Ten Months

While we were on a trip to Anchorage last week Miss A turned double digits in months. It was a sunny day mixed with work and fun, before flying back home to Dad.
So we took pictures two days later. :)

Miss A is eating a great variety but her inclusion of meat has been slow-going. I think the most success we've had is with pork. Venison was not a winner...yet. She is feeding herself more and more which is fun to watch and support. We think avocados are her fave. I am still breast feeding although there were a couple of days into month 9 that nearly convinced me it would end abruptly. With some creative thinking and perseverance we were back on track, for as much nursing as she's doing at this age anyway.

She's not crawling but if you hold on to her by the mid-section she will walk and cruise around pretty much everywhere (for as long as you have the stamina)! She is pivoting around while sitting, scooting backward and some other fun motions but we haven't had to full-on baby proof the house.

A's babble is vibrant and diversifying. Ma-ma and da-da, or dah-dee, is repeated often but we haven't felt it directed at us. We think her first real word, or near word, is "bah" for ball. She says it when we actually play with it!

She just loooves loud noises. Coffee bean grinder and the like bring big smiles and even some head banging that causes her lengthening locks to float about. Her liveliness, joy and energy in these moments are just beautiful and perfect.

Nine Months

Miss A weighs a whopping 16# 9 oz. She's finally doubled her birth weight! Still petite and healthy. I don't mind as it saves my arm muscles! She is eating away and starting on some pincer skills for finger foods, namely Cheerios and peas/carrots bits. She has 5 teeth that have cut through.

Her gross motor skills are a bit timid. She can basically walk across a room when you hold on and support. As for moving around the ground for herself, well, she's just starting to scoot backwards. She can pivot and get herself into different positions and directions, but stationary otherwise.

Strangers don't alarm her, but while with the doctor the other day she kept looking to me to make sure all was okay. When Andy comes home and he walks down the hall, she starts looking excitedly in that direction until he appears. She expertly tracks us.

Today, almost a week after turning nine months, she showed her first little dance moves! A couple of seconds of moves upon hearing my singing. I loved it! Bath time continues to be a party with the water a-flying. She knows if I'm trying to hide something from her and the word "No" has taken meaning. I forgot to mention last month but she also has great delight in watching our stacked washer/dryer tumble the contents about.

Last weekend she had daddy time when I had to fly up to Fairbanks for work. When I came back she no longer wanted to be cradled as the last part of her bedtime routine. I don't know what changed and why, but I'm still trying to sneak in a song before laying her down in the crib. She doesn't want to be cradled anymore? What's next independent lady?! A trick I came home to tho was flicking the light switches on and off. Good teaching, daddy!

 The ceremonial end of a photo shoot--when the sticker becomes edible. Happens every time.

The evening of Miss A's nine-month date found us briefly on the boat in sunshine.

It's a funny thing for me to consider that she's alive as long as she was in utero. *Amy

Eight Months

Miss A could be a motorcyclist the way she is always twisting her wrists and waving her hands. She would handle motorcycle handles like a Sturgis veteran. You look or smile at this gal and the kicking machine ignites. She is moving all the time, just in place. Her tracking

abilities are excellent and A is always keeping tabs on our movements and whereabouts.

She has 3 solid teeth (2 bottom/1 top) and at least one more is prepping its way.
The food lists grows with apples, pears, nectarines, apricots, tofu, kiwi, grapes, avocado, zucchini and prunes. Success is growing in the second cycling through of peas and beans. I'm bettering how to make these foods and she's taking to how they taste. You'd think her peas/tofu combo last night was the cat's meow! A will eat applesauce with anything--its her new base. Food is fun!

Pinching is NOT. She went for days pinching my arms as hard as she probably could while nursing. She's eased up on the unknown torture but a small bruise remains. While trying to deflect her claws, and failing, I would try to convince myself that it was for the greater good of her pincer skills with fingers foods!

We made the transition to a new care provider and I'm very happy with how it's going. She is literally a 3 minute drive away from me and maybe learning Spanish throughout the day too. A is one happy girl when I drop her off or pick her up.

No crawling yet but she's good on push-ups during tummy time. She does better with walking motions when supported than crawling ones. We'll see how it proceeds. The house needs to be baby-proofed for that anyway.

