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...

A post by Blakely...

Hi everyone!  I just wanted to let you all know that I am feeling great and my mommy is so happy to have her smiley baby back!

I have been doing lots of fun things this week!

Mommy and Daddy have taken me on a few boat rides.

I've also learned how to hide under the bed.  This is my favorite thing to do.  But I usually get stuck and Mommy has to drag me out!  Thank goodness for mommies...

I figured out a new way to play.  I just pull up on tall things and then BAM! I'm standing!  It's so cool and I try to do it on everything.  Mommy seems concerned when I do this but I don't really know why...it's so fun!  

Mommy and Daddy have been letting me have lots of nakey time.  They told me it was to help my sore booty feel better...  I don't really understand why I can't be nakey all the time.  

I played on the deck a lot this week too.  I really like being outside! 

I also figured out this super neat new toy.  It moves when I move every single time.  Isn't that way awesome???  Mommy called it my shadow...

The best fun this week was when Aunt Sarah came over to play!  We had so much fun scooting around on the floor and she let me climb all over her.  I want her to come over more!  

So see...I've had a great week!  I think this next week will be even better.  Daddy said he doesn't have to go to work until late in the afternoon all week so I get to have more play time with him. EEEK!  And then Mommy said something about a pool...I am so in for that!  Happy weekend everyone!  

Seven Months Old! Like a month ago!

First of all, thank you to everyone for all the well wishes for my sweet Blakely!  She is doing much better...not quite 100% but definitely getting there :)

So let's just go ahead and pretend that I posted this a good 4 weeks ago...kay??

Blakely turned 7 months old on May 13th!  We had such a wonderful month with our sweet princess...

Firsts this month...

first time in a shopping cart

First time holding her bottle and twirling her hair at the same time...just like her Gran Di!!

First time going to Florida with the girls! (and daddy too!) This also included her first time to see the ocean, first time in the sand, first time in a pool, and her first time sitting in a highchair at a restaurant. 

First time sitting in Pops' (my dad) chair at his office!

First time waving bye bye to Nana Bob on 4-20-12.  She still does this sometimes but not all the time.  

First time really noticing mommy's glasses!  I usually wear them in the morning when I nurse her but I can't anymore...she gets too distracted by them! 

First time actually jumping the her jumparoo!  She has bee playing with the toys for a while and ocasionally accidentally jumping.  But now she jumps all the time and LOVES it!  

Feeding:  We are still exclusively breastfeeding.  I have intentions on doing a full blown breastfeeding post all about my experience with it so far.  She gets a bottle of breast milk here and there....I'd say average is about one every other day or so.  It really depends on if mommy wants a glass of wine or not ;)  

She is doing so much better at eating her solids.  She has had carrots, avocados, acorn squash, green beans, green peas, mangos, and bananas.  She reaches out with her left hand and grabs the spoon and takes it to her mouth.  I seriously think she is going to be left handed.  I am still making her food and plan on doing it for as long as I enjoy it.  

Sleeping:  She is sleeping much better this month. She was doing great and sleeping from 9pm to 730-8 every morning.  The Florida trip threw her off her sleeping game a bit and she woke up in the middle of the night a few times while we were there.  Her naps are so so so so so much better.  We have definitely gotten in a routine with that.  She takes about an hour long nap in the morning in her crib.  Then in the afternoon she will either take two 1 hour naps or she will take one long nap...about 2-2 1/2 hours.  I am so thankful the naps are better....I am able to get stuff done and she is so much happier when she naps well.  

Diapers:  We are still cloth diapering 100% during the day and then a disposable at night.  I purchased some fitted cloth diapers with covers to try for overnight.  I have read that they are the best combo for night time.  I have yet to try them but I am excited to do so.  I don't know why it has taken me this long to do it!  She wears a size three in disposables and she is on the medium rise of all her one size cloth diapers.  

big girl getting her shots!

Clothing:  Blakely is wearing mostly 6-9 month clothes or just 9 month.  There are some 6 month dresses that she can still wear.  

Weight:  I am guessing she weighs around 16 1/2 pounds...

Height:  I don't feel like she's lengthened out this month so I am sticking with 26 inches

Hair:  Her hair is growing in more and more each day.  It is so much lighter than when she was born.  My guess is that it is going to be a very light brown or a strawberry blonde.  

Eyes:  Blue blue blue!!!

Favorite Toy:  Definitely the jumparoo this month.  She loves that thing and is content in it for at least 30 minutes at a time...sometimes even longer.  

She also loves going for walks in her baby b.jorn.  

Sweet Blakely,
  This month has been so much fun with you.  You are getting bigger by the second!  I just want you to know how much mommy loves you no matter what.  I am so so so proud of you and I am so excited to watch you grow up.  I remember back to the time when I first learned you were growing inside of me.  I wanted to talk to you but I wasn't sure what to say.  The words that came out of my mouth were "I am so proud of you".  After that night, I said that to you every single night while you were in my belly.  So proud that you made it through everything, so proud that you hung on, so proud that you kept growing, and so proud that you are thriving now.  You and your daddy are my world.  I hope you will always know how proud I am of you.  No matter what path you choose in life, I will always be your biggest cheerleader.  I know that you can do anything and I will be behind you 100%.  Happy seven months pea pod!  

Love, Mommy!