Things have been ultra busy with Ariella, the pregnancy (I'm in the 3rd trimester now), and I started a new job.
So, Ariella is a little gem. She loves playing outside! Her language is still behind (in fact I'm meeting with a lady from MO first steps on Monday about her), but she is talking a little more. She says something like diaper and cracker. She gets so excited when she says it and we get excited. She's super cute. She is communicating what she wants, though. She takes our hand and puts it on what she wants. For example, she puts my hand on the counter where I make her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when she wants one, and she puts our hands on the doorknob when she wants us to open the door to go outside. She babbles like crazy and loves to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (with babble words to the melody). She also has fun practicing walking backwards, and she loves brushing her teeth. That's part of our morning routine, and sometimes at night she wants to brush them again. Ariella knows something's up regarding the pregnancy. I don't think she realizes there's a baby in there, but she likes to lift up my shirt and touch my belly.
The pregnancy has been pretty normal. The only thing that has come up has been that Connor's kidneys were a little big at the anatomy ultrasound, so I have to get them rechecked on Nov 4th. No preterm labor this time yet, so yay for that. I'm at 30w and a few days, and I had the preterm labor with Ariella at week 29. I'm really trying to make sure I stay hydrated and eat enough. I don't want to go though that again. So far so good, though.
I started a new job on Oct 3rd. It's actually the company I used to work for. I was there 7 years. After Tyree started there a couple of months ago, they started recruiting me to go back. It's been good but is demanding.
I took Maternity/Halloween pictures as part of my birthday present. Here's the link:
http://gallery.joannajackson.com/v/FamilyPics/album/
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Our Vacation
We went on vacation for a week in June, down south to Louisiana and Florida to visit relatives. It was a fun trip, although trips to LA always seem to be a whirlwind of trying to fit in seeing relatives and friends. It was wonderful to see so many people, though, and it was so cute seeing Ariella interact with her cousins. I wish she had more interaction with younger kids. We're doing the MyGym classes, but that's only once a week. I need to find more socialization time for her.
The Florida part of the vacation was more relaxed. We did more touristy types of things, including taking Ariella to the beach for the first time and going to the Gulfarium. The beach was beautiful. We lucked out on the weather. It was overcast the day we went (actually started raining as we were ready to leave), so it wasn't so brutally hot. It was still exhausting for me, taking her out into the water, but she got such a kick out of it! She laughed and laughed as the waves rushed onto her feet. And, on the beach, she loved digging her hands in the sand and lifting it up over her head. She's such a sweet kid.
On our trip, she made some pretty big developmental leaps. She started taking steps on her own, up to 4 in a row. And, she said "mamamama" 2 days in a row. In coming back home, though, her progress has slowed. I wonder if it's because I work all day, and then by the time the weekend comes, I'm so drained that it's hard to do much besides catching up on housework and cooking, etc.
I need to start expecting more from her - get her working towards eating with a spoon on her own, getting her to communicate verbally through methods other than crying, get her to pick up her toys to put them away, etc. I want to get a big toy chest to help with the toys part. Maybe I should see if I could send her to daycare one day a week. I wonder if that would help jump start her development. I really don't like that she's so far behind other babies her age. I wonder how much daycare once a week would even cost.
The Florida part of the vacation was more relaxed. We did more touristy types of things, including taking Ariella to the beach for the first time and going to the Gulfarium. The beach was beautiful. We lucked out on the weather. It was overcast the day we went (actually started raining as we were ready to leave), so it wasn't so brutally hot. It was still exhausting for me, taking her out into the water, but she got such a kick out of it! She laughed and laughed as the waves rushed onto her feet. And, on the beach, she loved digging her hands in the sand and lifting it up over her head. She's such a sweet kid.
On our trip, she made some pretty big developmental leaps. She started taking steps on her own, up to 4 in a row. And, she said "mamamama" 2 days in a row. In coming back home, though, her progress has slowed. I wonder if it's because I work all day, and then by the time the weekend comes, I'm so drained that it's hard to do much besides catching up on housework and cooking, etc.
I need to start expecting more from her - get her working towards eating with a spoon on her own, getting her to communicate verbally through methods other than crying, get her to pick up her toys to put them away, etc. I want to get a big toy chest to help with the toys part. Maybe I should see if I could send her to daycare one day a week. I wonder if that would help jump start her development. I really don't like that she's so far behind other babies her age. I wonder how much daycare once a week would even cost.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Swimming!!!!
