10 Months Old! 2 weeks ago, of course...

Blakely turned 10 months old on August 13th.  Double digits!  And she is actually 10 1/2 months now because of course I am totally late...so some of this stuff is old news :)

Firsts this month:

Blakely got her first top tooth (front right) on 8-6.  This was followed quickly by the other top tooth on 8-12.  They really didn't seem to bother her much but maybe that was part of the sleep troubles we were having?  Look at those 4 teeth!  

a little more zoomed up so you can see.  this pic was taken today so about 2 weeks or so after the top ones came in.  

Blakely can stand on her own for a bit now.  She stands for about 5 seconds and then she sits down.  

We built our first fort while she was sick...I have a feeling there will be many more to come :)

She drank out of a straw for the first time this month.  She really loves doing that!  

She ate from chopsticks!

B had strep for the first time this month.  Ugh...it was awful.  We had to cool her down in the tub a few times.  

Feeding:
Blakely has been nursing 5 times a day.  In the morning when she wakes up, after her morning nap, before and after her afternoon nap, and then before bed.  I am about to go down to just 4 a day.  She is getting three regular meals a day.  She eats regular food really really well.  Her favorite thing is still cottage cheese although she likes bread A LOT.  

please get this thing off of my head

much better!

Sleeping:
The sleeping is starting to get so much better this month.  I started B on a very strict schedule with her eating and napping and she has done really well with it.  I make sure we are at home for naps so she doesn't have any little cat naps in the car seat.  She is learning how to put herself back to sleep again after going almost two months needing to fall asleep on one of us.  I have also started bathing her most nights...even if we don't use soap...just for the routine.  She is doing better although she does cry sometimes to fall asleep.  I go back in and reassure her and then she falls asleep pretty well after that.  Bedtime is easy but naps are a little more difficult.  

Clothing:  She wears mostly 9 month or 12 month stuff.  I really need to start getting her some fall/winter clothes.  We have none!

Diapers:  We did disposables while she was on antibiotics but now back to cloth.  She wears a size 3 in Pam.pers.  

It wasn't nap time...obviously she was not pleased about being in the crib.  

Hair:  I swear her hair looks a different color every day.  Sometimes it looks dark brown and then other days it looks pretty light with some blonde in it.  Then some days it looks pretty red!  It is getting longer but still pretty short.  

Eyes:  the prettiest blue ever...

Daily Routine: 
This is the schedule that I started and it is working so we are sticking to it!
7am-wake up and nurse
8am-breakfast.  Usually oatmeal and a fruit.  She likes the mandarin oranges. 
9am-nap
1030 or 11am-wake up and nurse
12-1230pm-lunch.  Usually cottage cheese and a veggie or some ravioli
130-200pm-nurse and then nap.  I wasn't nursing here but I have found that she sleeps longer if I do.  I don't nurse her to sleep though...I'm putting her down awake.
330pm-wake up and nurse.  
530-6pm-dinner.  Usually whatever we are having.
715-730pm-bath
8pm-bedtime.  

A few other things:
She really loves her daddy.  About 4pm everyday she starts getting a little fussy and I know it is because she is ready for him to get home.  She hears the door open and she crawls super fast into the kitchen to meet him.  He is always so excited to see her as well.  They usually hang out and talk for a while before we eat dinner.  

She can say Mama, Dada, and Gran Di..which sounds like dan die.  She definitely knows what she is saying when she says these words.  She usually only says Mama if she is sleepy or hungry (imagine that?).  And she will usually meet Gran Di at the door by saying DAN DIE...DAN DIE...way cute.  

She likes crawling up the stairs.

She loves playing with the toilet paper.  Mommy is not a big fan of this but oh well!

She has so many different facial expressions!  You don't have to wonder what she is thinking or how she is feeling because she definitely shows it all over her face.  Here is just one...the scrunchy face.  

Dear Pea Pod,
You have become such a little girl this month.  Your personality just shines right through.  You love to play games with us and you are always laughing.  I can't believe how much you have grown in just one month.  Your Daddy and I love to watch you play with your toys...you are just constantly learning!  I love you so much sweet girl and I am so happy you are sleeping better ;)
Love Mommy

IT'S FRIDAY!

Y'all....  The Oly.mpics start tonight!!!  I LOOOOOOOOVE the Oly.mpics!  Can you feel my enthusiasm?


Luckily I am married to a man that loves them as well.  The summer ones are our favorite although we do enjoy winter as well.  It is totally on my bucket list to go to the Oly.mpics someday.  