We had an appointment with the Doc in early August and saw good weight gain and she is aligned on the growth curve. Petite but proportioned and perfect.

dfl

I just have to throw in these two pics. from a couple of weeks ago. Not only is bath time a fantastically fun time that leaves us all rather wet from major splish-splashing, but it points out to me how long her hair is getting. Her "tail"is widening in the back!

Her hair is starting to creep into her eyes. Not sure when a first haircut should be done so instead I'm doing clips and mini pony tails.

*Amy

Seven Months Old

Miss A became seven months old last week--the same day baby boy KJS entered our family. Congrats Cousin on your lovely family!!

These monthly photo shoots don't last long anymore. They progress in two stages: 1) get Paws' (the polar bear) shoes pulled off and chew them. 2) When Mom puts the shoes away, out of sight, attack the sticker on the onesie to the point of ink contamination and destruction.

 Bear Butt

 Although just a hint here, her bottom teeth are getting so big!

The beginning of the end of the photos

Miss A is officially a sitter. She goes quite awhile on her own now, although I haven't figured out how long exactly. She is a master tummy-to-back roller. We can barely keep her on her belly anymore. As for back-to-belly, well, she's pretty funny about that. She is doing everything right and contorts in some weird yoga move to see us, but she nor gravity are doing the final tip to make her roll that way. Soon, very, very soon.

I will admit to being conservative on the solid foods introduction. I am picking up speed now. By last week she has eaten sweet potatoes, sugar peas, green beans, carrots, squash and bananas.  Truth be told she hasn't been crazy about the majority of the offerings for whatever reasons. I am making the food myself so it could be my pureed texture. Her expressions, uncontrollable shudders, and more, are hilarious to witness. Thankfully I thought of a work-around, but that's just it...a work around. She'll have to eat the straight up stuff someday. I can mix anything into rice cereal and she'll gobble it up. Seriously loves the stuff and makes all sort of noises for more between mouthfuls. I was pleased the other night when she ate a green bean/carrot mix as-is. All part of the fun and I'm sure she'll better enjoy fruits as we move along in that category.

She looks around for us all the time and she LOVES watching and getting her daddy's attention. Oh, the smiles and laughs she gives him! We are loving following her observations (tracking moving dogs and cars, catching a couple minutes of the Baby channel on TV and giggling...). And A is seeking out and selecting the toys she wants to grab, not just the ones closest to her. She thumps her feet down now like she's trying to crack the earth. How can that not hurt?! It sounds like the house is shaking when she thumps in her crib!

This week she has a bit of a cold but that hasn't slowed her down or soured her demeanor. What a happy social butterfly.

*Amy

Six Months Old

Half a year with our sweets as of Father's Day? Wow, Miss A, time is flying by (as we were warned it would).

Miss A has two bottom teeth, uses both hands in coordination, continues to be a social butterfly, and is rolling from her tummy to back. In fact, last night it was a rolling kind of party as she is really clicking and enjoying new found ease with this movement. Right now I'm watching her trying to master the same fluid motion from back to tummy.

She eats up rice cereal infused with infant Vitamin D (suggested by the doctor) and is officially eating her first vegetable: pureed sweet potato. She'll hang her mouth open like a little birdie!

A's Grandma Judy visited again (more on that soon) and she has camped overnight on the Cajun Queen. Sitting upright is getting better, longer, stronger.

And as was hinted at last month, keeping her still for the monthly photos is impossible. Of course it's fun to document and see her curiosity. Like pulling off one polar bear shoe, licking it, getting it taken away, and then moving on to the second shoe.

And that darn 6 months sticker didn't have a chance. She pulled it right off her onesie.

She still weighed very small at her doctor appointment but hopefully solids will boost that up. Her length is at the 50% percentile though. Lots more fun to be had in the second half of her first year!
*Amy

Five Months Old

We are in exciting times, family and friends. Miss A turned five months old last week and she's got momentum. Breaking news is that we have, suddenly and surprisingly, a tooth busting onto the scene. I mean, I don't think she was even teething and yet here's a white spec poking through her bottom gums! A little drool here and there, but she hasn't needed to wear a bib yet. Maybe that explains her fussiness on Mother's Day? Who knows. Angela, who watches her twice a week thinks there could be actually two teeth coming through on the bottom. I first felt the one on Saturday. She does like everything in her mouth but I had chalked that up to exploration and curiosity (which it must be too).