I've taken Ariella swimming 4 times so far this season. The first time hardly even counts. It was a complete disaster. I think my timing was off with her - maybe hungry and sleepy. She started crying almost immediately after we got in. So, she was in the pool maybe 3 or 4 minutes tops. Not fun.
The 2nd time I took it much slower with her, holding her tight, and making her feel very secure with me in the water. She was very hesitant at first, but she got used to the water and was able to do some of her swim positions. She LOVED her little pink floating boat. I put her in that, and she had so much fun. This was even where I noticed a new tooth when she was laughing. At the very end, she did 2 very quick underwater swims. She was ok with them.
The 3rd time, it was a little better even than the 2nd. She again loved her little boat. And, I do this thing where I lift one of my legs under the water and brush her feet while saying "kick, kick, kick!". She thought that was so fun!!!! And, she improved once again on her underwater swims, doing maybe 5 or so.
The 4th time was yesterday. Even though the water was slightly cooler than I had hoped, she had fun immediately! In her swim position, she was even kicking her legs and moving her arms. She was ready to swim! So, I let her do many underwater swims, even letting go for a bit like I did last year. She's definitely back in her element, and had the biggest smile when coming up from her underwater swims. I was so excited for her and am looking forward to taking her again. If only the weather would cooperate more frequently. But, it's almost June, so I'm sure it will be warmer soon.
The 2nd time I took it much slower with her, holding her tight, and making her feel very secure with me in the water. She was very hesitant at first, but she got used to the water and was able to do some of her swim positions. She LOVED her little pink floating boat. I put her in that, and she had so much fun. This was even where I noticed a new tooth when she was laughing. At the very end, she did 2 very quick underwater swims. She was ok with them.
The 3rd time, it was a little better even than the 2nd. She again loved her little boat. And, I do this thing where I lift one of my legs under the water and brush her feet while saying "kick, kick, kick!". She thought that was so fun!!!! And, she improved once again on her underwater swims, doing maybe 5 or so.
The 4th time was yesterday. Even though the water was slightly cooler than I had hoped, she had fun immediately! In her swim position, she was even kicking her legs and moving her arms. She was ready to swim! So, I let her do many underwater swims, even letting go for a bit like I did last year. She's definitely back in her element, and had the biggest smile when coming up from her underwater swims. I was so excited for her and am looking forward to taking her again. If only the weather would cooperate more frequently. But, it's almost June, so I'm sure it will be warmer soon.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Lots of Updates - Plus BIG NEWS!!!!
I'll start off with the big news - I'm pregnant again!!!! We're so excited and are so looking forward to a new baby. I'm thrilled that Ariella will have a sibling. Baby 2.0 is due on 12/25/11!
Once I was pregnant, my milk supply plummeted. We hung on with breastfeeding in the morning and at night for as long as we could. Then, we reduced to only in the morning. Then, only once every couple of days. And, now I'm totally dried up. I didn't intend to wean, but I figured there was no point in trying to increase my supply. Some women just lose supply when they get pregnant (a lot don't, but some do, and I was apparently one that did). I'm thrilled with how well we did with breastfeeding - made it to 14 1/2 months! And, I didn't have to deal with any engorgement at all with weaning.
Last Friday, I transitioned Ariella from the bottle to sippy cups for her milk. She's getting the evaporated organic goat's milk (which is supposedly closer to breast milk and has fewer hormones in it).
Ariella has also been sleeping much better. I don't dare call it yet, but the past 3 nights she has completely been sleeping through the night - 6am, 4am, 6:30am this morning. She hasn't been waking up at 2am - yay for me (especially since I really need my sleep now in this first trimester).
Ariella now has 5 teeth - her bottom 2 front teeth at Halloween, her top 2 front teeth several weeks ago, and 1 bottom tooth to the right of her front ones this past weekend. Only the bottom 2 front teeth are all the way in. The others are still coming in.
Last Saturday I restarted Ariella in her MyGym classes. I'll take her on Saturdays at 9:15am now. Her first class back she was a bit overwhelmed. She clung to me quite a bit and was sort of in awe of all the other babies. The age range is 14 months to 2 1/2 years, so she's the youngest one, and the only non-walker. I kind of wish she had been more in the middle age-wise, but she still had a ton of fun. After a while, she really got into some of the activities, and she crawled all over the place, and pulled up and such.
