Happy 8 and 9 month birthday my dearest Reese!

Hello dear Bleeps,
Yup, it's that time again.  Time for our 2 month check-in.  Believe it or not, blogging is on my list to do everyday, and somehow I just can't make it happen.  So here is Reese's last 2 months wrapped into one letter, again.  Argh....

My dearest Reese,
As always, your last 2 months of growing have been an adventure and amazing.  You are sprouting like a weed before our very eyes.  So let's start with what happened from your 7th month to your 8th month of life.

On your 7th month birthday, your Great Grandma Vance passed away.  We knew it was going to happen, but what a day to do it.  It also happened to be the day your Great Grandma Rowe passed away 2 years ago.  Such a coincidence.  So on a day when we wanted to celebrate, we were sad (and Mommy was sick too).  A few days later we had the funeral and while everyone came to bid farewell to your Great Grandma Vance, they also came with the hopes of seeing/meeting you.  And you did not disappoint.  A wonderful male singer sang Amazing Grace and you watched and listened to him with such awe, it amazed us all!!  Someone also tried to give you a rose to put on Great Grandma's grave and you very happily reached for it, even though we didn't let you have it after all.  You were very happy girl that day and made the day a bit more bearable for us all who were very upset to say goodbye to such a wonderful lady.

And so many more things happened after your 7 month birthday...

We moved you from a 3.5 hour schedule to a 4 hour schedule.  This means you now eat every 4 hours, then are supposed to play, then sleep.  You kind of do the opposite with playing, eating and then sleeping.  But it all works.

You started saying "Ba-ba-ba" or "Bob-bob-bob."  We haven't figured out who Bob is yet, but apparently you really like him.  You watch our lips when we speak and I think the wheels are turning in your head about how to say Mommy and Daddy, but we haven't gotten there yet.

You met your Aunt Melslaw, one of Mommy's best friends, and thought she was just so cool.

Mommy cooked up some more food for you and you tried zucchini, peas, and applesauce, among other things I didn't write down. You also had your first taste of water from Mommy's water bottle and surprised us all when you grabbed for it, then figured out how to sip through the straw and taste water, that compared to your milk wasn't very good.  But since then, you have become quite the water drinker...just like Mommy.

We celebrated your first Thanksgiving where both Nana and Papa (J's parents) and Gma and Grandpa (my parents) were here at the same time.  Of course you were the life of the party and everything worked out just perfect with you going down for a nap just as we wanted to sit down to eat.  It was a really great day and as always, Mommy's favorite holiday because right behind it is my birthday!

Mommy's first birthday as a Mommy was up next and that was fun as well.  We didn't do anything grand, but you were here so that was grand enough!

You also made strides you didn't even know you were making....like getting your 3rd tooth on the bottom, and then eventually your first 3 teeth on top - all at the same time!  Made for some cranky evenings and upsetting nursing days! So for all those counting we went from 2 teeth to 6 quick!

Speaking of yucky things, you had some severe diaper rash that made us all cringe when we changed your diaper and I think you weren't too happy about it either.   It took us a bit, but we got it under control.  (For those Moms or Dads out there, our magic potion was sitting her in a few inches of water after changing her, letting her air dry and then putting A & D Ointment on her bottom when we changed her.  Cleared up in a few days, but not quick enough for me!)

You also learned how to "flirt," mostly with Daddy.  You tilt your head to the side and smile angelically.  It's very cute.

And you met Santa and had your very first picture with him.  To me it is perfect! 

But probably my favorite advancement that you have made is smiling when you see Mommy or Daddy or anybody pop a camera up in your face - which happens quite often with the invention of camera phones!  It's the cutest thing!  You see that camera and a smile spreads across your face like wildfire!  Here's where we discovered that...at Target when you sat in the cart for the very first time with your cushion, which you loved!

And then we had your 8 month birthday photo!

From that point, you again had a busy month of growing and changing.

It started with sitting up unassisted entirely and crawling backwards.  A true advancement for you!

