Diva aka Princess

The little one is doing well, she is growing up and has a little personality!  Sean calls her a "diva" but I would like to refer to her as a "princess."  For example, we went to church yesterday and put her in the nursery while we attended the service.  She has been going to Kid's Day Out for a few weeks without major problems so we figured the nursery would be fine.  (Side note:  At KDO, the workers said that one day her and a little baby boy stared at each other for a long time.  I texted Sean that she had a boyfriend and he said for a split second that he was a little upset, until he realized she is just a baby!  I have a feeling he is going to be one protective papa when she gets older :-)  About halfway through the service, her number popped up on the screen and I had to go get her.  The lady said she did everything she could to soothe her, but nothing was working.  As soon as I picked her up she stopped crying and gave me the look of, "Save me!"  I took her into the service with me and she was happy as could be.  After church was over, Sean took her back into the nursery to get her diaper bag and he said as soon as she saw the room and looked around she started whining again.  It was like she was saying to him in a panic, "Don't leave me here again!"  The entire rest of the day, Belle was in a good mood and happy to have the undivided attention of her parents.  She loves to be the center of attention!  Oh goodness, I wonder how she'll take it when a little brother/sister comes in the picture.  There are definitely worse things in life than having a baby that loves you so much that she can't stand to be away from you.  I have to say, the feeling is mutual.  Have a great week everyone!

 

P.S.:  Here is a sneak peek from Isabelle's six month photo shoot, can't you tell she loves attention.

6 Months Old

Isabelle turned six months old on 6/12/12 and I can't believe she is this old already!  We are enjoying this age so much because she interacts with us now.  I love being able to make her smile, laugh, and show her new things.  Here's a little update on what our baby has been up to this month:

-Belle, at your six-month check up you weighed 15 pounds 3.5 ounces (34%), 25 inches long (24%), and your head circumference is 16 inches (7%).  You are a growing, happy girl!

-You finally started sleeping through the night consistently.  We worked hard sleep training you, and now we can get some rest!  You sleep in your crib in a sleep sack.  We put you to sleep between 8:30-9pm and you wake up anytime between 5-7am.  You also wake up so happy!  I love waking up to you babbling on the baby monitor, and when I go to your room to get you out of bed you smile and kick :)

-We started feeding you baby food and you love eating.  So far we have tried squash, sweet potatoes, bananas, avocado, green beans, carrots and pears.  Belle loved all the foods except for avocado.  When I fed it to her she literally gagged.  She eats 6-7 6 oz. bottles a day, a serving of baby food at lunch and a second serving of baby food before she goes to bed.  The doctor recommended that we give Belle a sippy cup of water when she eats so she can learn to drink from it.  I can't believe we are already to the point of training her to not use a bottle.

-You still love going outside!  Your favorite place to be is in the Baby Bjorn or in your stroller.  You also love taking baths, but you have outgrown your infant tub.  You aren't quite sitting up yet, so we have to hold you up for now in the tub.  Just the other night you splashed and played like I have never seen before and we don't mind the mess at all.

-We can tell you want to crawl because when we do tummy time you get frustrated that you can't move where you want to go.  You can crawl on your belly in a circle, but can't quite propel yourself forward yet.  You have rolled from your stomach to your back, but not from your back to your stomach yet.  Belle, sweetie, you finally found your toes this month!  It is so cute seeing you do your "gymnastics".

-You have also found your voice!  Belle loves to babble, blow bubbles, yell, and even whisper.  We love hearing her sweet voice and it never gets old.  Daddy is the best at getting you to laugh, but every now and then I can make her smile, melt my heart.

Mommy and Daddy love you so much, Belle!  We are soaking in every moment we can with her.  Praise God for a healthy, happy daughter.

Daddy makes this girl laugh alot!

Happy Half-Birthday Isabelle!

Hanging out in the Baby Bjorn, we love summer.

Sitting in her crib at Grandma's.  Can't you tell she loves it there.