Speaking of crawling, have I mentioned that she can finally crawl!!! She crawls and then when she's about 2 feet short of where she wants to go, she switches to her sitting scoot. She is too cute. She's also pulling up on everything, and she loves emptying out mommy and daddy's clothes from the drawers.
So, that's the scoop - lots of new things here lately.
Once I was pregnant, my milk supply plummeted. We hung on with breastfeeding in the morning and at night for as long as we could. Then, we reduced to only in the morning. Then, only once every couple of days. And, now I'm totally dried up. I didn't intend to wean, but I figured there was no point in trying to increase my supply. Some women just lose supply when they get pregnant (a lot don't, but some do, and I was apparently one that did). I'm thrilled with how well we did with breastfeeding - made it to 14 1/2 months! And, I didn't have to deal with any engorgement at all with weaning.
Last Friday, I transitioned Ariella from the bottle to sippy cups for her milk. She's getting the evaporated organic goat's milk (which is supposedly closer to breast milk and has fewer hormones in it).
Ariella has also been sleeping much better. I don't dare call it yet, but the past 3 nights she has completely been sleeping through the night - 6am, 4am, 6:30am this morning. She hasn't been waking up at 2am - yay for me (especially since I really need my sleep now in this first trimester).
Ariella now has 5 teeth - her bottom 2 front teeth at Halloween, her top 2 front teeth several weeks ago, and 1 bottom tooth to the right of her front ones this past weekend. Only the bottom 2 front teeth are all the way in. The others are still coming in.
Last Saturday I restarted Ariella in her MyGym classes. I'll take her on Saturdays at 9:15am now. Her first class back she was a bit overwhelmed. She clung to me quite a bit and was sort of in awe of all the other babies. The age range is 14 months to 2 1/2 years, so she's the youngest one, and the only non-walker. I kind of wish she had been more in the middle age-wise, but she still had a ton of fun. After a while, she really got into some of the activities, and she crawled all over the place, and pulled up and such.
Speaking of crawling, have I mentioned that she can finally crawl!!! She crawls and then when she's about 2 feet short of where she wants to go, she switches to her sitting scoot. She is too cute. She's also pulling up on everything, and she loves emptying out mommy and daddy's clothes from the drawers.
So, that's the scoop - lots of new things here lately.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Finally Free from the Pump!!!
Last Thursday was my last pump at work!!! It's very freeing to have retired the pump. Ariella's still nursing in the morning and before dinner, so we'll see how long she'll keep going. I'm thrilled that we've made it past 14 months. My supply has dropped quite a bit, but I still seem to have enough for the 2 nursing sessions. She seems to especially like the morning nursing session. I suspect she'll keep that one the longest.
For her other milk, she's been drinking warm organic goat's milk. It took a little adjustment for her (I tried both goat's and cow's milk, both warm and cold. She didn't really like either at first.) But, after a couple of days she's doing great! Next step, switching from the bottle to the sippy cup! I'll probably give her another couple of weeks and will switch her over then. I don't want to do too many changes at once.
For her other milk, she's been drinking warm organic goat's milk. It took a little adjustment for her (I tried both goat's and cow's milk, both warm and cold. She didn't really like either at first.) But, after a couple of days she's doing great! Next step, switching from the bottle to the sippy cup! I'll probably give her another couple of weeks and will switch her over then. I don't want to do too many changes at once.
Ariella Weighs...
22.4lbs! And, how do I know this? I weighed her on the scale at the veterinarian office when we took our dogs last night for their yearly appointments! Tyree gave me a look like I was crazy when I said I should weigh her and said something like, "should you be doing that?" But, the tech chimed right in that it was totally fine. :-)
Ariella was a total charmer, and had all the techs and even the vet fawning over her. When we were waiting to pay, Ariella kept looking at this big cream-colored cat laying on the counter. She started babbling, and they were all convinced she was saying "kitty!" over and over. (In reality she was just saying "gee gee gee gee", but still I'm thrilled she's actually really babbling more. She's also started doing "duh duh duh duh" and "dee dee dee", etc.) But, I just went with it. Who knows? Maybe she really was referring to the cat.
