol. What a trooper she's been, though. 

Height: 27.25 inches
Weight: 15 lbs 14 oz
Feeding: Breastfed about 7 times a day + about 4 oz. of solids daily (breakfast and dinner, sometimes lunch). 1/3 of it is rice or oatmeal cereal and the other 2/3 is fruits and vegetables. 
Sleeping: Not good lately because of her cold. Getting up every 3 hours in the middle of the night, it sucks... She is pretty consistent with her 7:30 am wakeup time though. 
Clothes size: Nothings changed since she obviously hasn't gained much weight; still 6 months and some 6-9 months. 
Diaper size: 2
Development: First and foremost; she is dancing now. It's my favorite! Adam gets worried because he thinks she looks like she's twerking or shaking her butt too much. I'm pretty sure all babies dance that way though. She's constantly standing against a piece of furniture reaching for whatever may be near by. We love the look of determination she gets when she spots something she shouldn't have and immediately starts speed crawling towards it. She also gets separation anxiety from me. Total mama's girl. 

Since Adam has tattoos for Mira, I decided to get myself this:

Photo dump of Mira lately:

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

34 Weeks

Mira opening her halloween presents from my mom. Grandma officially got her first present that she actually got to "open" herself.

Well after Mira's 7 month post, we have been busy busy busy chasing her around because she keeps improving her crawling/furniture scaling skills (speed, how fast she can pull herself up, how far she can reach, what she can manage to crawl into, etc.). It seems like everyday she is acquiring a new skill. There's never a dull moment, that's for sure. It is FUN, though. We are so entertained and love her personality, there's been so many laughs and much more to come.

Mira's favorite things:
-Cords
-Plastic bags (don't worry we don't let her play with them)
-Standing up against surfaces and banging on them
-Climbing into her carseat (I think she thinks that we will take her somewhere if she does)
-Things that represent a rattle, but only if it's not actually meant to be a rattle (i.e. pill bottles)
-Paper
-Hangers
-Playing with anything and everything that is not one of her toys. All the toys she has in her toybox: they are now off the radar for Mira. She will just toss them aside and crawl towards things like remote controls.

The inevitable: Mira loves eating. Nursing and solids. And I mean loves. When it's time to nurse she pants like she always has and when it's time for solids she's banging on the tray yelling at me to hurry up (in her own language of course).

Mira's not-so-favorite things:
-Getting dressed
-Getting her face wiped
-Being put back in her carseat once we take her out



Sunday, October 6, 2013

7 Month Favorites


Hyland's Teething Tablets - These tiny little tablets instantly dissolve in baby's mouth. 
Munchkin Click-Lock Trainer Cups - We started giving Mira sippy cups with water at 6 months just a little here and there. These are no-leak sippy cups which work out nice when your child is constantly rolling around and banging the sippy cup around.
Glow-in-the-dark pacifiers - Adam and I had the hardest time finding her pacifiers in the dark because they are basically invisible. So we now got glow-in-the-dark ones. They're for 6 months +.
Books - I always get teary eyed when I read "On the Night You Were Born". Mira usually doesn't sit still while I read them to her but she likes to reach out and touch the pictures.
Oatmeal cereal - I mix this in with her breakfast; with applesauce, blueberry applesauce, peaches, pears, etc.
BabyGanics foaming hand sanitizer - We have this in Green Apple on Mira's changing table for after her diaper changes. It's alcohol free and smells SO yummy. 
Saturday, October 5, 2013

7 months

7 months (yesterday) 

Not our typical "monthly picture", but 1. she hates changing. She hates being on the changing table in general, it's taking away play time. So I don't wanna make her mad by making her put on a onesie for 5 minutes. 2. she doesn't hold still for longer than one second. So goodbye decent poses, hello blurs and weird positions. 