I think my favorite event is the gymnastics.  I like swimming and diving as well.  I always have to close my eyes a little on the diving because I am nervous they are going to hit their head!


Do y'all watch?  What is your favorite event?


Lonnie is off next week...couldn't be more excited about that.  He has been working so hard lately and is super stressed.  He really needs some down time.  We plan on watching tv, sleeping, and going on the boat.  That's about it....should be fun!


And now for some random fun phone pics from this week!

• I finally picked out my mommy necklace.  I went back and forth a zillion times unable to decide exactly what I wanted.  But I finally settled on this...

Etsy shop here

The pea in the pod is perfect.  I have called Blakely pea pod from the beginning...not sure why though?  She is probably going to think that is her name.  Jokingly, people will ask me if that is what they are going to call her in school and I say yes...First name Pea, last name Pod.  :)  When we have another baby I won't get another pea in the pod because that isn't why I have that charm.  I will just have to get a different charm for whatever we call that baby! I love it and so does Blakely!

• I actually got some mommy time!  My MIL came on Wednesday to watch B while I did whatever I wanted.  I decided to get a mani/pedi with Sarah.  

This is what I went with....very hard decision!  

• Blakely will now give kisses.  It is the sweetest damn thing ever.  I know she loves me but when I say "kiiiiss Mommy!" and she leans in to give me a kiss I nearly die every.single.time.  

• I bought B a few new hats for our upcoming trip (more about that later).  They are a little big but still ridiculous amounts of cute.  My future gangsta baller....  

• Can someone please tell me how my child got this big?  I can't even believe it!  She takes up most of the crib!  

And AND she has been sleeping through the night for the past 5 nights....WOOOOOHOOOO!

Happy Friday everyone!  I hope you all have fabulous weekends!

I need sleep in a serious way...

I'm pretty much losing my mind over here.  


Blakely just won't sleep anymore.  I am totally kicking myself for ever even muttering the words "I have a great sleeper"...UGH!  


This all started when she turned 8 months old (about a month ago).  She also began pulling up and crawling then as well.  I figured it was just a phase but now I think it has become a habit.  


She goes to bed at 9...every.single.night.  She usually goes down great.  But she will wake up multiple times in the middle of the night.  She has always been really good at putting herself back to sleep but not now.  She wakes up hysterically crying...and I mean hysterical.  If it was just a fussy/whiny cry I wouldn't even go in her room.  


When it first started she would go back to sleep on my (or Lonnie's) shoulder pretty quickly and then we would put her back in her crib. Gradually it has gotten worse.  Sometimes she will go right back to sleep and others she screams until I give her the boob.  I try not to feed her in the middle of the night but sometimes I am just desperate for sleep.


When she does wake up in the night she is so so so sleepy.  She is just fighting it hard!  


I am not sure what to do.  I've tried just going in and reassuring her.  I've tried letting her sleep with her lovie.  I've tried feeding her more during the day.  I've tried feeding her less.  I've tried putting her to bed earlier.  I've tried to give her more naps.  I've tried giving her less nap time.


She has been napping much better this past week.  An hour to and hour and a half in the morning and in the afternoon.  That seems to maybe be helping.  And by helping I mean she is waking up 3-4 times a night instead of 6-7.


I just downloaded like 3 books on Lonnie's iP.ad.  I just need some ideas on what is going on and what I can do to help her sleep better.  I've never had to deal with this with her before.  She always put herself to sleep and slept through the night..since she was 8 weeks old.  


I wonder if she could be having like nightmares or something?  Or could it be like a form of separation anxiety?


I don't know if I can let her "cry it out" but I'm getting pretty desperate and so is Lonnie.  He is very helpful in the middle of the night.  But, he has a very demanding, high stress job.  He needs his sleep big time.  I feel terrible when he tries to put her back to sleep and it takes an hour.  Sometimes it only takes 10-15 minutes but not always.   


This is so much harder than the newborn stage....


Sorry for the ramblings...I just needed to vent!  Any suggestions are welcome!  


I'm going to have a glass of wine....yes, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon....

TVT

I feel like I haven't done a Thought Vomit Thursday in a while so HERE YOU ARE :)

• I miss my good sleeper.  Like in a serious way.  This month has been harder than any other month.  At least when she was a newborn I KNEW I would be getting up every 2-3 hours.  Not to mention I was still high from just having had a baby.  Now?  I am desperate for some sleep.  I am a zombie during the day and feel totally worthless...