Miss A ate rice cereal for the first time Sunday night. She smiled and ate up the entire time. There was a bit of a mess, of course. We need to assemble her high chair. The bumbo seat is decent for the interim as we sit with her at the table, but she only handles the bumbo in doses.

What other developments can happen at the start of five months? Well, on the very date she rolled over for the first and only time! She went back to tummy. I was working while she laid in her activity gym and then I heard some crying. I looked over and she was in a total different position! Hasn't happened since.

 "My polar bear tipped over! How could that have happened? I couldn't have caused that, could I?"

 "Sweet. I realized there's a sticker on my onesie. Can I taste it?"

 "Lick. Lick."

 Paper sticker distressed from prolonged contact by baby's mouth.

And, the tousled hair look. Maybe the length of her hair is an inches-to-months-old ratio.

She's also been sleeping in her crib for a week and a half now! We moved her from the Arm's Reach Co-sleeper in our room to the crib in her room downstairs. That's right, she sleeps on a different floor from us now. I was sad at first but have actually enjoyed reclaiming our area upstairs for getting ready in the morning. Miss A doesn't fight the crib (just going to sleep sometimes) and continues to wake for food throughout the night. I was worried we'd be called down for comfort (doesn't she miss us?!) or fixing a pacifier, but she doesn't seem to want or need it as much anymore.

A couple of weeks ago, at 4.5 months & while visiting Nome, she started lifting her head off the floor. She's trying to sit up regularly and lifts her head anytime she wants a better view. Miss A is also a good supported sitter. So much happening all of a sudden!

I must say, Month 4, and 5 so far, are really, really fun. The interactions as she recognizes us more, exchanges, laughter, smiles, talking, playing are all such good stuff. Last night she didn't just play in her Jumperoo but she started jumping! Her hands are more coordinated with moving items around where she wants them. Manual dexterity improves daily, says Andy. Her gas pains of Months 2 and 3 seem to be all gone.

She's still petite, weighing 13 pounds.
Her two flights to Nome and then return last month were flawless. Let's hope that continues as we soon fly to Dilligham in the Bristol Bay region for another week-long work trip. We're staying in a B&B with my supervisor and other co-workers and colleagues. It's going to be fun times with the gals!

*Amy

Four Months Old

Getting older and getting *slightly* bigger! Inconsistent with all monthly photos is the four month shoot. A turned 4 months in New Orleans (more on the trip another time). So here she is on a hotel bed and surrounded by special cajun potato chips bags!

Her demeanor and temperament continues to amaze us. Her 4-month shots went super well. She held her breath, turned completely red, let out a yell and then calmed down. She even smiled as I dressed her afterward. The next day she was a bit out of sorts but nothing we couldn't handle. I liked having the appointment on a Friday because I didn't have to work when she needed more attention paid to her schedule the following day.

She's trending small, although it's of no concern. She wasn't even 12 pounds at the check up. At least she's proportioned, happy, healthy and extremely alert. We're cleared to introduce rice cereal when we feel she's interested. That's not yet so we'll wait a bit. The doctor also insisted we start with veggies rather than fruit to avoid introducing "sweet."

As shared in the last post, her vocals are loud and entertaining. She grabs her toes and feet regularly, holds simple objects and puts everything to her mouth. I personally feel we need to do more tummy time. In a less than positive change she's not sleeping through the night anymore. We enjoyed 5-6 hour chunks of sleep for awhile but in the last couple of weeks she's back to 2-3 hour intervals. We have been napping her in her actual crib so maybe after our upcoming trip to Nome we'll officially switch her from the co-sleeper to the crib overnight.

It's harder to nurse her because she's so distracted and interested in what's happening around her. Pretty funny to watch even if it drags out the necessity! Oh, and she is fierce on the hair pulling. She even got Andy's hair as he blew raspberries on her belly. Miss A manages to pull on both of our glasses too. She's got quite the social and expressive personality developing.

Here's one of her favorite places to hang while awake and I'm working:

This weekend we'll assemble her new Jumperoo. It's time for this step given how much she loves to stand supported!

*Amy