Month 6-My Baby Girl into Everything

Happy 6 months to my baby girl! I can't believe that she is already 6 months old. It is going by just way too fast. She is really starting to act more like a toddler than a baby that sometimes I forget how young she really is. Her hair of course is just getting longer and longer. We can actually put pigtails in her hair. She is always grabbing for everything and putting anything in her mouth. We really have to be careful now. Anytime we are eating she tries to take what we have out of our hands and put it in her own mouth. She also tries to put a cup up to her mouth like she wants to take a drink. I decided to go ahead and give her a first taste of solid food. We gave her rice cereal and she loved it. She ate so well! It didn’t help her sleep any better though. The only challenge is that I have to mix it with breast milk which requires me to have extra supply. Right now she is drinking about three 5 ounce bottles during the day and I am getting exactly that much when I pump. So needless to say, extra milk is very hard to get right now. I did order myself a new blender (my Christmas present!) the other day so that I can start pureeing her food. I would really like to try and make most of her baby food. I also found these really great freezer trays by "mumi and bubi" and think they will make the process very easy. I'm excited to have her try all sorts of different foods! I just have to watch and see what sort of reactions she has in case of any food allergies, which I’m sure she won’t have any. Last month I pretty much gave up all dairy to try and help Bailey with her diarrhea issues she was having. It was difficult at first but it got easier as I went along. You just have to read lots of labels and deal with people criticizing you on why you’re doing what you’re doing. If you can get past that its fine. The most important thing to remember is that you’re doing it for your baby and that’s all that matters. There were a few items that I missed having but in general I enjoyed being dairy free. I felt better and felt like I had more energy. Although I’m eating dairy again I think I’m going to try and limit how much I have still. While going dairy free I also had to collect Bailey's stool samples. That was an adventure in itself! Her poo was so runny that there wasn’t ever anything that I could collect. It took me 3 weeks to finally get enough collected to turn in. When I went to turn them in, they told me they could only accept 1 out of the four samples! I was so upset. Apparently I needed to refrigerate the others. In case anyone else ever has to collect samples for their kids, just use a plastic spoon and push down as you scrape forward. That is the only way you will ever get anything. Anyways, I finally got all the samples I needed and the results came back that she had no organisms or parasites. Whew! As far as the dairy goes I have been adding it back into my diet to see how she reacts. So far she has had fuller diapers but I'm not sure that it’s really a reaction to the dairy. Enough poo talk. Bailey has been getting into everything. I had a bowl of popcorn out and she reached in and started pushing the popcorn all over the place like it was some sort of game. It was hilarious. She is also reaching for Coby all the time as well. She even pulled his fur a little too hard one day. Poor Coby whimpered in pain. She comes up with a new sound every day as well. Lots and lots of talking. She sits up and plays with her toys now but is still not rolling over! I talked to her pedi about it and she just laughed it off. As long as she sits up fine there is nothing to worry about. She said it sounds like she's just stubborn and I would have to agree. She has started to get somewhat clingy to me lately. She actually notices when I had her over to the sitter or leave the room. She doesn’t scream or anything she just has this look of "where are you going now?" Its sweet but it makes me sad all at the same time. Her current stats are: Weight 18.25 lbs (80%), Height 24 inch (6%!). Other highlights: Bailey picked out her first Christmas tree, met Santa for the first time, got her first pedi with mommy and the girls, ate food for the first time, and now sits up all on her own!

5 Months-Growing and Learning

Each month is coming and going so quickly that I'm really trying to hold on to every moment with her. Sometimes I find myself thinking about what I need to get done and start to put Bailey down but quickly remind myself that she will only be this small for a short time. Eventually she won’t want me to rock her or even want me to hold her very much. That thought makes me so sad but it really helps me savor the moments even if she's just sound asleep in my arms. This month again has been really great. She's still not sleeping 100% over night or in her crib all night long. I have really been trying to put her back in her crib once she's done eating but it’s just so hard. I love holding her! But for the most part she goes down between 8:30-9 and wakes up around 12. We don’t pick her up out of her crib (we just offer her a pacifier) until she wakes up a 2nd time at about 2-2:30. By then I figured she hasn’t eaten for about 6 hours so its ok. I'm going to eventually start trying to wean her off of the night time feeding but not just yet. She normally doesn’t wake up again until about 6:00 right before we leave for the day. So I am actually feeling much more rested and have a lot more energy lately which is really nice.