Height: About 27 inches
Weight: 15 lbs 4 oz
Feeding: Breastfed + about 2 Tbsp solids twice a day. In the morning I give her 1 Tbsp of fruit + 1 Tbsp oatmeal cereal and for supper time I give her 1 Tbsp of a vegetable + 1 Tbsp of rice cereal and sometimes a little bit of pureed meat (1 tsp or less). 
Sleeping: She's gotten better. At ECFE the past two weeks we've been talking a lot about sleep and I learned how important it is for her to fall asleep on her own, without us having to rock her or put her in her snugamonkey, etc. She sleeps 10-12 hours at night, but has been getting up about twice during the night, probably because she's teething again. She takes two naps during the day that are each an hour or more. 
Clothes size: Mostly wearing 6 months. We have some 6-9 months she wears and I'm starting to put her in 9 months stuff just for fun. She can still wear her 3-6 month onesies too. 
Diaper size: Still size 2
Development: Doesn't stop. Everyday she is doing something new. She has started to use her little vibrating seat to stand herself up. YEP, stand herself up. She holds onto the coffee table and stands. So now she crawls at a speedy fast rate and can stand herself up. There are no limits to what she can get into and sabotage anymore. We are constantly amazed at how fast she can get into something. I set her down in her bedroom so I can go to the bathroom, and a couple seconds later I hear her crawling into our bedroom trying to follow me. Oh yeah, she is also my shadow. 
Personality: She's hilarious. She loves to babble and be loud. Happiest baby ever. I can't begin to count how many times she has hit her head on something and didn't even make a peep. She might be invincible. She is curious and constantly exploring, as well as constantly making sure I'm within eyesight. Little mama's girl follows me everywhere. It makes me laugh :) Oh and she tried to hold some little boy's hand at ECFE and succeeded. So she's a little flirt, too.

Mira's favorite things:
-Her sippy cup with juice
-Getting put in her carseat when we're at home (that means we're getting out of the house to do some fun stuff and be around people)
-Food time. Especially solid foods. She gets soo impatient when I'm preparing it and bangs on the tray and pants. She still gets impatient with the boob food time too.
-Taking the DVD's off the DVD rack and making a mess
-Trying to eat the DVD's
-Attempting to crawl into her carseat
-Cartoons
-The vacuum. The second I turn it on, she makes a b-line for it and doesn't let it out of her sight. 

Mira's not-so-favorite things:
-Getting put in her carseat when we have to leave somewhere (that means we have to go to boring home and probably take a nap). She squirms and pretty much makes it impossible for us to strap her in.
-Getting her face wiped off
-Getting dressed and getting her diaper changed. She rolls around and tries to crawl away. Makes it pretty interesting when she has a messy diaper... 



Tuesday, October 1, 2013

30 weeks


Mira is basically crawling. She slithers around the house kind of like a snake, getting into everything. I can't turn my back for longer than 2 seconds without her somehow managing to move across the room and grab some kind of cord/remote control/dvd etc... She does get on her hands on knees and rock back and forth, but then she decides to move by using mostly her arms and her feet. She's gotten fast, too. This whole baby proofing situation crept up pretty fast and now we have to make our moves quickly before she ruins any more of Adam's PS3 stuff (she has already broke one of his controllers and she likes to pound on the PS3 and turn it on and off). Little troublemaker I tell ya!

That's why this is my newest chalkboard message for her door.

Catching some of her action on camera:

Mira's favorite things:
Cords
Strings
Playstation controls
Remote controls
Being underneath stuff like tables
Peek a boo
Hearing her own voice
Being around people
Eating my face - I swear it's her way of kissing
She now "kisses" herself in the mirror by doing this same thing to her reflection

Current favorite foods: sweet potatoes (after a few tries), applesauce, peaches (all mixed with a little oatmeal cereal + breastmilk)
Not so favorite foods: avocado, turkey puree, rice cereal

Proud mom moment: Ever since Mira was about 5 months old, when I've had her on my lap she has tried to pull my tanktop down while sucking on my upper chest when she's hungry. Well last week she not only did that, but successfully found my nipple by crouching down and bending her neck forward and started eating. So proud of how smart she's getting! It's my new favorite thing that she does! Except for the fact that she now does this alllll the time- every time her head is remotely near my chest... little boob hound. She acts like such a toddler to me sometimes it's unreal.

And one last pic of our little vikings fan who doesn't sit still long enough for me to get a good shot of her jersery:

Monday, September 16, 2013

Introducing Solids/28 weeks

So, as I stated in the last post, we got the go ahead by Mira's doc to start her on solids. We decided long ago that we wanted to do homemade food. So, last week was the first week and I made sweet potato puree. Before giving her the sweet potatoes, I tried just 1/2 tablespoon of rice cereal mixed with about 2 tablespoons of breastmilk. She loved it, but it was mostly just me spooning her breastmilk, so why wouldn't she love it. Then I steamed one sweet potato using our rice cooker (which is genius by the way- no messy cleanup, no pots, no stove) and then I would blend it with breastmilk into a puree. The first couple feedings I still mixed in a 1/2 tablespoon of rice cereal. She did not like it, but from what I hear, babies usually don't like new foods on the first couple tries anyway.