• Lonnie's brother, his wife, and their two kids are coming to stay for the weekend.  I am super excited to see them but I can't quite get the motivation to clean my house.  Normally when they come I have everything all perfect for them and this time there is dog pee in their closet.  I don't care.  Also, I have no food whatsoever.  But mother in law to the rescue.  She is going to the store tomorrow for me.  Love her like whoa.  We will probably spend the whole weekend in the lake or on the boat.  That sounds amazing.  The last time they were here was when Blakely had salmonella...yuck.  So hopefully this time I will actually get to enjoy their company.  

• My sister in law thinks cloth diapers are completely disgusting and can't believe I am doing it.  She also made comments last time about me still breastfeeding and making Blakely's baby food.  I was totally caught off guard and couldn't believe it.  I am hoping this time to stand up for myself more and explain our choices a little better.  Oh, and I'll totally be doing diaper laundry while she is here :)

• I am so excited for the Olympi.cs.  Like a 12 year old at a Jus.tin Beib.er concert excited.  Four years ago Lonnie and I bought our awesome flat screen tv just because the Olymp.ics were coming on.  He loves them just as much as me.  I got a text just the other day from him that said this.   I AM OFF THE FIRST WEEK OF THE OLYMPI.CS!!!!!!!!!!  Now, if you knew my husband you would understand the excitement.  First of all he never uses all caps and wants to punch people who do.  Secondly, he never duplicates an exclamation mark.  Total excitement up in here.

• Do you watch Big Br.other?  Well, if you do, it starts tonight.  I highly recommend this as the very best in mindless tv entertainment.  Four previous house guests are returning.  PUMPED.  My vote is for Janelle...please oh please be Janelle.  She was awesome.  Or Dr. Wil.l.  I loved him too.  Lonnie always says he won't watch this show with me but he always ends up watching.  He will for sure watch if Dr. Wil.l is on it, he is a little gay for him.    

• I swear I am working on a post about the shaved ice stand that we bought.  I know you're on pins a needles.

• Ok, I gotta go clean up dog pee out of the closet.  Totally unacceptable to leave it there right?  Have I mentioned that I despise my dogs?  Free to a good home....

8 months old!

Blakely was 8 months old on June 13!!  This has been a super busy month for our sweet girl, full of lots of firsts!  

Firsts this month

The biggest first this month is that Blakely started crawling on 6-12!  She had been getting on all fours and rocking back and forth for a few weeks.  But, just a few days ago, she officially crawled.  She did about 10 "crawls" and that was it.  Well then yesterday she was all over the place.  She's not too fast yet but I have a feeling I won't be able to keep up with her very soon!  

I think it is time to baby proof this house!!!

Blakely got her first two teeth this month!  The first one to come in was the bottom front left on 5-16.  Nana Bob was the one to feel it first.  The second one came in on 6-1.  I felt that one first.  She bit me and it felt different so I checked...sure enough the bottom front right one had come in.  I have been trying to get a picture of her two teeth for weeks and it is nearly impossible!  Sarah finally got this one!

Blakely went from laying to sitting for the first time this month.  What a new world that has brought...for her and for me!  This has made her totally mobile and has made nap time a huge frustration...again, for her and for me!  

First time taking a bath outside in the baby pool!

She gave herself the bottle for the first time this month.  She wouldn't take it from my mom so my mom just handed it to her and she went to town.

She pulled up for the first time.  She has only done this a few times but she gets better at it everyday.  The very first time she did it she was having naked time and I looked down from the couch and she had pulled up on the coffee table.  I was shocked!

She tries to pull up on everything now...

She slept on her tummy for the first time on 5-17.  Now she sleeps on her tummy most of the time.  

First Memorial Day...although this was the 2nd day of her being sick :(  She did like that my mom came over to play!

She tried puffs for the first time.  She did ok but I don't think she was quite ready...

She slept in her crib with it lowered for the first time!  

First time playing with another baby.  This is my cousin's baby who is a month younger than Blakely.  She really just wanted to knock him over...

She has started saying Mama and Dada.  She said Dada first and then started associating it with Lonnie.  A few times when my phone rings in the middle of the day she will perk up and say Dada?  It is so cute.  She only says Mama when she is crying  :(

Blakely spent her first Mother's Day with me.  We just hung out and snuggled all day long.  

The absolute worst first this month was her first time being sick.  Ugh...THAT was horrible.  Thank goodness she is so much better now.  

