My dear, sweet Angel Baby,
You are changing everyday in a very visible way. Each day you grow more and more awesome. You never cease to amaze me!
Stats
At last weigh in you were at just twenty pounds. That was about a week and a half ago. Not sure how long you are right now. Your 6-9 month clothes are just getting to be a smidge small.
Sleep
This month has been amazing for sleep! You snooze through the night in your crib, waking every 1.5 to 2.5 hours. Some nights, miraculously, you'll sleep three or even four hours in a row. Like last month, Daddy brings you into our bed at around four am and you finish the night there. Most days your last waking is around seven. I nurse you one last time, and you often sleep until nine. Lately, I've been sneaking out of bed after you fall asleep, and start my day while you finish your night.
You nap in my arms for 1.5 to 2 hours at a time, usually around ten am, two pm, and four pm.
We put you down for the night between 7:30 and 9:00, depending on your behavior and when your last nap was.
Just the past week, you started waking up every hour. It was really hard on us, especially your dad. We would often just bring you to stay in bed with us. This produced the usual discussion about doing something different to "encourage" you to sleep better. This past Saturday, we learned why you were having such a hard time. :)
Eating
The world of food has opened up to you this month. I don't know that I could begin to list all the new foods you've tried. You go crazy for food, when you see people with plates, and when we sit down at the table. You lift your hands up and say, "Mmm...mmm...!" This month you tried baby food for the first time. I had coupons for organic, whole food purees. You like them okay, but often prefer real table food. You do go bonkers for freeze dried yogurt and baby "puffs". You'll sample purees, but the bulk of your food comes from our plates.
You've tried: cinnamon apples, broccoli, ham, cheese, bologna, milk, different pizzas, various soups, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberries, velveeta, diet Dr. Pepper (shame on me), various cookies, chocolate, peppermint sticks, lollipops, cinnamon rolls, eggs, bacon, and many more.
You still nurse as much as you used to. I joke that you supplement nursing with table food because you're growing so fast! I can't keep up! Your table food is negligible and the bulk of your nourishment still comes from me. And I wouldn't change that for the world.
(see below for drinking and feeding information)
Milestones
At the beginning of this month and for much of last month, you had an adorable fake cough you'd do. You liked to have us mimic you and you'd often try to "converse" with us this way.
I got a smoothie from Panera Bread in hopes of encouraging you to start using a straw with it, and all it did was supply you with a huge straw through which to make music. This was huge deal this month: the development of your love of music. You smile when you hear it, and take pride in making noise and producing music.
You developed your pinscher grasp this month! It's something you're quite proud of and you prefer to use it.You won't be fed, and instead enjoy feeding yourself with your new pinchy fingers. Unfortunately for me, as this skill was developing you practiced it on me while nursing. The under side of my arms had quite a few bruises for a while.
We have our diapers delivered monthly from Amazon and they arrive in an excessively large box. One day, I placed you in the box with some of your toys and you played in there for hours! You enjoy tipping boxes over, emptying boxes, and pulling up on boxes.
Indeed, you've begun pulling up. Mostly on Daddy and me and often as a means to reach something you want to get to. You haven't started pulling up on objects, yet.
No crawling, yet. Sometimes you will get on all fours and rock, but largely tummy time is torture for you because you want to crawl and can't. You get one leg under you to push off it and you end up rolling over onto your back and fussing about it. You can get down on your tummy from the sitting up position - a skill which just developed over the last couple of days.
You enjoy the "B" sound, always have. You say buh, boo, boom, bah. I want your first word to be boobie - that would be awesome. You say dah, muh, and guh. That's about it right now. But you say it a lot!
Like I was saying in the sleep section: for the week of December 16 - 21, you woke up about every hour the whole week. We didn't understand why. You weren't crying more than normal or fussing. You were a little congested all week, but we assumed you had a cold or allergies and were a little uncomfortable. Lo, and behold, Saturday, December 22, you cut your first tooth! We were at Grandma and Grandpa Dennis' house and Daddy felt the tiny little thing poking through. It's the one on your bottom right. So proud of you, son! There was much rejoicing!
You've slept pretty well since then. :)
Events
The biggest event that happened this month was Christmas and all the surrounding new sights and activities.
You weren't too fascinated by the Christmas tree. At first you played with it and shook it a little, but then went on to business as usual.
We went to the annual Children's Holiday Festival at Daddy's work, and it was there you met Santa for the first time. You cried. It was adorable.