Then, I stopped mixing in the rice cereal altogether because we noticed she wasn't pooping. That wasn't surprising; it's rice. I started adding cinnamon to her sweet potatoes and she eventually liked it after a few days. Success! Boy does she get messy, though. She tries to "help" feed herself.



Then this morning I made avocado puree. She obviously doesn't like it (yet). We will have her eat this for a few days before trying anything else new (that way if she has an allergy or bad reaction we know what the culprit is). I can't wait for her to try fruit!

Schedule:
By no means is this concrete, this is just a ballpark estimate of our day. The only times that are even remotely consistent are the morning and bath/bedtime. The middle of the day changes all the time depending on what we have going on. If we're running errands, she can go a long time without eating because she's distracted by everything going on, thus, she doesn't take her midday nap either. Also, I usually breastfeed more than 5 times a day. It's more like 6 or 7. AND I pump after almost every feeding because I want to keep my supply up and have something to mix into her purees. I was telling Adam, just when we think Mira's starting to get more low maintenance because she likes to play independently now, there's more behind the scenes stuff to do. Preparing food, the cleanup (both kitchen and Mira), the pumping... It's allll worth it though :).

8:00 her usual wakeup time (sometimes 9:00 if we're lucky). I breastfeed her right away.
She's usually pretty full so we let her play for a while.
9:00 we feed her solids. Usually about 1 tablespoon worth.
9:30 get her dressed for the day
9:45 nap (usually 1-2 hours)
12:00 breastfeed
12:15-2 Mira's playtime, my time to eat, sometimes errands, cartoons
2:00 breastfeed
2:15 nap (usually no more than 1 hour)
4:30 breastfeed followed by more solids- about 1 tablespoon again
5:00 sometimes a nap, depending on how the other two naps went.
Playtime again
7:00 breastfeed
7:15 bathtime
7:30 pajamas, lotion, read book/cuddle
8:00/8:30 bedtime
11/11:30 pumping time for me

Video of Mira playing :)


Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Mira's 6 Month Appt Stats/Nursery Update

Today was Mira's 6 month checkup at the doctor. She had to get 3 more shots :(. But other than that everything went really well. She was the most popular kid in the whole clinic because she is so vocal, she spent the entire time just talking away. If I had a dollar for everytime a random stranger has said Mira was vocal/talkative/outgoing/etc. we could probably have paid for her college by now. I had an overdose of adorableness today because every time we would walk by someone she would smile and say "hi". I literally couldn't even handle how cute it was. Doc said she is advanced for her age in terms of motor skills, mobility, and of course, vocals. 

Weight: 15.1 pounds
Height: 26.75 inches
I also just wanna throw in there that apparently Mira has a big head. She is in the 98th percentile. Adam and I both said we never would've guessed that, doesn't seem large to us? Oh well. 


I decided to get crafty one day and change up Mira's nursery a bit. 

Pics of updates: 








Wednesday, September 4, 2013

6 months/26 weeks


Ho.ly. Crap. Our baby is 6 months. It seemed like yesterday when I was thinking that 6 months was forever away.

I had to use the chalkboard this time because this:


That sticker didn't stand a chance.

Stats:
Height & weight: TBD at her appointment next week
Feeding: Exclusively breastfed. She now drinks between 4-5 oz during the day but at her last feeding before bed probably around 6 oz. She is probably ready for solids anytime now, but I'm waiting for our doc appt next week before I start anything.
Sleeping: It's still a process. She just doesn't like to be put down for naps/bedtime. We've spoiled her up until now by catering to her every little cry within seconds. We're now trying to let her cry a little longer before running to her. She seems to not give up, though. She is a committed crier.
Clothes size: 6 months. Still some 3-6 months too.
Diaper size: 2
Development: Sitting up on her own (for a while). We still have to monitor her. But she really really wants to walk. She loves being on her feet. She says many variations of things that end in 'a': dada, mama, nana, gaga, baba, blahblah and she seems to say 'hi'. All these "words" probably aren't intentional, though. It seems like"hi" might be, though? As for her teething, Hyland's teething tablets seem to actually be helping now. The teething process seems to be at a lull, she isn't screaming in pain or drooling that much lately. This doesn't dismiss the fact that everything still belongs in her mouth. In fact, she has her mouth wide open and ready the moment she touches an object. That's just where everything goes, duh.