Life Lately

Here's a little update on our life lately.  Sean has been training for months to open his own insurance agency and we are in the final stretch.  We've also put our house for sale so we can move soon to our new town.  We won't be near any family or friends, so that means Belle will have to go to daycare.  I'm a little nervous about how she will do because right now she has only been cared for by us, Sean's mom, my mom, and occasionally my friend, Sarah.  To prepare her for this big change, we decided to enroll her in Kids Day Out at a local church.  It meets two days a week for only part of the day, and today was her first day.  When we went to pick her up we knew she had not done well when we saw one of the workers holding her in the hallway asleep in her arms.  Apparently she did really good up until the afternoon, then she fell asleep in the swing, woke up and didn't recognize where she was and screamed.  They were afraid she would wake up the other babies so she had to taken out into the hall.  Poor thing, hopefully, going to KDO twice a week for the summer will get her used to new people.  Also, I left the baby for the first time ever this month.  I went to South Fork, Colorado for my good friend, Leah's, wedding.  It was one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been to because the Rocky Mountains were in the background.  The reception was so fun with drinks, dinner, and dancing!  I was gone four days, and Sean did an amazing job keeping the baby by himself.  We made sure she was sleeping through the night before I left and I think that made a big difference.  I enjoyed being a bridesmaid in the wedding and seeing my friends, but I was ready to get home.  I literally ran in the door and kissed Belle all over her face!  I have a feeling that I won't be leaving her again anytime soon.  Life has been a little crazy lately with me working full-time, Sean traveling for work, and raising a 6-month-old, but I wouldn't trade my life for anything in the world. 

I love these girls:  Me, Leah, and Sarah.  We're attending our 10 year high school reunion together in July, time flies!

The newlyweds:  Chace and Leah  I am so glad Leah has found happiness, she deserves it.

My younger brother, Eric, graduated from high school in May.  He gave a speech at graduation because he was in the top of his class and he did an amazing job.  It is hard to believe he is all grown up!

A Busy Weekend

Hello,

We decided to make the most of the three-day weekend by doing lots of "firsts" with Belle.  The first thing on the agenda was to finally sleep train the little one.  She is nearly 6 months old, and has only slept through the night a handful of times.  I know much of this is my fault because whenever she cries I rush to soothe her by picking her up.  Belle will usually wake up once, sometimes twice, at night and I will feed her a bottle and rock her back to sleep.  We know she doesn't really need to eat in the middle of the night because she eats plenty during the day and her weight is on track for her age.  It was time to cut out the "dream feed" and get some sleep!  She has always slept in her bassinet and now her crib, so we didn't have to worry about her having a problem with being separated from us.  Sean was out of town all last week for work, so this was the best time to start.  To ease me into it, Sean decided to take baby duty the first night.  He slept in the guest room with the monitor so I could sleep uninterrupted.  Let me tell you, that is the first time I have slept soundly since she was born and it was glorious!  He said she woke up about an hour after he put her to sleep, but she only cried for 10 minutes and then fell asleep for the rest of the night.  We did the same routine all weekend long:  fed her evening meal of rice cereal and a bottle at around 8 p.m., read to her, sing her lullabies, rock her to sleep, and put her down for the night.  If she woke up and cried we did not go back in the room, and just listened until she fell back asleep.  The longest she would cry at one time was 10 minutes and she never seemed in distress.  Now that she is older we can tell what her cries mean.  When she cried it was more of a "Hey, I want attention cry" rather than a "I'm hungry", "I'm sick/hurt" cry.  I would say it was a success because for the past 4 nights she has slept through the night!  I'm not talking about a 4-5 hour stretch, I mean she has been sleeping 8+ hours at night, and one night she slept over 10 hours.  Since we've been getting more sleep we have the energy now to do more things like...