On a down side, Bailey has still had lots of diarrhea and even had blood in her diaper one night last week. I went ahead and met with the pediatrician and they said they think she may be intolerant to the milk protein. (She is 17 lbs by the way) So they sent me home with 4 plastic containers and instructions on collecting stool samples so they can run some tests. Well let me just say it has been very interesting trying to collect anything from a baby with diarrhea! There is nothing to put in the jars. I have used Popsicle sticks to scrap anything I could off of her diapers but can't seem to get anything. I tried to put Saran Wrap inside her diaper to prevent it from soaking up but all that did was make awesome noises when she tooted! Haha So I am still on a mission to collect Bailey's poo. In the meantime I have been cutting dairy out of my diet. It was pretty difficult at first but after a week and a half it’s really not too bad. I didn’t realize milk was in so many things. It has really helped me make smarter choices though. I actually feel healthier without most of the things that contain milk. I wouldn’t want to do it forever of course but to me it’s worth it to be able to continue to breastfeed Bailey. If the test come back saying that she isn’t intolerant to milk protein then the first dinner will be a pizza!

This month Bailey has really found her voice. She will go on and on "singing" to herself. Sometimes she gets so loud too! If she is really tired she will also sing herself to sleep. I guess she got tire of hearing mom sing to her :) Bailey has also been reaching for everything! She loves to play with her toys hanging over her car seat and will try to take whatever I'm holding out of my hands to inspect it. I think she is going to be a soccer player too. When I gave her a ball to play with, she used her feet instead. She is actually really good at using her fee! It’s like she is already practicing her soccer moves. She also learned to grab her feet over this last month. That is all she does now. She plays with her feet. As soon as she wakes up she is reaching for her feet. Sometimes she even sucks on her toes. It’s really funny. Speaking of her feet, we can't ever keep socks on the kid. I'm always worried she's going to get sick but she just rubs her feet together like a cricket.

She also really likes herself. She will just stare at herself in the mirror and laugh! It is the cutest thing. Well Miss Bailey's "trade mark" I guess is her luscious locks. Her hair is getting so long now (and slightly bald in one spot). She always has these little bat wings on either side of her head even after I blow dry her hair. I can almost put her hair in pig tails.

She has really started to notice Coby and is very interested in him. She is always staring at him and watching what he's doing but one day she just started cracking up at him; He wasn’t even doing anything. She had her hand reached out towards him so we called him over to her. He started licking her hand and she went crazy laughing and was very excited. Now every morning she wakes up and looks for her doggie with her hand reached out ready for morning kisses. It’s really sweet. She accidentally pulled his fur one day and poor Coby whimpered. That’s only the beginning I'm sure....


A few other fun things to mention is Bailey's first time in a jumperoo; the old kind that hangs from a door way. They are sort of like freestyle jumping. She loved it. She wasn’t really jumping it was more like a stand up and sit down sort of action. Then she got spinning in a circle so fast it freaked her out and she started crying. It was hilarious. She is also very curious about water when you pour it over her in the bathtub. She will reach her hands out and try to grab the stream while you’re pouring. It’s just so cool to see her little mind working. I can only imagine all the new things we will get to see her experience during this next month!