As for me, an update on post-pregnancy progress: I reached my pre-pregnancy weight when Mira turned 4 months, but I still want to work towards my pre-pregnancy body. It's hard to get to the gym since Adam works so much, but on average I go twice a week.

Mira's favorite things:
-Watching cartoons. I usually stick her in her little recliner seat so she can watch it in there
- Getting undressed
- Anything that deems unsafe or expensive or breakable
- Talking to her toys
- Paper
- Literally anything that she's not supposed to have

Mira's not so favorite things:
Getting her diaper changed
Getting dressed
Boredom
Going to bed


Happy 6 months Mira!


 Getting a little big for her snugamonkey!



Random video of my dad and Mira at the lake. So cute :)
Monday, August 19, 2013

24 weeks


Our sweet baby is 24 weeks today. Adam and I both decided that one of our favorite things ever is carrying Mira to her crib after she's fallen asleep. She just cuddles up and nuzzles her little head onto our shoulder. We just don't get Mira cuddles like that when she's awake since she's so hyperactive.

Stats:
Weight: I weighed her on our home scale with only a diaper on and she was 14 pounds. So I'm guessing a more accurate weight would be just a little under that.
Height: TBD
Feeding: Exclusively breastfed, yay! My breastfeeding journey has had its ups and downs, but I'm so glad I never gave up. She's currently been drinking about 4 oz each feeding but that's only an estimate since I obviously can't measure. But I think she's been drinking closer to 4.5-5 oz lately.
Sleeping: Still not the easiest baby to put to bed, but we've figured out that she just needs to be put in her snugamonkey for a bit before we put her down and eventually she gets tired enough where she won't fight sleep. At night, she usually wakes up once. Some nights twice, and some nights three times. But there's nights where she doesn't wake up at all.
Clothes size: 6 months. I've put all her newborn-3 months size in boxes to either give away or bring to a second had store, but I packed my favorites in a rubbermaid in case we ever have another girl.
Diaper size: 2. Side note: If we are in Target and I even mention buying the generic brand diapers, Adam looks at me like I just killed a cat. He clearly only wants the best for Mira ;).
Development: She sits up on her own for a lot longer now. I'm so proud! As long as she concentrates on it she can sit up, but then she gets distracted and forgets to sit and will topple over. Still no crawling yet, she just uses rolling over as a means of transportation. She can get pretty far pretty fast that way, though. She's already getting into things she shouldn't, like cords and other random household objects. Also, still in the process of teething and she whines everyday because of it. We still use baby orajel and Hyland's teething tablets, but they don't fully help. Actually, they barely help.

Mira's favorite things:
- I started playing country music on the stereo system and she just smiles.
- Laying her on the floor in her bedroom. I just lay out a blanket and she's so happy, I don't even need to give her toys. I think she just likes her room.
- She likes when we put her in her car seat. She either gets excited or completely silent and content. She knows she gets to go somewhere.
- Bath time. She for some reason loves when we take her out of the bath too. She just screams of excitement. I seem to remember hating getting out of the bath when I was little because it was cold and not fun. To each their own I guess.
- She likes when I sing to her. She goes completely silent and just stares at me and then starts smiling.
- Whispering in her ear. She immediately stops what she's doing and just listens to whatever you whisper to her. I usually say "Mommy loves you". Hopefully she continues to be this good of listener when she's older and all we have to do is whisper in her ear. Wishful thinking.
- I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but she has always liked her butt patted. It calms her down. To get her to fall asleep, we usually lightly pat her butt and if she's fussing, I'll just cradle her while patting her butt.
- Her striped lion. She loves when I dangle him above her head. And I mean LOVES it.





Happy Monday! 
Sunday, August 4, 2013

5 Months


Mira is 5 months today (and 22 weeks tomorrow)!