Take Belle to Pinnacle Mountain and walk on the Kingfisher Trail.  We're not brave enough to hike up the mountain with her just yet, but we definitely had a good time.  This was her first time going to a park because we normally just take her on walks around the neighborhood.  Our daughter loves being outside, and we realized that she doesn't get to see many trees since we live in one of those subdivsions that cut all the trees down to make for easier building.  When we took her out of the car, she instantly looked up and around at all the trees and couldn't stop the entire time we were there.  We used the stroller for the trail, and later put her in the Baby Bjorn.  She loves sitting in the carrier because she is eye-level and it faces outwards so she can see everything.  On the way back home we also had another "first."  My first time changing a poopy diaper on one of those hard plastic changing tables in the public restroom.  Apparently, Belle is accustomed to a cushy changing pad because she started crying as soon as I laid her down, and stopped as soon as I picked her back up!

We also took her swimming for the first time this weekend.  Sean and I figured she would love it because she has been splashing in her infant bathtub like crazy.  We took her to my aunt and uncle's pool, and as soon as we got her in the water she started crying.  The water was too cold for her, but after awhile she calmed down a little bit.  She started to splash, but when she got water in her eye she cried again!  We decided to try again later in the summer, hopefuly she will like it then.     

Sean and I enjoyed doing some new things with Belle because she is getting to an age that she can actually enjoy her surroundings.  I'm leaving for a wedding out of town this weekend and Sean is on baby duty!  I'm pretty sure she will be just fine, but I may not be :)  In a few weeks we are going to Petit Jean to stay in a cabin with some friends, and this will be Belle's first time to spend the night away from home.  Hopefully, she will do well!

P.S.:  We also found time to celebrate our anniversary by going to Brave New Restaurant without the baby and got our house ready for sale.  It goes on the market this week!  See what sleep can do for you :-)

I put her in a bonnet, can you blame me?

Looking cute in her new swimsuit!

5 Year Wedding Anniversary

Tomorrow is our 5 year wedding anniversary and I thought it would be fun to pay tribute to our little love story.  (P.S.: I stole this from a fellow blogger)  Enjoy!

 

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

 

-We have been dating since November 5, 2001 and we got married May 26, 2007.  So we've been together over 10 years and married for 5 years.

 

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

 

-Sean and I are high school sweethearts.  We met working as waiters at good ole' Colton's Steakhouse when we were seniors in high school.  He went to Bryant, I went to Benton, and they are rival schools!  He got me to like him by asking me to roll silverware with him.  I asked him on our first date though!

 

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry?

 

-5 wonderful years!

 

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding?

 

- We got married at Garvan Gardens in Hot Springs inside the glass chapel.  It was the most beautiful ceremony (in my opinion), and we had a small reception with just finger foods.  If I could go back and do it over again I would have dancing at my wedding, but we were on a law school budget!

 

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? 

 

-We call each other "baby", but now it is confusing since we have a baby of our own now :)  I also call him Seany and Sean Evan (b/c that's his middle name).  He really doesn't have any other nicknames for me.

 

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

 

-Sean has a strong moral character that I admire and aspire to.  He is very funny and is always cracking me up.  Oh, and he is the best dad to Isabelle.

 

7. Tell us how he proposed?

 

-The proposal was a total surprise because he did it on the day of our 5 year dating anniversary.  I thought we were just celebrating that and didn't suspect a thing.  We were both in college at U of A, and that day we went to a Razorback football game with our friends.  In the middle of the game, he told me he had to go pick up his friend that broke down on the interstate.  I was pretty mad at the time because he basically ditched me at the game.  My friend, Maria, (she was in on the whole thing) kept me occupied that afternoon by taking me to the mall so I wouldn't go back to my apartment.  When I met back up with Sean for dinner that night he had us picked up in a limo and we went to see Miss Saigon at the Arts Center.  I was thinking, wow, he really went all out for our anniversary, I feel bad about not getting him a good gift!  Afterwards, he had the limo bring us back to my apartment and he had dinner waiting for me on the balcony from my favorite restaurant, Bordino's.  I started crying because everything looked so nice.  Sean got down on one knee and made the sweetest proposal.  The rest is history!

