8 months

Dear Baby Rose,

I can’t believe that you’re 8 months old!  You are growing up so fast.  You are very good at eating pureed food now.  We feed you with a spoon and don’t make too much of a mess.  I’m sure that will change when you start to feed yourself.  The biggest change has been your daycare situation.  You are now going to daycare at Children’s Heaven.  You are still your jolly self, as long as you are not tired or hungry.  You do best when you get two naps a day, for at least 1 hour each.  You roll over very well now.  You also stay sitting up on your own, as long as someone else puts you in that position.  You eat pureed foods 3 times a day now.  We have started giving you some pureed meats.  We are not quite ready for stage 3 purees yet, which have chunks.  We might try them again soon.  We tried them when your Noni was in town last and you choked a bit. 

You give such good hugs now! I get hugs several times a day, but especially in the morning when you wake up, when I am walking you in to daycare, and often in the evening.  You wrap at least one arm around my neck, and I call that a hug.  You like your jumperoo.  We also have a walker.  You have started pushing yourself a tiny bit in one direction, but you really are not walking with it yet. 

You still love standing up quite a bit. 

You have been very healthy lately.  You have had some extensive snots, and lots of drooling.  There has been just a bit of coughing with the snot.  But nothing like what we have dealt with before.

You are getting so tall and long! I need to get your weight.

We love you so much! You are such a precious gift to us.

Love,

Mommy

Cooking time

Hi Baby Rose!

I wanted to let you know that I calculated that it took 261 days for you to grow! That is from 2-21-2013 (the date you were conceived) to 11-9-2013, the day you were born!

That is 8 months and 19 days!

That means that we may try for a baby sister or brother for you around May 21, 2015! That would make them come early February 2016.

Love you,

Momma

7 months!

Dear baby Rose,

You turned 7 months old on Monday.  I can't believe it! How time flies.  You are so much fun these days.  You laugh, and like to yell and hear yourself make noise.  We just got back from vacation last week.  We went to Lake Powell (Page, AZ).  We had basically two days of driving there and back.  You were such a good traveler.

Health
You are quite healthy now.  You had a bad cough before we left and while we were gone.  You were on a broad spectrum antibiotic for 10 days.  When we got back your cough was better.

Changes
I was offered a new job with an energy company. It is such a great opportunity to make a bit more, I had to take it.  There are great people that work there.  I also should be able to work from home on Fridays if we don't have too much going on.  However, the drive to Omaha has been a bit nasty with having to take you to Sandy's before heading over to Omaha.  We found a new daycare for you.  I pray it is a good fit!

Development
You are sitting up very well on your own now.  You will occassionally still fall back.  So we put a breastfeeding pillow around you.  You are not crawling yet.  You can push up with your legs though.  You are rolling both ways quite well.  You seem to roll where you want to go.  You give good hugs now.  When I pic you up in the morning you bury your head in my hair and wrap your arms around my neck.  It is the sweetest baby hug!  You also tried to give me your pacifier on Saturday of last week.  It was so sweet! You love to rub your face in a pink fleece blanket with a lamb sewn on.  I call it your lamby.  You still love your soothies. Although, we do not need them all the time.

Food
You are eating every 3 - 4 hours now.  We feed you purred food several times a day.  You are not a huge fan of green things.  But, if I mix fruit in you will eat it.

We love you so much! You are such a blessing.

Love,

Mommy

6.5 months

Hi Baby Rose!

It has been a very busy couple of weeks.  We went to the doctor on May 9th when you turned 6 months old.  You were over 17 pounds! Your stats were: 43 cm head. 25.5 in. Weight 17.5 pds.  We met with our new doctor, Dr. Carrie Dell.  Unfotunately our neighbor, Dr. Althouse, is moving back to Minden!


Health

You have been coughing again lately.  We think it may be allergy this time though.  Your dad and I both have allergies.

Food

You are eating solids several times a day now.  You do not like green things, like peas or green beans, without fruit in them.  We try to do cereal in the morning with your bottle, then solids at lunch and dinner time.  We try to do solids 7ish and then a bottle around 8:10.  Then you are in bed by 8:30.  You go to sleep in your crib now.  But, with your coughing again I am always concerned that you will get something stuck in your throat.  So I have been bringing you to bed with us when you wake up and cry due to your choking/coughing.