4 Months-Sweet and Sassy

Month 4 has been so much fun. I just can't get over how big she is getting and how much more interactive she is with us. I took her to the doctor for her 4 month checkup and she weighed in at 15.9 lbs. She is in the 85th percentile for weight and 50th percentile for height. Last checkup she was in the 90th for weight so I guess she is trimming down a bit. It makes me so sad because that means she’s growing up! Her little cheeks aren’t as big as they used to be. Well Miss Bailey has become very vocal with us lately. She really likes to tell us how she feels and when she wants something now. Ok I'll just be honest, Miss Thing can get a real attitude! She really knows how to work Andy and I. If Andy sits down with her and she doesn't like it, she will do this cry-yell at him until he stands up. He has tried to challenge her and then she really starts to cry. I think we may be in for it. It has been really hard going back to work and I have been so tired lately. I finally decided it was time to put the pack-n-play away and start transitioning her to her big girl crib. It has been really hard! Once she’s asleep she’s ok but I’m still awake constantly checking the video monitor to make sure she’s still breathing. If she wakes up she starts to cry because she either wants to eat again or just be held. I need to just let her cry it out but I’m so tired from work that I have been giving in and letting her sleep on my chest. I know that most people would probably yell at me for doing that but I have to get sleep somehow. Besides being sleep deprived being a mom is the absolute best thing in the world! The fun times definitely make up for any lack of sleep I have had. She had become very ticklish on her feet, under her chin, her inner thighs and get this….even her little booty! She just laughs so hard I love it. Sometimes she even gets frustrated that it tickles and starts to get upset but of course I have to keep pestering her. Something else that Andy found out with her is that Bailey loves “Peekaboo”. I think she likes it best when Andy does it with her. It is so funny to hear her laugh so hard at something that’s not funny at all. She really loves her Daddy! Whenever I’m feeding her in our bed she is constantly checking to see where he is at. It’s really cute because he will be at work and she will be looking all around for him. I think she’s going to be a Daddy’s girl. She really loves her jumperoo. I would say it’s the best money we spent too. She will play with all of the toys on it and jump to the music. She has also been sitting in her bumbo really well. We usually sit her in the middle of the kitchen table while we eat dinner. Although I have to say I think she knows we’re eating because it never seems to fail that she decides she wants to eat too. I think she has been starting to teeth. She has been sucking her hands (sometimes both at the same time!) and drooling like crazy. We give her those little cold teething rings and she seems to love them. We may have a tooth coming in very soon! So the other day I went to the Chiropractors office and left her sitting in her car seat on the floor unbuckled. I was getting adjusted when I heard her grunting and moving. By the time I was done with my adjustment, the little stinker was almost sideways in her car seat. She really doesn’t like to be tied down to that thing. When we can start crawling, I’m going to be chasing her all over the place! Maybe then I will lose more of this baby weight!

Hi! I'm 4 months old today!

 

 

Hanging out with Great Grandma

 

First night she slept for 5 hours straight in her own crib!

 

Getting ready for the fall festivle at Wiloubee Farm

 

Sweet sleeping baby....

 

Loves playing in her bouncer

 

Trying to squirm out of her pumpkin seat!

 

Dressed in red to support our Cardnials!

 

Daddy and Bailey

 

Mommy and Bailey

 

One of Bailey's many crazy facial expressions

 

Just being cute

 

Good morning!

 

Lovin the leg warmers

 