You sat through many a Cantata practice.
We went to Six Flags to look at the Christmas lights, and again, you weren't too impressed.
I took you to see Santa at the mall, and you accepted him much better the second time.
For Christmas you received from us your new car seat. This will be the car seat you grow up with. You seem to like it a lot more and fall asleep more easily in it than in your old one.
We came home to Oklahoma, which is where we are now, and stayed with my parents first (21-24) and now we're at Grandparents Chambers' house through New Year's. Wonderfully, your first Christmas was white! About six inches fell on Christmas day. You seemed to like it, but were mostly cold!
Some significant gifts you received: your first ornament from Grandma Lori, your children's Bible and a couple of Bible storybooks, the Brave Little Toaster movie, a few toys from Grandparents Chambers, and some clothes from Grandma Lori.
Tonight, we'll walk over and see the Christmas lights for the first time in Chickasha. I hope it's not too cold!
Gabriel, I love you so very much and I love you more and more every day. You have been a wonderful blessing to us - a challenge and an honor. You are incredible - smart, strong, and so very sweet.
Love,
Mommy
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Seven months
Dear Gabriel,
When you were first born, my mother, Grandma Lori, told me that babies start to get really fun right around six months. This month you have proven her right. You have just come alive and are exploring and charming your way through this world.
Stats
You currently weigh __________ and are __________ inches long. You wear size 6-9 month clothes. They're generally still a little big on you, but that's okay. :)
Sleep
From the moment you were born and getting you to sleep wasn't as easy as we had anticipated, we began co-sleeping and I told myself that I wouldn't push you to sleep on your own until you were six months old. Arbitrary, seemingly, but my gut told me that was right for us. Along the way, I have tried about once a month to get you to sleep in your crib and every attempt failed. We were just more comfortable having you with us - it was where you slept best.
Almost six months to the day, you went down in your crib. We put you on your tummy and you seemed almost grateful. We have a nighttime routine of nursing you down to the tune of your spiffy mobile at around 8 pm and when the song finishes, Daddy puts you down.
You still wake around every two hours on average. Daddy brings you in to me and I nurse you until you fall asleep again, then he takes you back to your room. Around 4 am, Daddy leaves for work, so he brings you in to me and we co-sleep until you wake around 8 am most days. You sleep more lightly during the wee morning hours and I still get to enjoy waking with you, which was always my favorite part of co-sleeping. It has been a great system.
I do miss having you sleep right next to me. That time was so fleeting and I did wish it away. I don't regret having co-slept with you and cherish that time together.
Eating
You've been trucking through the solids this month! You really enjoy eating and have yet to refuse a food. You reach for our plates and cups and we pretty much let you taste anything we're eating.
Foods you've added to your repertoire: applesauce, guacamole, mandarin oranges, black beans, bananas, queso, tortillas, bell peppers, yogurt, tomato, and Thanksgiving fare: olives, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin, pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce. You loved cranberry sauce.
You've had some milk, water, and smoothies from straws, but you haven't sucked liquids into the straw yourself just yet. You're close, though.
You like to feed yourself with your hands, not be fed. If I try to feed you with a spoon, you grasp the spoon yourself and put it in your mouth.
Milestones
You play on your own, now. You reach for toys you want and enjoy digging in boxes for items. You especially like to play with whatever isn't a toy - straws, keys, bottles, eating utensils, etc.
You sit like a boss these days, and roll over like crazy, too. You are so so so close to crawling. Your dad and I have bets that you will crawl by Christmas.
In the middle of the month, you said, "Da da," for the first time! It was fun. Now you say it a lot. You don't call for Daddy, but I can say, "Where's Da da?" and you look for him. So adorable.
Events
Early in the month, Daddy traveled for the first time on business. Instead of staying home alone, you and I stayed with Grandma Lori and Grandpa Bill. It was my first time to have you overnight without Daddy. It went really well. We stayed in Oklahoma from November 5 - 10. While there we visited with Great Aunt Sharon. We also saw my best friends Lacey Green and Meghan O'Bannon. On our way to Oklahoma, we stopped off at Ikea. It was your first time going. While there we purchased your high chair and crib bumpers.You love your high chair. I'm not really sure why. You like banging on the tray.