Sleeping

You were sleeping on your own all night until 5:30 or so.  You would normally wake up, and need your soothie to make it another hour or so.

Skills

You roll over very well all on your own now.  You push up on your arms so that you can see what is going on.  You can cover quite a bit of distance rolling.  You still stand up on your own legs quite well when someone holds you.  You are trying to crawl, but you do not get very far yet.  You normally push with your legs and rest on your head.  Your little arms need to get a bit stronger!

Personality

You are the sweetest baby.  You smile at most people (unless we are trying to take video or a picture of you).  The light seems to throw you off :).  You enjoy kisses and hugs, and even pat back sometimes now.  

I started working with a client a few days a week in Omaha.  They offered me a job that I have taken.  I will be making quite a bit more money.  But, we have to spend a bit more time apart.  I have to take you earlier to daycare.  I pick you up about the same time though (6:15 or 6:30).  I will also be able to work from home (hopefully with you) on Fridays unless we have something going on.  I am praying this is the right move for us.

We love you baby Rose!

Mommy

First Foods, Travel, almost 6 months

Dear Baby Rose,

You had your first real foods yesterday (aside from rice cereal).  You at squash! You did very well and ate it all.  We just got back into town from Texas.  You got to meet your Daddy's grandma and all of his side of the family.

You were such a good traveler.  You did not like being in your car seat very long towards the end.  You were held by SOOO many people while we were in Texas.  You did not have ANY melt downs while we were busy with so many people.  I think you like a busy house.  Once we went to Fort Worth and it was just your Ummuchi and Uppachen and us you had your normal fits when you get tired and don't want to sleep, or you are hungry.  You are a very good baby otherwise.

Development

You are sitting up quite well on your own now.  You are still a bit wobbly, but on someone's lap you can hold yourself up straight.  You are trying to crawl.  You move across the floor pushing off with your legs and resting on your head! You can also hold up your head and upper body in a "King Cobra" pose.  I'm sure you will be able to put it all together soon.  You are enjoying rolling around on the floor more now.  We can put some rattle toys down for you and you will play with them.  You babble quite a bit now.  You have started making sounds like mamama.  I am just waiting for you to say "Mama" and that's it" :).

Personality

You are such a happy baby (most of the time), especially in the mornings.  You smile quite a bit now and have started laughing at time. It is the sweetest and most pure sound.

Health

You have been quite a bit more healthy since you took amoxxicilim before we left for Texas.  You had it for 10 days.  You still have a bit of congestion, but it is definitely not as bad.

Sleeping

We have started putting you to bed in your crib now.  You often wake up lightly crying around 3 or 4, and we bring you into bed with u.

You are such a precious gift! I am so thankful that God sent you to us.

Love you,

Mommy

5 months

Baby Rose! I cannot believe that you turned 5 months told this week! Time has really flown by.  You have quite a few nicknames now.  The new favorite is "Poncho Rojo".  You are quite slobbery these days, so we have started putting cloth bibs, or ponchos as your daddy likes to call them, on you all the time so your outfits are not soaked.

Food

You are still eating 6 ounces at a time of your bottle.  But, we are also giving you rice cereal twice a day also.  Last night you actually ate 3 ounces of rice cereal.  You were still a mess, but quite a bit of it got into your tummy!

Development

You have started "talking" quite a bit more lately.  You even yell some, especially while you are waiting for bites of cereal.  You sound like a taradactal or some animal!  You are holding up your head very well now, and trying to push up.  You can even scoot yourself across the floor a bit.

Sleeping

You have started sleeping in your crib in the last week or so.  I still bring you into to bed with me if you start crying and your dad is working.

You did have your first "incident" at daycare this week.  A two your old little boy bit you! The marks are still there right now.  Luckily he did not break the skin.

My fitness/weight

I am within 3 pounds of my weight just before I had you! That was still a few pounds over where I wanted to be. So, I still consider myself as having 8 pounds to lose.  I don't think that's too bad though.  I am trying to be more active.  I have found some good yoga videos on youtube that I like.  This one is especially good

4 months old!