New favorite things:
- She is a reacher now. Her little arms are constantly reaching out for something, whether it's one of her toys, a glass of water I'm drinking out of, or a used paper towel sitting on the countertop, she'll reach for it. When she successfully grabs something she was reaching for, it takes about .2 seconds for it to go into her mouth. She even reaches for me to pick her up when she's sick of being in her exersaucer.
- On that note, she wants to eat and drink everything that we do. If it's within her reach she will fight to the death to try and grab it. If it's not within her reach, she will just stare. She's definitely mentally ready to eat big people food, but sorry kiddo, not for a while.

Stats:
Height/Weight: TBD
Feeding: Exclusively breastfed 98% of the day. About 2 weeks ago I starting running short on breastmilk, and even introduced fenugreek and blessed thistle (both herbs) into my diet, which didn't help, so we have started giving Mira about 2 oz. of formula at her last feeding of the day before bed. I hope my supply goes back up soon, but for now Mira just eats more frequently, about every 2 hours, and giving her the formula at night helps her sleep through the night.
Sleeping: This little bugger officially decided she doesn't like taking naps. She used to be so good! I think it has to do with teething and she seems to be burping and spitting up a lot more so that doesn't help either. Putting her down for a nap could be anywhere from a 10 minute job to a 30 minute job. Anytime after that we say screw it, she's not taking a nap. At least she sleeps through the night. 
Clothes size: She's graduated out of 0-3 and 3 months size. It happened again. The same thing happened when I put on a 6 month outfit as it did the first time I put on a 3 month outfit; I realized she should've been wearing this size weeks ago, but I couldn't get past the idea of her being that big.
Development: Mira can sit up unsupported for a couple seconds, and she's becoming a little more of a mover. She doesn't crawl yet, but she gets creative. She finds plenty of other ways to move around with her arms and legs. She squeals and giggles and makes all kinds of noises. She's starting to be more purposeful with her toys, and is able to control what she does more. She shakes the rattle because she likes the sound, not because she is doing so accidentally as she did in the earlier months. Still rolling over all over the place front to back, back to front. 

Some shots of Mira over the weekend:

Sunday, July 28, 2013

4 Month Favorites


Britax B-Agile Stroller. I'm obsessed with this stroller. It's high quality, but light weight and so easy to fold and unfold. Britax prides itself on the "one-handed" folding/unfolding feature. Not to mention Mira's car seat snaps right into it. Walks are so easy with this stroller!

Aden and Anais swaddle blankets. We now just use these as light weight blankets on hot days. So perfect to throw on Mira in her carseat or when she's napping in her crib.

Pump In Style Advanced by Medela. I've used this ever since Mira was just a couple weeks old, and I still use it a lot. Anyone who plans on breastfeeding should get this. Even if you are a SAHM. You will end up using it at some point to boost your supply. I love that it comes with a battery pack so you can use it on the go (i.e. all the four hour roadtrips we've taken this summer) BUT I got sick of changing the batteries and bought the Vehicle Lighter adapter for Medela Pump-in-Style. Life saving. With that being said, I love having cleaning wipes in the Medela tote bag at all times for when I'm not near soap and water. I used to have the Medela brand, but I decided I didn't need to spend the money on those when I could by "pacifier wipes" which are essentially the same thing, but cheaper. The Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags, 5 Count are also a necessity for sanitizing pump parts. I use it literally every day. Sure beats having to run the dishwasher all the time.

Baby nail clippers. Mira's nails grow constantly. If I don't clip her nails at least every other day, she will scratch herself, and me, and everything.

Boon lawn drying rack. I love having a separate drying rack for baby supplies. It is constantly full of bottles, breast-pump parts, and pacifiers that have been washed or sanitized.
Teething toys. Mira has begun teething so I've got some toys that I can throw in the fridge for her to have a cool sensation to chew on.

Bounce-a-Round Activity Center (similar). Mira really likes it for 5 minutes, but for some reason she whines to get out after that. I don't know why she gets bored in it so fast. But at least she's really excited for that first 5 minutes.

Burp cloths. Mira's been spitting up a lot lately and I'm not sure why, but flannel burp cloths are my favorite. They're big, so there won't be any spit up anywhere but the cloth and since they are flannel, it soaks everything right up.

Baby sunglasses. These are pretty much just for that cliche summer photo op of your babe.