 

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

 

-Flowers and teddy bear for sure!

 

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

 

-I would like to say I am a sunset dinner/beach girl, but in reality it is all movies and couch time.

 

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

 

-I would love to travel to Europe with him, that is our dream!

 

12. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

 

-Always communicate with your husband, even when it is unpleasant.  Never forget why you married each other!

 

14.  Show us a picture of what love means to you.

 

-Our daughter is what love means to me, we always wanted to have our own family one day. 

 

Here's our wedding photo, just for fun.

 

5 Months Old

Our sweet girl turned 5 months old on 5/12/12 and I am always amazed at how fast she is growing up!  This month has been a big one for Belle because I feel like she is really a baby now instead of a newborn.  She doesn't like to be cradled in my arms anymore, always wants to sit up and look around, and likes to be entertained constantly.  We started reading books to her, and she loves to sit and turn the pages.  Sean even played his guitar for last night, and she squealed with delight every time he would play a higher note.  Remember how in the last post I mentioned the pediatrician recommended that she not start eating rice cereal until she was 6 months old?  Well, at about 4 1/2 months old I noticed that she was drinking a bottle, and then 2 hours later she would be hungry again.  She was especially hungry in the evening time, so I decided to try the rice cereal to see if it would help.  The first time we fed it to her she made a sour face and I thought I had made a mistake.  However, after only a week she began to get used to eating from a spoon, and now she opens her mouth wide and smiles when she is being fed!  The cereal is also helping her sleep better at night by keeping her full longer.  I have a feeling that when she turns 6 months old and can have regular baby food, that this girl is going to love eating.  Here's a recap of what's been going on with her lately:

-Belle, I'm not sure how much you weigh since we don't have a doctor's appointment this month, but I'm estimating you weigh 13 pounds and a few ounces.  You have definitely grown because lots of your 3-6 months clothes no longer fit!

-You are wearing 3-6 month and 6-9 month size clothes now.  You have moved up to size 2 diapers

-This month you learned how to roll over from your stomach to your back.  We can't wait for you to roll from your back to your stomach soon.  Tummy time is no longer a chore for you, and you enjoy holding yourself up and looking around!

-You sleep great in your crib, and usually only wake up once at night.  We have started putting you to bed earlier at about 9 p.m. and usually you only wake up for a bottle at about 1 or 2 a.m.  We are trying to cut out the nighttime bottle, but it is still hard for me to let you "cry it out." 

-We no longer swaddle you and you only use the sleep sack at night.  Your favorite place to take your daytime naps is in your swing.

-We are loving that we can entertain you now.  We read books to you, play music, watch T.V., and you even enjoy holding baby rattles and stuffed animals now.

-Belle, we realized that you LOVE being outside!  Whenever you are fussy we just take your outdoors and you are instantly happy.  It is so funny seeing you feel the breeze in your face :-)

-Bathtime is a whole new experience now.  You love it and even make a mess with your kicking and splashing of the water.  I have a feeling we are going to have to move you from the baby bathtub to the real bathtub sometime soon.

-You drink the regular Enfamil infant formula and take usually 7-8  6oz bottles a day.  You take about 2 tablespoons of rice cereal mixed with 5 tablespoons of formula twice a day.  We feed it to you once around lunchtime and once in the evening before bed.  You love to eat and always want more!  The only medicine you take now is gas drops and we are grateful.

Belle, these past 5 months have been the most joyful times in our lives.  I got to celebrate my first Mother's Day yesterday with you, and I can honestly say nothing is better!

5 months old, you look so big now!

Our little family

My little brother, Eric, going to his senior prom!  I can't believe he is graduating from high school.  He is going to the University of Arkansas in the Fall on a full academic scholarship, and we are so proud of him.

My first Mother's Day!  I feel so blessed to get to celebrate it now.