Feeding:  We are still breastfeeding exclusively.  I have reduced my pumping a lot.  I am so so tired of pumping.  I only pump now before I go to bed if it is more than an hour after I have put her down.  I do not know how some mommas pump exclusively....that is some major determination!  Blake was doing so well with her solids before she got sick.  Then she didn't have anything for a week and I feel like we have started back at square 1..UGH!  Now that we have been back on some real food for a bit she is picking it back up.  The first time I gave her carrots after "the sickness from hell" she just choked and gagged the whole time.  I was so stressed out!  She is doing better now and she has had potatoes, yellow squash, broccoli, and pears in addition to all the other stuff from last month.  

Sleeping:  Her sleep this month totally sucks.  She started rolling over with a purpose right when she hit 7 months.  This has posed a major problem in the sleeping department.  The first time she rolled and slept on her tummy at night I didn't sleep the entire night.  I just wasn't used to it and I was freaked out about it.  Not to mention she doesn't turn her head to the side...she puts her face in the mattress!  Then when she stirs in the middle of the night and she is on her stomach she starts screaming crying.  I think it just confuses her or something.  So not much sleep was being had for the first couple of weeks.  Yeah, and then IT happened.  IT being she learned how to go from laying down to sitting up.  SO what do you think she does every single time I lay her in the crib???  SHE SITS UP!  This leads to a bunch of playing which is fine.  But when she gets ready to go to sleep she hasn't figured out to LAY down.  She just starts crying and getting pissed!  If I go in there and lay her down then all hell breaks loose.  It is not cool at all.  She literally fell asleep sitting up one day!  And then fell over and started screaming.  This morning I found her sitting up with her face smushed in between the rail...ASLEEP!!  She doesn't do this as much when we put her down at night but naps have become a big problem and if she wakes up in the night it is a problem.  I'm not sure how to fix it.  I'm tired...so so tired....

She usually ends up napping like this...

Clothing:  She is wearing mostly 6-9 month or 9 month clothes.  There are a few 12 month outfits that will fit her but they seem pretty small for 12 month size.  

Diapers:  We went to disposables when she got sick and got the horrid diaper rash.  I had to use prescription cream that couldn't be used with the cloth.  I seriously think that I must be stupid.  She blows out those diapers every.single.time.  I don't get it.  We were using three different brands that we just had leftover from our showers.  Leaked in them all!  She was pooping 10-12 times a day and it came out of the diaper each time.  I was so very tired of poop.  She would poop at 5 am every day and it would go every where.  I had to change her clothes and the sheets so many times...I can't even count...Ugh.  We finally got back in to the cloth yesterday and I definitely missed my fluff.  Of course after not pooping for 2 days she pooped in the first two that I put on her :/  

Weight:  I think about 17 1/2 pounds.  When we took her to the doctor 2 weeks ago when she was sick she weighed 17 pounds 4 ounces

Height:  I definitely feel like she has gotten longer this month.  Maybe 27 inches?

Hair:  She has so much more hair coming in now.  It is getting really thick on top.  Now that there is more of it, it is starting to look a little darker.  

Eyes:  blue!

Favorite Toy:  Hmmmm...there are a few this month.  

She loves taking the remote from daddy...

She loves sitting in her own chair outside...

This toy is awesome.  Each side plays a different song...which ever side is up that is the song that is played.  Each side also has a fun little thing for her to play with.  One side has some crinkly stuff, another side has some squeakers, you get the idea.  She will turn it over and over and now she pulls up on it constantly.  It is soft so I don't worry about her falling and hurting herself.  

A few other things that I don't want to forget:

Blakely gives the best slobbery kisses.  I absolutely love them!  

She goes with me to the shaved ice stand every day and loves it.  She just hangs out in her car seat while I stock every thing.  I know I promised a post on that soon and I will do it!!

She loves to play with her socks.  She carries one around pretty much all of the time.

She lights up when she see Gran Di!  

She is ticklish under her arms.

She is wearing "big girl" pajamas most of the time now.  I call them that because she looks so grown up in them!  They are a long sleeve top with pants instead of the footed sleepers.  We started this when she was sick to keep her cool (no socks) during the night if her fever spiked.

Sweet Blakely, 
It has been so much fun to watch you grow this month.  You have learned so much.  Sometimes I just sit back and watch you learn about all of the things around you.  You are so interested in everything!  You have started to crawl and this brings on a whole new world.  I look forward exploring this world with you!  I love you so much pea pod!  

Mommy  

I love these next two pictures.  She looks so very sweet and innocent...