You also attended your first Christmas Party (well, it was at our house with Mommy's work) but you were the highlight of the night I think.  And you got to see all the Christmas decoration come out and discover the Christmas tree.  But I think your favorite decoration was some Hallmark dancing snowmen and penguins because every time we turned it on, you danced right along.  It was something I'll never forget!

You received some blocks from Fairy Godmother for Christmas and I think they are now your favorite toy.  You knock them down every time we build them up and you think it is the best thing out there.  The box got opened a little early, oops!

You attended your first Christmas Eve mass with Daddy, Gma and Grandpa.  And you looked pretty darn stylish doing it, complete with tights and shoes!

And we had your first ever Christmas, complete with opening presents!  You got most of the presents from under the tree and by the end of all of it, you had figured out that unwrapping was just part of the fun!  You also got a lady bug rocking "horse" that sings that you love.  That was the big present from Mommy and Daddy.

You gave your first wave to one of your favorite teachers, Ms. Liz, at daycare the day after Christmas.  And from then on, you have done  many more!

We had more new tastes for you too including blueberries and potatoes, both of which you loved!  The bib is thanks to Fairy Godmother - also known as Aunt Kirsti!

You are so close to sitting up by yourself from laying down, but I've seen you do it twice in your crib!  So I know you can with a little help.  Currently you grab Mommy's fingers and pull yourself up.

You celebrated you first New Year's Eve and like a true party animal, didn't want to go to sleep before midnight, but you succumbed at 8:00 or so...late for you!

Your 7th tooth (4th on top) came in and you had your first poop in the tub!  It was funny but gross!  You also got your new car seat that hopefully will last you many years to come!  We no longer carry you in the car seat, but carry you to the car to go in the car seat!  YAY!

You learned to do what Daddy calls "Indian" and it's so funny when you do it! 

 

And just before your 9 month birthday you got your first ear infection, really bad cold with cough and fever.  We went to the doc and were a trooper while we were there, you had a blast with the paper while we were there.  You weighed in at 19.7 lbs.  It's no wonder why Mommy and Daddy's arms are so strong!  However, once you had the antibiotics you weren't a happy camper as they messed with your tummy.  You threw up and freaked Mommy out!  But then were on the road to recovery and from then have been great.  You had to miss daycare because you were so sick and they missed you terribly!  Who wouldn't?!

 This is your 9 month photo!  I can't figure out how to make blogger put it upright!

And you with Fairy Grandmother when she came to visit for your 9 month birthday!  You LOVE her!  It was amazing after so long not seeing her you just went right to her.


Whew!  What a bunch has happened in the last few months!  But what hasn't changed (well maybe it has) is how much we love you!  We are amazed by you every day and can't wait to see you after work!  You are growing right before our eyes!  And we love you so very much dearest!

LOVE LOVE LOVE,
Mommy

Happy 6, and 7 month birthdays Reese!

Anyone see a trend?  Last time I had to do 2 month birthdays, and here it is again! And number 8 is fast approaching.  I keep lists in my phone about milestones, because surely by now I would have forgotten some!  So here goes...

My dearest Reese,
You are so very loved!  I don't think that I knew I was capable of loving someone this much.  Especially someone I have only known for such a short period of time.  Things that were so important in the past pale in comparison to spending time with you! Let's review the last few months shall we?

So what did you do from your fifth month of life to your sixth?

You started sleeping on your belly consistently and loving it.  That also means that you no longer sleep in your swaddler, you sleep in pajamas every night.  You started to sleep about 9 straight hours at night. 

You pet our kitty (lovingly called "Psycho Cat") and she didn't hiss or really even care.  You had your first trip to Costco with Mommy and we both survived.  You rolled from your back to your belly totally unassisted.  You recognize your own name and respond, as well as recognize Nana, Papa, Gma and Grandpa. 