She's been babbling a little bit, but lately she's the little chatterbox, so that's made me really happy. It's fun hearing her "talk" rather than screaming or just lots of "aahhs" or "eat", "ate". I'm glad she's doing the consonant first now. She really is starting to progress quickly. Just this weekend she stood without holding onto anything in her pack and play for 1-2 seconds, and she took a full step from one side to the cati-corner side.
Our poor dogs, though. They're never the center of attention anymore. Oh well. I guess that happens when you have a baby. :-)
Ariella was a total charmer, and had all the techs and even the vet fawning over her. When we were waiting to pay, Ariella kept looking at this big cream-colored cat laying on the counter. She started babbling, and they were all convinced she was saying "kitty!" over and over. (In reality she was just saying "gee gee gee gee", but still I'm thrilled she's actually really babbling more. She's also started doing "duh duh duh duh" and "dee dee dee", etc.) But, I just went with it. Who knows? Maybe she really was referring to the cat.
She's been babbling a little bit, but lately she's the little chatterbox, so that's made me really happy. It's fun hearing her "talk" rather than screaming or just lots of "aahhs" or "eat", "ate". I'm glad she's doing the consonant first now. She really is starting to progress quickly. Just this weekend she stood without holding onto anything in her pack and play for 1-2 seconds, and she took a full step from one side to the cati-corner side.
Our poor dogs, though. They're never the center of attention anymore. Oh well. I guess that happens when you have a baby. :-)
Monday, April 4, 2011
Sitting Up Instead of Going to Sleep!
I was so excited when Ariella finally started sitting up from laying down and then pulling up. She's even starting a little bit of cruising now. BUT! She won't fall asleep in her crib anymore! I used to put her in her crib awake. I'd sing to her for a bit or play her seahorse music toy, maybe rubbing her back a bit. She'd usually settle down within 5 minutes and go to sleep.
She won't do that anymore, though! I lay her down and before I even get myself fully standing straight up again, she's sitting up! Last night I was up with her for 30 minutes, singing, rocking, continually laying her back down, trying to keep her laying down by holding her down with one hand and then rubbing her back with the other. No luck.
So, I figured I should try to leave her there by herself to setting down. Nope! The child was screaming for 20 minutes! So, I went and got her, put her in her swing, and she was out like a light within like 30 second! I know it's just a phase because of learning all of these new skills, but it's really getting difficult for me without getting a decent night's sleep. Also, when she wakes in the middle of the night, she can't go back to sleep anymore either because she sits up. Aaahhhh!!! Tired mommy here.
She won't do that anymore, though! I lay her down and before I even get myself fully standing straight up again, she's sitting up! Last night I was up with her for 30 minutes, singing, rocking, continually laying her back down, trying to keep her laying down by holding her down with one hand and then rubbing her back with the other. No luck.
So, I figured I should try to leave her there by herself to setting down. Nope! The child was screaming for 20 minutes! So, I went and got her, put her in her swing, and she was out like a light within like 30 second! I know it's just a phase because of learning all of these new skills, but it's really getting difficult for me without getting a decent night's sleep. Also, when she wakes in the middle of the night, she can't go back to sleep anymore either because she sits up. Aaahhhh!!! Tired mommy here.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Milestones! Pulling Up!
2 weeks ago I posted about Ariella learning how to get herself from laying down to sitting. Well, Sunday night she learned how to pull up!!! We were playing over by the steps. I had some toys and cheerios a couple of steps up. I got on my hands and knees and then I put my hands 1 at a time on the bottom step, saying "Up Up!" She joined in and copied me! She only did it that 1 time that morning, so in the afternoon I had her trying it again. I had to help her some, but she did it a couple of times on her own.
Then, we moved her over to try by the sofa to get to my ipad to play a game while standing at the side of the sofa. She pulled right up! We couldn't get her to do it again, though.
So, then Sunday night I took her back to the steps. She pulled up a ton of times! She made it a game to stand up and then sort of try to stand without holding on. She would plop down on her tushy, and I would say "Whee! Boom!". I moved her over to the sofa, and she did it there, too - not even to get to a toy, just to do it so she could fall back to sitting and try again! Then, I brought her over to her toy where she can stand and play, and she got right up! I even got video of her pulling up to that one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SoXL9Pu6K8&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Yesterday my mother in law said that she was able to pull up several times during the day on both the steps and the sofa. And, last night she pulled up on all 3 places that we've been practicing. It wasn't effortless for her. She had several attempts where she didn't make it up. But, I'll bet after some more days of practice she'll be able to do it every time.