4 Months Old

Isabelle is 4 months old today!  The time is just flying by and I want to remember every single moment.  Caring for her has become much, much easier because she sleeps better and her gas problems have subsided.  She probably has gas once a week and it goes away pretty shortly afterwards.  We went to her four-month appointment yesterday and our pediatrician recommended that we hold off giving her any food like rice cereal until she is closer to 6 months old due to her being born 7 weeks early.  The doctor was afraid her motor/coordination skills are not advanced enough.  I agreed because Belle just started holding her head up the past few days, and I want her stable enough to sit in a high chair before I start feeding her food.  The doctor also noticed that Belle's head is a little flat on the backside (probably because she is always laying down on her back or being held), so she wants us to make sure Belle is turning her head alot, looking around, and basically working on her head control skills.  This means we are going to have to start treating the little one like a baby instead of a newborn, and not holding her quite so often.  It is a little bittersweet for me because I love cuddling with her.  She's already growing up, *tear*!  At least all her baby toys like the swing, bouncy seat, and jumper will get used more often now.  Here's a recap of what's been going on with her lately:

-Belle, you weighed 12 pounds and 2.4 ounces at your four-month check up.  This puts you in the 19th percentile for your weight!

-You are wearing 3-6 month size clothes now, and Mommy is having too much fun buying you new outfits!  I notice that some clothes fit you in length, but are too wide.  You are still wearing size 1 diapers although they are becoming a bit snug.  Pampers swaddlers fit the best and Pampers sensitive wipes seem to be easier on your skin.

-Tummy time is still upsets you more often than not, but we have noticed in the past week or so that you are getting much better at  holding your head up.  Daddy has been practicing with you by making you stand up and hold your head upright, and you are getting better at it.

-You have started to roll from side to side when we put you on your back.  Yay (my mom) thought you were about to roll over once and even texted me a photo while I was at work.  You kick your legs with such purpose now that I call it "back crawling."  I can place you in the middle of the bed, and you will be near the edge before I know it.  This is just the beginning of you becoming mobile!

-You sleep great in your crib, and usually only wake up once at night.  We put you to bed around 10 p.m., you wake up around 2 a.m. to drink a bottle and have a quick diaper change, and usually you sleep the rest of the night until 5:30-6:00 a.m.  There have been two times that you have slept straight through the night.  Although you aren't sleeping all night consistently yet, Mommy doesn't really mind all that much getting up to feed you because it is so peaceful with just me and you in the nursery. 

-Since you might roll over soon we put you in a sleep sack now instead of a swaddle blanket so you will be able to use your arms to move and breathe in case you end up on your tummy at night.  It only took you three days to get used to having your arms out!  I was afraid it was going to take much longer because you used to love to be swaddled.  Another instance of you growing up, *tear* again!

-You are definitely able to recognize who your parents and grandparents are, and usually cry now when someone else is holding you. 

-It is also getting easier to take you places because you are awake alot more during the day.  You stayed for the first time in the church nursery this month and did just fine.  This past month we have taken you on several walks around the neighborhood in your stroller, out to restaurants, over to visit friends and family, and even my favorite, shopping :-)

-I think you are starting to enjoy bathtime more.  You look very relaxed when we bathe you, and you love staring at your reflection in the mirror. 

-I'm looking forward to you being able to sit up soon and play with toys.  You aren't quite able to hold things in your hands yet, but I know it will happen before I know it.

-You drink the regular Enfamil infant formula and take usually 7-8  5oz bottles a day.  We are weaning you off Zantac because you don't act like you have acid reflux.  We stopped giving you gripe water as well, so gas drops are is the only supplement that we give you regularly.  It has become more difficult to burp you,and I'm not sure why.  You are not constipated anymore and only need pear juice every one in awhile.  You usually go #2 every other day. 

Belle you make our lives better and we love having you in it each and every day!

 More wiggly by the minute

 Me and Lyndsey with our babies, Isabelle & Graham, no longer in the Baby Bump Club, now official mommies!