Sweet girl. This is one of my favorite pictures

3 Months Old-Back to Work

Bailey didn’t technically have a 3 month checkup but she had diarrhea quite a bit so they had me take her in which happened to be right at her 3 month mark. She weighed in at 14 lbs. The doctor said that I must have super milk or something. Not sure if that’s supposed to be a compliment or not but either way Miss Bailey is a very healthy thriving baby girl. I'm still not sure what to do about the diarrhea situation but they said she isn’t sick or dehydrated so she should be fine. I have tried to cut out dairy but never was able to do it for a 2 week period. If it doesn’t get any better I may have to start doing that again. During this last month she has been learning so much and is becoming so interested in things. It’s so neat to watch her learning. She loves her toys that hang from her play gym and recently my Aunt Cindy bought her a new dolly. I didn’t think she would know what to do with it but I have to say, it has been so cute to watch her with it. It’s a soft plush doll and she will put both arms around it and bring it to her mouth to sort of suck on the head of the doll. It’s pretty funny but she does love holding on to it. Coby has been a little jealous of her toys though. He always wants to steal her doll, her ball or her pacifiers. He has chewed up all 4 of the ones we got from the hospital. It’s so aggravating because you can't really buy them anywhere else. Speaking of pacifiers...Bailey was at her Grandma Mary's house one Saturday afternoon and they were having trouble finding her pacifier. When they picked her up out of her seat they realized it was lodged in a roll on the back of her chubby little leg! Poor thing will never live that down. Bailey has also gotten really good at Tummy Time. She has been holding her head up so well and is so active that I know where in for it when she starts to crawl and then walk. So in a matter of 2 days I earned myself "mom of the year". I absolutely hate trimming her tiny little nails. They are paper thin and so hard to see. She was sitting on my bed being so sweet just talking and smiling away while I was trimming her nails when I managed to clip her thumb nail too far back and it instantly started bleeding. The look on her face was terrible and her scream was so loud! I felt so bad. Then the very next day, I was feeding her and in a hurry with dinner. So while I was feeding her I decided to check on the dinner in the toaster oven. 0When I opened the door she kicked her foot at the same time burning her heel. Again, screaming and crying because mommy hurt her :( I went back to work on September 3rd and it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I balled my eyes out when I left her. I know I'm really lucky to have her in such good care while I’m gone but I never thought I would miss my baby as much as I do. We spent 3 months getting to know each other and spending every minute together. It was just a weird feeling when she wasn’t with me. It was nice to see everyone from work but it didn’t make up for how much I missed my girl. Andy was very sweet and wrote me a card that was supposed to be from Bailey and then he sent me flowers to work! Pumping at work...This hasn’t been as bad as I thought it would be. I thought it would be really inconvenient but my work has been really great about it. I really need to pump 3 times at while I’m there but sometimes only have time for 2. I can sit at my desk which really helps. The first day back I pumped 17 ounces of milk! Woo hoo! The next day I realized I left my precious liquid gold in the car. I was so mad. I can tell you now, I won’t ever let that happen again. Anyways, I'm so excited to see how she is going to grow and what her personality is going to be like. On to month 4....

2 Months Old!

Bailey had her 2 month check up. Drum roll please....she weighs 12 lbs 14 ounces and is 22 inches long! She is in the 30% for height and 75% for weight. She is one healthy girl. The doctor was impressed with how well she holds her head up and by her alertness. Everything looks great! She also had to get 2 shots which was so sad to watch. She was all smiles right up until that needle went in and then let out the loudest saddest scream. So far Bailey is really a great baby. She isn’t ever fussy or irritable. She is very sweet and content most of the time. As long as she is fed I can pretty much do anything or go anywhere with her. I have even been able to start putting her in her swing and letting her play on her mat for longer periods of time. I think she is really noticing bright colors and her toys. She has this little butterfly that hangs above her play mat that she smiles and talks to every time I lay her under it. She also loves to watch the little birdies above her swing and loves to look at herself in the mirror. It is soooo cute! She now notices Coby as well. The other day she was smiling and laughing at him. I'm sure they will be buddies as she grows up. Bailey absolutely loves her bath time now. She splashes and smiles during the entire bath. If she is upset or crying I can turn on the bath and she calms down. She knows its almost bath time. The only thing that I'm having trouble with is that she still likes to eat about every 2 hours. She wakes up that much at night too. She doesn’t wake up crying, I can hear her moving around and she just sort of whimpers until I get her up to eat. As soon as she's done she goes right back to bed. So its not horrible but I'm not getting very long stretches of sleep so its making it hard to wake up in the mornings. My favorite time of day is the morning. She is so happy right when she wakes up. I love to take off her pjs and just watch her smile and stretch. I have been pretty lazy in the mornings and will just lie around and cuddle with her. I know I wont get to do that much when I'm back at work. The last 2 months with my baby girl has been so amazing. She just gets cuter every day.

Maternity and New Born Pictures

We finally have some new born pictures available of Miss Bailey. I have also included a few of our Maternity photos. I actually got those back the day that I went into labor so I never was able to do anything with them.

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