I'm very excited! This is huge progress for her!
Then, we moved her over to try by the sofa to get to my ipad to play a game while standing at the side of the sofa. She pulled right up! We couldn't get her to do it again, though.
So, then Sunday night I took her back to the steps. She pulled up a ton of times! She made it a game to stand up and then sort of try to stand without holding on. She would plop down on her tushy, and I would say "Whee! Boom!". I moved her over to the sofa, and she did it there, too - not even to get to a toy, just to do it so she could fall back to sitting and try again! Then, I brought her over to her toy where she can stand and play, and she got right up! I even got video of her pulling up to that one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SoXL9Pu6K8&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Yesterday my mother in law said that she was able to pull up several times during the day on both the steps and the sofa. And, last night she pulled up on all 3 places that we've been practicing. It wasn't effortless for her. She had several attempts where she didn't make it up. But, I'll bet after some more days of practice she'll be able to do it every time.
I'm very excited! This is huge progress for her!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Zombie Day
Tyree has been on vacation this week, so he and his mom have been taking care of Ariella. Yesterday Ariella didn't take an afternoon nap, and she was overtired when I got home a little after 6pm. I got her to sleep right away, since I knew she was tired. She stirred around 7:30pm, which excited me. I figured I'd nurse her, get her some dinner, and then she'd probably get back to sleep around her normal bedtime.
Wrong! She nursed both sides, but then she was back asleep! So, I put her to bed for the night, skipping her dinner. She woke up around 12:45am, so I nursed her. But, then she didn't go back to sleep. I was up for maybe a couple of hours with her trying to get her back to sleep. Then, she woke again for the morning around 6:30am. Zombie day for me today.
I told Tyree to make sure she had an afternoon nap today. Apparently, his mom was to blame for this one. Tyree said he had put Ariella in her swing to take a nap, but his mom stayed in the room watching her (so of course she wasn't going to go to sleep) then within only a couple of minutes his mom had taken her out to play because she said Ariella held her hands up to her! Sigh.... Need sleep!!!! But, I'm stuck at work.
Wrong! She nursed both sides, but then she was back asleep! So, I put her to bed for the night, skipping her dinner. She woke up around 12:45am, so I nursed her. But, then she didn't go back to sleep. I was up for maybe a couple of hours with her trying to get her back to sleep. Then, she woke again for the morning around 6:30am. Zombie day for me today.
I told Tyree to make sure she had an afternoon nap today. Apparently, his mom was to blame for this one. Tyree said he had put Ariella in her swing to take a nap, but his mom stayed in the room watching her (so of course she wasn't going to go to sleep) then within only a couple of minutes his mom had taken her out to play because she said Ariella held her hands up to her! Sigh.... Need sleep!!!! But, I'm stuck at work.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Bouncing off the wall!
Ariella was soooo active when I got home from work last night. Tyree was home yesterday on vacation, and they apparently came up with a new game - tumblesets on the bed! She would be sitting on the bed and would put her head down (as if she were about to do a tumbleset forward). Tyree would pick her up and flip her over! She got so excited!!! She just wanted to be thrown in the air or held upside down, pretty much the whole night! I asked him twice if he or his mom had given her sugar, but he said no. She was just sooo cute, though.
And, she started saying more "words" that started with consonants - baaa! daaa! This was new because she had normally been saying things that started with vowels - eat! ate! I wonder if the new Baby Babble video that I bought for her is making a difference. It was created by speech pathologists to encourage speech in babies. Maybe it's helping. :-)
And, she started saying more "words" that started with consonants - baaa! daaa! This was new because she had normally been saying things that started with vowels - eat! ate! I wonder if the new Baby Babble video that I bought for her is making a difference. It was created by speech pathologists to encourage speech in babies. Maybe it's helping. :-)
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Ariella's Birthday Party
Ariella's party went really well overall. We had a big turnout, 27 people, 5 of which were kids. I was very happy with how the decorations and food came out. My photographer friend came early, and Ariella did a photo shoot. She even took pics standing while holding onto a chair. She stood there a long time. I thought she'd fall for sure, but she didn't.
Then, Ariella took a nap, and was asleep for the first 15 minutes of the party. Luckily people were still arriving, though. After she woke up, I brought her in the living room to play. I put her on her rocking dog (not my brightest move, with all the presents right there). She fell off of that, oops, bad mommy! But she got ok very soon, phew.