You tried new foods including squash and green beans (plus others Mommy forgot to write down). And you weighed in at a healthy 16 lbs, 3 oz and 26 inches long!  Boy are you growing my little angel!

Here's your picture for your 6th month!

You kinda look like, "what is going on here?"

On your 6 month birthday, you actually reached for Mommy (me) and I did a little happy dance.  You wanted me!

You tried more new foods including bananas, pears, apple juice, prune juice, carrots, pumpkin, whole milk yogurt and even a few essential oils.  (Kept track better!)  We had a bout of constipation which is why the prune juice got added in to your milk and that helped a lot. 

When Daddy takes you to bed at night, you turn on the hallway light while he holds you and you think you are a rock star!  Which to us you are! 

We had a bit of a scare one night when the humidifier in your room set off your smoke alarm and while it woke you up, you went right back to sleep without any tears or fussing. 

You also had your first Halloween and of course you had some special clothes for the occasion.

 This is probably Mommy's favorite outfit.  And look at you sit up in your rocking chair all by yourself.  That was a first too!

 

 You wore this to school and were a lady bug!

 

 Nana and Papa took this picture on Halloween while you were dressed up as a monkey! 

Cutest monkey ever!

 

You also had a black cat dress, but I didn't take a picture of that one.

 

And we learned that you throughly love your Jumperoo.  You can't touch the carpet yet so we put a little pad under it so your feet could touch, but after that you jump all around!  It is so fun to watch!

 

And you hit 17 lbs!  Holy cow!  No wonder Mommy's arms hurt some days carrying you around!

 

Here's your 7th month picture!!!

What do you have in store for us - I know a few things - but we've got 2 weeks left to figure out what's going on until your next month!

We love you so much little girl!  We can't wait to see you grow and mature so fast!

Love,
Mommy

Happy 4 month and 5 month birthday Reese!

My dearest Reese,
You certainly have kept us on our toes these past few months.  So much so that Mommy hasn't blogged in 2 months and didn't even have time to write your 4 month letter!  I'm sorry little one!  But I'll make up for it now.

First off, you must know that we are grateful for you every day!  You are the first thing I think about in the morning and the last thing at night.  Your smile gets me through my day my dearest!  We love you more than you could ever begin to imagine.

From your 3rd month of life to your 4th, you were a busy little girl.  You started to hold toys, recognize faces and voices, discovered your feet (which you think are incredible and you play with all the time), and you started to have real, true laughs!  What a joy it is to hear you laugh at Mommy or Daddy when we are being silly.  Best sound in the world - besides hearing "your daughter is born" but that only happens once and you must laugh at least 10 times a day!  You also started to learn to kiss, or what we think is you attempting to kiss.  You open your mouth and lean in to Daddy or me or your stuffed monkey that you love.  It's adorable!

Here's your 4th month birthday picture with your name blocks.

You also had your first trip in August to see G-ma and Grandpa in Pinetop.  You weren't the biggest fan of the ride, even though you slept for a lot of it, you also cried for too much of it and made Mommy and Daddy worry.  But we made it safe and sound both up and down the mountain.  However, you got your first cold while we were there and Mommy and Daddy felt helpless as they heard you cough and sneeze and cry.  This led to less sleep for you once again which we continued to battle for some time after your cold had subsided.  You are still sniffly, but your cough is gone.  However, you were never unpleasant with your cold and always still had a smile for all of us.  Also during this trip you got to meet Daddy's grandparents for the first time.  They LOVED meeting you and watching you interact with Daddy!  It was later discovered that you were actually starting to teethe during this trip as well.  We didn't see or feel any teeth until after your 4 month birthday, but we think that this was part of your unhappiness in Pinetop.

Even when we came home, you still had trouble sleeping which we attributed to your cold that stuck around for way too long.  But you did figure out how to put yourself back to sleep when you woke up in the middle of the night.  YAY!

But by far the biggest event of this time was learning to roll from your belly to your back!  And Mommy got it all on video...purely by accident...but it happened!  (It may look like I am helping you roll, but you did it all on your own!)