On Sunday you were four months old!

Here's an update on you!

Size

You weigh almost 15 pounds! 14 pounds 15 ounces to be exact.  You are in the 67th percentile for weight. You are officially in size 2 diapers full time now. Your clothes all have to be at least 3 - 6 months now.  I am trying to weed out the 3 months things now.  Most of them are too tight.

Feeding

We still feed you every three hours during the day right now.  They are ideally at 7, 10, 1, 4, 7, and 9:30 or 10.  You were getting 5 ounces until yesterday, when we increased it to 6 ounces.  You have not had any solid food yet, but we are meeting with the doctor today. We might be able to start giving you rice cereal.  While we were in Kansas City we had our last nursing session.  You were having a hard time nursing since you have been sick.  We made it almost 4 months! I think that is legit :).

You have had a lot of drainage and coughing for at least a month now.  I hate it.  But, the doctor says that you are fine as long as you are not having a hard time breathing or running a fever.  You have not had issues breathing, except when you are coughing and something gets caught in your throat.

Sleeping

You should be in your pack and play more, but you seem to sleep better with me and your dad.  I usually have you sleep with me when your dad is working.  We just make sure you are above all of the covers and not right next to our pillows.  There is a bit of controversy about the "family bed".  We try to have you sleep in your pack and play when your daddy is at home.

You normally sleep from 10 until 5 am.  You were back to waking up from 2 to 4 am recently, until we started giving you 6 ounces.   Yesterday you took 6 ounces very well, and have done well today so far.

We put you in a sleep sac overnight, rather than giving you your own blankets.

Development

Last Sunday you really started sitting up on your own.  It didn't last long, but you're trying!  You can also stand quite well when someone gives you stability.  You are putting many things into your mouth.  You do not like to hang out flat on your back, you like to be up seeing what is going on.  The Bumbo chair is helpful in the kitchen so you can be up on the counter seeing what I am doing.  We also decided to buy a bouncy chair with things that hang down, and that keeps you busy.  You like to kick your legs and make your bouncy seat move.  You are starting to try and hold your bottle.

You flail your arms quite a bit, so people have to watch out! You also have a very good grip.  You use it to hold people's finger while they feed you AND to pull hair! I have to wear my hair up quite a bit these days to keep it away from you

Sickness and Maladies

You have had a cough and drainage since around February 20th.  We took you to the doctor that week, and he said you had good oxygen levels.  So, we just keep an eye on it to be sure you don't have a fever or a hard time breathing.  Your breathing is fine unless you get something caught in your throat while you are coughing.  Your face is much less red and not as try.  Your forehead still has some odd things going on, so I try to put Mary Kay botanical moisturizer and Aquaphor on it.  

You definitely still have reflux.  Your daddy forgot to give you your medicine (Ranitidine I think it is) the other night, and the next day you definitely threw up more than normal.  As long as you have your medicine you don't throw up often.  You do occasionally in the evening.  The Dr. said we could give you 1/2 of your normal dose in the evening and then the rest at bed time if we want.  We have not tried that with you yet.

We still have to be careful to check your neck for milk and slobber.  Your neck sometimes is totally clear and other times has the red areas again, so we put more A&D ointment on them.

You like to scratch the areas on your head behind your ears.  There is a small sore behind your left ear.  We will ask the doctor about it.  We have tried putting a benadryl creme on it, but it is a bit difficult because you would touch it and then put your hands in your mouth.

Firsts

I worked from Kansas City for a week while your dad was doing training (Feb 24 - 28).  You had your first swim while we were there!

Personality

You are becoming your own little person.  You are usually in a very good mood.  You do like to be moving though, and you do INSIST on eating every 3 hours.  You smile at everyone very easily.  You have ticklish feet and you love to be touched and to touch others.  You will rub your face on blankets.  You are like your daddy and are very tactile.  You will rest your hand on people and occasionally try to give them a pat.

My journey

I am still working on losing weight.  I have a hard time sticking to a good diet these days.  I will do good for a few days and then regress a bit.  I am under 130 now, but just barely.   I need to lose 15 pounds by the end of April or end of May for a few trips that we have coming up!