Then we did food. I fed Ariella chili and apple sauce. Then, she got fussy, so I took her into my bedroom to nurse quickly. I think most people thought I was doing a diaper change.
Then we did presents. It was a lot of presents, and Ariella got a little overwhelmed. I guess it was a lot given that she's not used to many people.
Then, we did the cake. I took off her dress, but she was covered very well by her 1st birthday bib. She went to town on the icing! I think the cake was a little firm or maybe they just did a lot of icing, but that was all she got, the icing. She ate a good bit of it, too. Then, she pulled off her hair bow, covering it with icing and tried to eat her bow. Then, the icing was in her hair. Then, she was tired I guess, because she wiped her eyes. Oops. So, icing everywhere. Then, off to a bath because I'm sure icing in the eyes is not good.
After that people started leaving. All in all very nice party, perhaps a bit too much for her, but I think she had fun. At least when she's older, she'll know we really went all out for her first birthday. :-). For me, the party was kind of a whirl wind. It went by fast, as I was kept super busy by Ariella. I got to eat a little chili, but didn't even have cake until the party was long over. I guess that's pretty typical. I didn't get to talk with the guests as much as I would have liked either. But, I was very happy with how it came together.
It's Been A While!
I haven't posted in quite a while! It's been absolutely crazy at work. And, of course Ariella has been keeping me super busy. I can't believe she's 1 already!
Some more recent things with Ariella:
1. Her mode of transportation is scooting while sitting.
2. Just last night and this morning she has really started sitting up on her own from laying down! She had kind of been able to do it previously, but she did it when we laid her down in her crib, and then she was sitting up again when I got her this morning! Exciting stuff. I'll bet she'll be pulling up, crawling, and cruising very soon.
3. She does "Arms Up" on command.
4. She does "Clap" on command maybe 50% of the time.
5. She does "Wave" on command maybe 10% of the time.
6. We had another Parents as Teachers visit, and the lady said that Ariella has excellent fine motor skills.
7. Her favorite words are "eat" and "ate".
8. At her 12 month doctor's appointment she was 20 lbs 3oz (25-50th percentile), 30 inches (75th percentile), and head circumference 50th percentile. My little baby has leaned out! The doctor was very pleased with her growth.
Breastfeeding:
We're still breast-feeding! We made it through a nursing stike and getting sick, which killed my supply about a month ago - but she's back to being a champ of a nurser. I've been drinking Mother's Milk tea for about a month now. I bought a lot from Amazon. I can't wait until it's gone. I'm getting so sick of that tea (but don't want to waste it by not drinking it)! I'm still pumping at work twice. My freezer supply is down to 60oz (from 156oz). I should make it to the end of the month before it runs out. Then, I'm going to start her on organic goat's milk to add to the pumped breast milk. At the same time, I'm going to cut down to pumping only once at work! Hooray!
Some more recent things with Ariella:
1. Her mode of transportation is scooting while sitting.
2. Just last night and this morning she has really started sitting up on her own from laying down! She had kind of been able to do it previously, but she did it when we laid her down in her crib, and then she was sitting up again when I got her this morning! Exciting stuff. I'll bet she'll be pulling up, crawling, and cruising very soon.
3. She does "Arms Up" on command.
4. She does "Clap" on command maybe 50% of the time.
5. She does "Wave" on command maybe 10% of the time.
6. We had another Parents as Teachers visit, and the lady said that Ariella has excellent fine motor skills.
7. Her favorite words are "eat" and "ate".
8. At her 12 month doctor's appointment she was 20 lbs 3oz (25-50th percentile), 30 inches (75th percentile), and head circumference 50th percentile. My little baby has leaned out! The doctor was very pleased with her growth.