So as you can see, your third month of life was very busy and Mommy could barely keep up with you!

But your 4th month, was also quite busy! At your 4 month appointment with the pediatrician, your weight was 13 lbs, 15 oz and your length escalated to 24.75 inches!  You are growing like a weed.  Dr. Kids said we could start to feed you solids, so that is just what we did!  You started with rice cereal on August 19th, although you weren't a fan, so we quickly moved on to avocado mashed up, which you really liked. Then oatmeal which was also good and finally sweet potatoes.  Mommy has decided to make all your food so she knows it is nutritious and because it is a ton cheaper!  It's been fun and easy too.  Who knew you would make Mommy a cook after all?!

Here's your 5 month picture!  Look at you posing so cute!

We discovered that you are teething for sure when two little bitty teeth popped up in the bottom of your mouth and you were really having issues sleeping.  Doc said that tylenol or motrin is fine and that has helped out A LOT!  Poor girl in pain! 

I was trying to get a picture of your little teeth here, but I don't know if you can see them!  But they are there for sure!

The ladies at daycare continue to love love love you (and Mommy - or at least they say so).  When Mommy and Grandpa came to pick you up one day, this is what we found at daycare... You look just a wee bit comfortable!

It may be hard to believe, but Daddy gave you a bath this month and it was a first for him!  He did great and you, of course, loved it!  You also learned how to pull down on the toys that hang from your car seat.  Usually, you would just wait for Mommy or Daddy to do it, but apparently you got impatient and figured out how to do it all on your own!  You even surprised yourself I think!

Mommy continues to keep you well dressed and this month was no exception.  I know this picture is a little dark, but your shirt says, "When God made me, he was just showing off!" and we believe that to be the full truth!  You are so beautiful, smiley, loving and wonderful!

And the last thing that happened this month was the addition of Mamie to our family.  She is your sleep coach and she has been helping Mommy and Daddy help you sleep better at night and during the day.  Plus, when you sleep good, Mommy and Daddy sleep good.  And on your last day as a 4 month old, you slept 10 hours through the night!  You woke up so happy and Mommy and Daddy were ecstatic!  We really think we have crossed a bridge and this will continue.

The bottom line is this my love...  You are growing so fast.  You are maturing so much.  It's hard to believe.  Even though I carried you in my belly for 9 months and you have been before my eyes for the last 5 months, I am still amazed every day when I wake up and look at you and realize that you are my daughter.  It's incredible to be your Mommy, even in the tough times.  I still think the hospital messed up and someone else will come claim you some day because you are just too beautiful to be our daughter.  But I know that won't happen because I was there when you were born and your face hasn't changed.  You are the joy in my life, even when you aren't napping and should be.  Please don't forget that we love you more than you could ever imagine and that will never change! 

What surprises do you have in store for us next little Monkey?

We love you,
Mommy and Daddy

I'm here, I swear

So the last time I blogged, I was apologizing for being absent and then I went on to be absent for 2 months.  I could apologize again but I am guessing that gets old.  Know that having a 5 month old (!) sucks most of my free time up.  I'm going to try to get you all up to speed on everything and then tomorrow, write Reese's 4 and 5 month letters!  All before she wakes up...Here. I. Go.

When we last spoke we had just come home from Pinetop and J had just started a new job.  Reese had been sleeping through the night but went back to not doing that consistently and we were fighting to get her back on track and un-congested.  That about sums it up.  Later.....

Just kidding...

Since then, J has started his new job and he adores it.  Although the company wants to keep moving him up and training him more, and he's a bit hesitant.  But we'll figure it out. 

Reese is now officially teething.  Her front two bottom teeth have clawed their way through her gums and she let us know it was an unpleasant experience.  Poor girl!  So that didn't help her sleeping situation.  We also started solid foods.  Holy cow!  How is that even possible?!  I am still nursing, although there was a small window where I didn't know if I would get to continue because my milk was seemingly getting less.  But I think it has adjusted now and we're back on track.  Although there is the small issue of biting now!  Thankfully, she hasn't done it lately and I saw something today that said if you are getting bitten, it means baby is done nursing and that's usually when it happens.  When she pulls away.