You! Lingerie nursing bra. This is the exact bra I have and it is so amazing; it's high quality, comfortable, and really pretty. I would definitely place this above Victoria's Secret bras. I'll probably wear it even after I'm done nursing. I highly recommend this for all breastfeeding mamas!
Tuesday, July 23, 2013

20 Weeks/4 month checkup stats


Yesterday Mira turned 20 weeks. I was certain that she wasn't that old until I actually looked at a calendar.

She had her 4 month appointment on the 9th so I got some stats:
Height: 25 inches
Weight: 12 lbs. 14 oz.
Head circumference: 16 1/4 inches

Favorite things Mira does:
- Sliding down in the bathtub so her whole body is submerged besides her face. She loves it, and it's pretty obvious she is going to love swimming when she gets older.
- Sucking on my cheek. I used to think she did that when she was hungry, but I think it's just her way of showing love.
- How excited she gets when she knows she's about to eat. Once I get her in the position to nurse she starts panting and her mouth starts making the sucking movement. She does the same thing with the bottle, too, except with the bottle she actually reaches for it. So cute and hilarious.
- Now when I hold her on my hip, she actually holds on to me back. Love it.
- She's talking more and making new noises. Sounding more and more like actual conversation, also getting louder. She enjoys hearing her own voice, that's for sure.
- Playing a lot more violently with her toys/household objects. Violently is the only way I can describe it. She'll crumple up a piece of paper, throw objects on the ground, and shake the life out of her toys. It seems to be accidental most of the time, though, so I'm not worried about her becoming a future sadist or anything.

Needless to say, we are still obsessed with her. From her cute little personality shining through all the way down to the way her face has chubbed up. I now have given her several variations of the nickname "chubbas". Love her!


Wednesday, July 3, 2013

4 months!

You can see here how she loves taking her monthly stickers off? This was in a crumpled up ball in a matter of 2 minutes. 

Mira is 4 months (tomorrow)! I can't express how much I'm loving having the summer off with her. I am spoiled lucky!

We just had an awesome weekend at my parents' lake cabin filled with boat rides, jetskiing, bonfires, grilling, drinks, and tanning. I get to do it all over again starting today, but Adam has to work the entire weekend :(..... I often fantasize about how awesome it'd be if we could both just not work. Fantasizing is obviously as far as that idea goes.

Stats:
Height/Weight: Still TBD (her 4 month appt is on July 9)
Feeding: Exclusively breastfed. She has about 7-8 feedings per day and takes about 4 oz. per feeding.
Sleeping: We put her to bed at about 8 and then usually between midnight and 1 am she will be up for another feeding, and then again between 4-5 am. Some nights are better than others. On a good night she will go from about midnight until 7 am. I don't think she's ever gone more than 7 hours.
Clothes size: 0-3 months (yet getting a little more snug), 3 months, and 3-6 months. 3-6 months stuff still has plenty of growing room.
Development: Grabbing things, she can now reach for objects, even pulls the covers up when she's cold! We only put her blanket on her legs at night but noticed the fan made her cold because she would pull the blanket perfectly up to her neck. Babbles, laughs, smiles huge! She also knows her name now, and pretty soon will be sitting on her own.
Me: Like I said, I'm happy as a clam to have the summer off with Mira. Trying to keep up working out at least twice a week, reading almost a book a week (currently reading 2: one for pleasure and one more for my career), actively seeking a new job (had an interview last week), and just got done throwing a surprise birthday party for my parents with the help of my sister. 
Adam: Still working 50 + hours a week between his two jobs plus lifting 4 times a week. I think I've also got him on the book train; he just finished reading world war Z.

Mira loves:
Bathtime (every single part surrounding it, including lying down getting undressed before the bath and getting wrapped up in her towel afterwards)
Slightly screaming (video to follow)
Hearing herself make noises
Looking in the mirror
Grabbing things
Holding mama or daddy's iphone for 5 seconds and then dropping it
Being outside
Wind
Boat rides
Putting things in her mouth
Being in her carseat
Trying to "help" unbuckle her carseat, take her diaper off, take her nuk out, or any other "helpful" thing that involves pretty much taking something off
Attention
Watching tv
Watching us eat
Watching us have conversation

Mira doesn't like:
Having her picture taken
Getting her hand stuck between the crib bars
Sleeping on her back
Boredom
Being hungry for more than 2 seconds


Happy 4th everyone! 


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