Breastfeeding:
We're still breast-feeding! We made it through a nursing stike and getting sick, which killed my supply about a month ago - but she's back to being a champ of a nurser. I've been drinking Mother's Milk tea for about a month now. I bought a lot from Amazon. I can't wait until it's gone. I'm getting so sick of that tea (but don't want to waste it by not drinking it)! I'm still pumping at work twice. My freezer supply is down to 60oz (from 156oz). I should make it to the end of the month before it runs out. Then, I'm going to start her on organic goat's milk to add to the pumped breast milk. At the same time, I'm going to cut down to pumping only once at work! Hooray!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Sick
Tyree got Ariella and I sick. I seem to have gotten the worst of it, though. Ive had a fever of 101.1, coughing - so much coughing, a burning throat, aching, congestion, exhaustion, the works. Luckily, I think Ariella is almost over it. She had some fever 1 night, but mostly just a little congestion, coughing, runny nose. I took her to the doctor, twice, but it's just a cold. Meanwhile, I went to the doctor today. I have a prescription and orders for lots of rest and fluids. Unfortunately, most of the comfort measure medicines are ones i can't take because or breastfeeding, either because it would hurt Ariella or dry up my milk supply. Breastfeeding has become very hard. My supply is low, and Ariella is only nursing in the morning, and for a very short time. I might have messed up by lowering her amount f milk during the day and transitioning her from the bottle to the sippy cup, where the milk comes out much faster. I'm not sure if I can fix it. I'm trying. I figure I need to get my supply back up, which is hard with her not nursing really. I've even started drinking mother's milk tea. I was wanting to nurse until the end of her 2nd year. The health benefits are so much better than cow's milk. But, that might not happen. It makes me sad, but at least we're going to hit the 1 year mark, even if she doesn't go back to nursing. All this pumping is wearing my body down, I hope I get well very soon. It's hard being a mom and being sick.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Ariella said "Daddy"!
We were so excited. Last night, clear as day, Ariella said "Daddy"! She said something dada-like a couple of weeks ago, but this was the first very clear "Daddy". Tyree was very excited. He couldn't get her to say it again, though. A little while later she did say deity, which was close. Tyree asked her if she was being religious. :-)
Can't wait for her to say Mommy! Or Mama! Hopefully I won't have to wait too much longer.
Can't wait for her to say Mommy! Or Mama! Hopefully I won't have to wait too much longer.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
"T"
Ariella's baby vocabulary has been exploding lately! This past week she's really been into the "t" sound. She says "ate" and "eat" a lot (not with meaning - just babbling). She also says "geet" a lot and "geet-ah" sometimes. Tyree has been trying to teach her to say guitar - lol. And, she's done "dee-dee" quite a bit and "dada" a couple of times. No "mama" yet, but I'm sure it will be soon. It's such fun to hear her babble. I've been singing the alphabet song to her a lot lately. She really gets a kick out of that one - lots of big smiles.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Sleep Training Update
Sleep training with Ariella has been very successful so far. One night she didn't really cry at all! Last night she had a little more trouble, but still not more than 15 minutes of off and on crying. Overall she's getting a LOT more sleep - almost 11 hours most nights. And, I'm getting a LOT more sleep, too.
I realized that Ariella has grown too big for her 9 month size pajamas (she is almost 11 months old after all). Last night all of her footed pajamas that fit her were dirty. So, I put her in some footless ones. I think maybe her feet were cold, which might have been a cause of some of her trouble getting to sleep and getting back to sleep. I ordered some new ones online in the 12 month size, and I'm going to get a couple more this weekend as well.
The hardest part of this sleep training is that I really have started missing seeing her at night. That's 11 hours that I no longer get to see her/talk with her/etc. Plus, no more night nursing sessions. No more nighttime cuddles! It's almost like I got another full-time job that forces me to be away from her. It's made going to work each day a lot harder. I know I'll adjust and that this is much better for her, but it's really a tough change for me. Tonight when I get home, she'll most likely be asleep! At least Fridays are work from home days, so I'll be able to remedy my Ariella withdrawal.
I realized that Ariella has grown too big for her 9 month size pajamas (she is almost 11 months old after all). Last night all of her footed pajamas that fit her were dirty. So, I put her in some footless ones. I think maybe her feet were cold, which might have been a cause of some of her trouble getting to sleep and getting back to sleep. I ordered some new ones online in the 12 month size, and I'm going to get a couple more this weekend as well.
The hardest part of this sleep training is that I really have started missing seeing her at night. That's 11 hours that I no longer get to see her/talk with her/etc. Plus, no more night nursing sessions. No more nighttime cuddles! It's almost like I got another full-time job that forces me to be away from her. It's made going to work each day a lot harder. I know I'll adjust and that this is much better for her, but it's really a tough change for me. Tonight when I get home, she'll most likely be asleep! At least Fridays are work from home days, so I'll be able to remedy my Ariella withdrawal.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Sleep Training/Crib Transition - Success so far!