We've started to work with a sleep coach.  I know, that sounds odd, but I could only read so many books before I was spinning and wishing I could talk to the authors because my questions weren't answered in the books.  J took a little convincing but after speaking with her via Skype he was on board as well.  I can honestly tell you, I wish I would have contacted her sooner. 

So here's how the sleep coach works.  Since she (Mamie) lives in Phoenix (about 2 hours away from us) we did a Skype consultation instead of in home.  We talked about how Reese sleeps at night and for naps.  We talked about our comfort levels, her eating, anything and everything.  Then Mamie told us how she would help us.  We would talk every day, as much as necessary, about the events of the day and Mamie would give suggestions, answer questions, diagnose, whatever was needed.  All for a one-time fee.  But she's essentially ours forever!  I love that.  If you know me, Mamie got the raw end of this deal.  We probably talk 2-4 times a day depending on how the day and night go.  She is our savior.  I'm not saying Reese is sleeping perfectly for naps or at night, but it feels like we're on the right track. We started working with Mamie on Labor day, but I'll sum up this week so far.

Sunday night, Reese slept almost 10 hours!  10 hours!  Holy cow!  My "ladies" looked like I had had breast implants overnight they were so full. But painful.  We hoped we could get on a roll.  On Sunday, Reese had taken a good nap in the morning, 2 short naps mid-day and an excellent nap in the afternoon.  We could only hope that Monday at daycare would follow suit.  (Wednesday and Thursday of last week at daycare were very worrisome, but more on that later).  But this proved to us that Reese could sleep for 10 hours without food and nursing.  So the plan became to have J give her a bottle when she woke so we could determine if she was hungry or just wanted to nurse from Mom for comfort.

Monday, naps at daycare were no longer than 40 minutes, but the rest of the situation had improved vastly.  THANK GOODNESS!  She went to bed about 7:45 and about 8:45 we heard her crying, but could see on the monitor that she wasn't awake.  She cried for a few minutes (maybe 10 tops) and then went back to sleep.  Woke up around 2:30 and I woke J up to get her bottle.  I stayed in bed and he went in.  I would hear small snippets of crying, so after about 40 minutes, I stuck my head in to see what J's progress was.  He said she hadn't eaten a bite.  She truly wanted me but he could tell she wasn't hungry.  So we opted to swaddle her back up and put her back in the crib for ten minutes.  We went back to bed and she cried.  We watched the clock.  As 10 minutes approached, we noted that she wasn't crying as hard, so we could wait another 5.  As the 15 minute mark approached, she was really calming down.  And at 17 minutes, she was asleep.  She had successfully woken up, not eaten, and gone to sleep on her own.  Victory!  And that told us that Mamie was right and she just wanted comfort, not necessarily food.  She woke up again this morning about 6:50 am and I fed her about 7:30 am.  She didn't act like she was starving.  She was a happy girl.

Mamie was so excited when I told her all of this after I dropped Reese at daycare this morning.  We really feel like progress is being made.  But I couldn't have done it alone.  I was ready to breast feed her and J said, "let's give her 10 minutes."  We coached each other in bed that she was okay and she wasn't as upset.  And we came out on the other side alright. 

She's home from daycare now, and really didn't nap well this morning, but she's down now and we'll see how long it lasts.

But again, we need to be a team and we need Mamie.  I know we'll get her to sleep well day and night.

Okay, a quick note about the issue with daycare.

For the most part, we LOVE daycare.  We love the security, the cleanliness, the staff (most of them), the atmosphere, the cost, the location, the flexibility, everything.  There's just one lady in the afternoon, we'll call her Ally, that is a little odd.  And in the past, most of the issues have just been annoyances.  Nothing that would hurt Reese or upset me.  We'd just roll our eyes at it when we came home.  That changed on Wednesday. 