We traveled to Oklahoma again for Thanksgiving and stayed from November 21 - 25. We stayed with Grandma and Papa Chambers. Your Great Grandmother Hoppe came all the way to California just to meet you and spend time with you. She really enjoyed watching you play and commented on how smart you are.
You loved Thanksgiving. We had a Mexican themed Thanksgiving meal and you sampled just about everything that wasn't too spicy. My parents came over for that meal. The next day we had a more traditional Thanksgiving meal and you had a little bit of everything from that meal as well.
I have enjoyed this month with you so much, Son. You have just lit up our world. Some days, I cannot believe I have a baby! And other days, I just cannot remember life without you. It seems you've always been here.
Love always,
Mommy
When you were first born, my mother, Grandma Lori, told me that babies start to get really fun right around six months. This month you have proven her right. You have just come alive and are exploring and charming your way through this world.
Stats
You currently weigh __________ and are __________ inches long. You wear size 6-9 month clothes. They're generally still a little big on you, but that's okay. :)
Sleep
From the moment you were born and getting you to sleep wasn't as easy as we had anticipated, we began co-sleeping and I told myself that I wouldn't push you to sleep on your own until you were six months old. Arbitrary, seemingly, but my gut told me that was right for us. Along the way, I have tried about once a month to get you to sleep in your crib and every attempt failed. We were just more comfortable having you with us - it was where you slept best.
Almost six months to the day, you went down in your crib. We put you on your tummy and you seemed almost grateful. We have a nighttime routine of nursing you down to the tune of your spiffy mobile at around 8 pm and when the song finishes, Daddy puts you down.
You still wake around every two hours on average. Daddy brings you in to me and I nurse you until you fall asleep again, then he takes you back to your room. Around 4 am, Daddy leaves for work, so he brings you in to me and we co-sleep until you wake around 8 am most days. You sleep more lightly during the wee morning hours and I still get to enjoy waking with you, which was always my favorite part of co-sleeping. It has been a great system.
I do miss having you sleep right next to me. That time was so fleeting and I did wish it away. I don't regret having co-slept with you and cherish that time together.
Eating
You've been trucking through the solids this month! You really enjoy eating and have yet to refuse a food. You reach for our plates and cups and we pretty much let you taste anything we're eating.
Foods you've added to your repertoire: applesauce, guacamole, mandarin oranges, black beans, bananas, queso, tortillas, bell peppers, yogurt, tomato, and Thanksgiving fare: olives, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin, pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce. You loved cranberry sauce.
You've had some milk, water, and smoothies from straws, but you haven't sucked liquids into the straw yourself just yet. You're close, though.
You like to feed yourself with your hands, not be fed. If I try to feed you with a spoon, you grasp the spoon yourself and put it in your mouth.
Milestones
You play on your own, now. You reach for toys you want and enjoy digging in boxes for items. You especially like to play with whatever isn't a toy - straws, keys, bottles, eating utensils, etc.
You sit like a boss these days, and roll over like crazy, too. You are so so so close to crawling. Your dad and I have bets that you will crawl by Christmas.
In the middle of the month, you said, "Da da," for the first time! It was fun. Now you say it a lot. You don't call for Daddy, but I can say, "Where's Da da?" and you look for him. So adorable.
Events
Early in the month, Daddy traveled for the first time on business. Instead of staying home alone, you and I stayed with Grandma Lori and Grandpa Bill. It was my first time to have you overnight without Daddy. It went really well. We stayed in Oklahoma from November 5 - 10. While there we visited with Great Aunt Sharon. We also saw my best friends Lacey Green and Meghan O'Bannon. On our way to Oklahoma, we stopped off at Ikea. It was your first time going. While there we purchased your high chair and crib bumpers.You love your high chair. I'm not really sure why. You like banging on the tray.
We traveled to Oklahoma again for Thanksgiving and stayed from November 21 - 25. We stayed with Grandma and Papa Chambers. Your Great Grandmother Hoppe came all the way to California just to meet you and spend time with you. She really enjoyed watching you play and commented on how smart you are.
You loved Thanksgiving. We had a Mexican themed Thanksgiving meal and you sampled just about everything that wasn't too spicy. My parents came over for that meal. The next day we had a more traditional Thanksgiving meal and you had a little bit of everything from that meal as well.
I have enjoyed this month with you so much, Son. You have just lit up our world. Some days, I cannot believe I have a baby! And other days, I just cannot remember life without you. It seems you've always been here.
Love always,
Mommy
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