We finally did the crib transition last weekend, and last night we started sleep training. Over the past month, Ariella had been waking up to nurse quite a bit, and there were many days when I was zombie-fied, yet I still had to function at work. It was time. DH and I are no longer worried about sids, since she's almost 11 months old.
Saturday night and Sunday night we did the crib transition, but I made sure to stay with her until she fell asleep. And, when she cried, I came in and soothed her, even nursed her once a night. I felt it would be too abrupt to go from co-sleeping to sleeping in a totally different room by herself with cry-it-out. But, after that second night, I was completely wiped. So, last night we started "sleep training".
When she started showing her sleepy cues around 8:30pm (rubbing her eyes and yawning), I took her upstairs and put her in her crib. I turned her seahorse on for her to have some soft music, and I left the room and went back downstairs. She cried a little, but not too much. She went to sleep a lot faster than the 2 nights that I had stayed in the room.
Overnight she woke up several times - the first time around 11:30pm. That first time, after a couple of minutes I went in and put my hand on her chest and talked softly to try to reassure her. It didn't really seem to do much good, though, so I left and went back downstairs. She cried for about 10 minutes (almost hysterically for a little bit of that), but she put herself back to sleep. She woke up several additional times through the night, but we just let her work it out herself. We didn't go in or anything. She actually put herself back to sleep faster those times that we left her to herself.
So, no overnight nursing, and I only went in once. Not bad at all for a first night. I was able to catch up a bit on my sleep. When she woke after 6am, Tyree went and got her. I think she got a lot more sleep than she had been getting. I know she didn't need to nurse overnight because she had been sleeping without nursing until after 4am, sometimes until 5:30am or so. She was definitely capable. I think her having a dark, quiet place to sleep (no tv, no parents walking around, etc) will really help her in the long run.
Hopefully as time goes by, she'll wake up less and less and get even longer blocks of sleep. I would think that would really help her overall.
Saturday night and Sunday night we did the crib transition, but I made sure to stay with her until she fell asleep. And, when she cried, I came in and soothed her, even nursed her once a night. I felt it would be too abrupt to go from co-sleeping to sleeping in a totally different room by herself with cry-it-out. But, after that second night, I was completely wiped. So, last night we started "sleep training".
When she started showing her sleepy cues around 8:30pm (rubbing her eyes and yawning), I took her upstairs and put her in her crib. I turned her seahorse on for her to have some soft music, and I left the room and went back downstairs. She cried a little, but not too much. She went to sleep a lot faster than the 2 nights that I had stayed in the room.
Overnight she woke up several times - the first time around 11:30pm. That first time, after a couple of minutes I went in and put my hand on her chest and talked softly to try to reassure her. It didn't really seem to do much good, though, so I left and went back downstairs. She cried for about 10 minutes (almost hysterically for a little bit of that), but she put herself back to sleep. She woke up several additional times through the night, but we just let her work it out herself. We didn't go in or anything. She actually put herself back to sleep faster those times that we left her to herself.
So, no overnight nursing, and I only went in once. Not bad at all for a first night. I was able to catch up a bit on my sleep. When she woke after 6am, Tyree went and got her. I think she got a lot more sleep than she had been getting. I know she didn't need to nurse overnight because she had been sleeping without nursing until after 4am, sometimes until 5:30am or so. She was definitely capable. I think her having a dark, quiet place to sleep (no tv, no parents walking around, etc) will really help her in the long run.
Hopefully as time goes by, she'll wake up less and less and get even longer blocks of sleep. I would think that would really help her overall.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Ariella's First Christmas
We had so much fun for Ariella's first Christmas! Having a little baby really makes everything such fun. We're pretty lucky that she's not quite mobile yet, so she didn't try to pull the tree down or anything. But, she's old enough that we can get to see her enjoy the new toys and the Christmas dinner.
I almost didn't dress her up for her first Christmas, but then at the last second I figured it would make everything even more festive. So, I put her in her new Winnie the Poo red velvet dress. She looked so adorable.
Ariella didn't quite get the hang of unwrapping the presents this year, but I'm sure that won't be a problem next time around. But, I helped her to unwrap her gifts. The inflatable ball pit that we got her was a huge hit.
She is such a joyful little baby girl. I'm so thankful that I have her.
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