When J arrived to pick her up, the first thing Ally said when he walked in the door and saw her sitting in her car seat in her crib was "she was fine and had been there for 15-20 minutes."  He got concerned because she was sitting on the buckles, instead of having them not under her.  He wasn't concerned that she wasn't buckled in, but that they were digging into her back.  When J asked how her day had been, Ally replied that she didn't know.  When J referenced the memo I had brought in on Tuesday about Reese's schedule and sleeping issues, Ally said she hadn't heard anything about it even though I personally asked her to read it on Tuesday when I saw her as I was picking Reese up.  The straw that broke the camel's back for J was when Ally told J, "all the other babies sleep fine. I don't know what is wrong with Reese."  Oy, he was unhappy with that statement.  As was I when he told me when they got home.

So I called the director on Thursday morning and spoke with her briefly, just about making sure Ally knew what was going on and to refrain from saying things like that and that she knew what was happening with our daughter.  I dropped her off a while later and hoped the day went well.  J picked her up again and the first thing Ally said when he walked through the door was, "I just got here at 4, I don't know how her day went."  Now had he been picking her up at 4:30, that might not have bothered him.  But he was there at 5:50 and the place closes at 6 pm.  1st strike.  Ally then told him that "Reese was very fussy from 4:30 to 5:15 pm."  Okay, she was tired, we get that.  He proceeded to put her in her car seat and get ready to go.  A couple other small issues popped up, but when J was leaving he again asked how she had slept.  Ally's response was, "two 30 min naps."  J replied that that wasn't good and Ally's response was, "if babies don't sleep during the day, they'll sleep great at night" and that she'd never (in 10 years of childcare) heard of the theory that if babies don't have good naps, they won't have good rest at night.  Strike 2.  He came home and I proceeded to give Reese her bottle (as Mamie had directed at 6:30 pm).  She sucked it down - which never happens - then proceeded to nurse for another almost 30 minutes.  I knew something was up.  So I went to look at her report from the day.  The poor girl hadn't been fed since 2:55 pm, when she was supposed to be fed at 4:30 pm.  No wonder she was fussy at 4:30!  OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I was HOT!  I was so mad I was shaking and in tears!  This was unacceptable!  We got Reese off to bed and figured out how to address the situation and what would need to happen to move forward at this daycare.

Reese doesn't usually go to daycare on Friday, so I called the director that morning again and updated her on what had happened.  I had calmed down considerably from the day before but I was still upset.  She said she would again speak to Ally and get this fixed. At Mamie's suggestion on Thursday night, J and I wrote out all the things Ally had done that we were unhappy about.  I emailed this to the director so she could address everything.  I then called back near the end of the day to see how this would be fixed for the following week so we would feel comfortable bringing Reese back.  The director told me that she had had a long talk with the morning caretakers (which we ADORE) and Ally and what would be done to get this fixed.  I was satisfied with what she said.  So we opted to go back this week, knowing that Ally would be under a microscope while caring for our daughter.  And the director told me that if it came down to us being happy and her employee being happy, we win.  So her head is in the right place.

When I took Reese in Monday morning, the morning ladies were ecstatic to see me.  They thought we would leave the daycare because of this.  I told them if it wasn't fixed we would, but we loved everything else so we didn't want to.  They promised us it would be fixed ASAP!  And yesterday J picked Reese up from Ally and left with a smile on his face.  They noted when they were putting her down to nap, even if she didn't nap after all (this will help with the sleep coach), and she did not miss a feeding. And today was just the same.  Everything is getting better. 

So that was our daycare drama!  Hopefully it is the last!

Okay, I think ya'll are up to speed.  I will try my best to write more often.  I swear!  However, can't promise.  We do have a 5 month old - as of tomorrow that is!  Holy cow!  Hard to believe!

Thanks for sticking around and talk to ya soon!