Sunday, June 5, 2011
A Developmental Update
I wonder if I've done Elle's development justice with this blog. So much has happened in these past couple of months. Little things like her social engagement and her grasping objects have gradually improved each day. There are night and day differences with those aforementioned between now and, say, March but it's been so gradual that it's hard to blog about. I think i'm due for a development update.
On Feeding...
Feeding Elle solids was something I was really excited about. I originally intended on pureeing my own baby foods and bought a Beaba to do so. Well, the Beaba was returned yesterday and a trip to Whole Foods was made for the organic jarred stuff. The Beaba sat unopened on our kitchen counter for about 2 weeks before I decided to ditch it. It's an expensive gadget and I didn't want to play with it and then decide I didn't want it. As soon as I read the instruction manual, my reservations set in. This was supposed to be fun and not stressful. The bottom line is that this was something that I would have been solely responsible for and I just didn't feel like I'm organized enough right now. A year ago, absolutely. And if you're wondering about the baby lead weaning approach I mentioned below, while I think it's fascinating I'm too paranoid to do something like that. We will definitely give her chunks of solid fruits and vegetables if they seem appropriate but as an exclusive approach, definitely not. And I will be making some food over the weekends as a fun treat the old fashioned way (steamer and food processor). Everything in moderation, people.
On Mobility...
Elle started rolling over at 4 months from her back to her tummy. While she occasionally rolled over from her stomach to her back, it was a rarity. More often than not, she would roll onto her stomach and then do we Casey and I affectionately called "shrieking 360s". Basically, she'd pivot in circles on her stomach, yelling all the way. It was really frustrating and hard for her. Over the past month, her push-ups on her tummy have gotten stronger and she's trying really hard to tuck her knees under. She is really close and for awhile, I thought she would be crawling by 7 months. Now I'm not so sure. The reason is because she discovered another form of locomotion that she is STOKED about. Just this past Wednesday, she started doing several rolls at once. Back to tummy, tummy to back, back to tummy and is moving a few feets at a time. Pair that with her well-practiced "shrieking 360s" (minus the shrieks now) and she is able to go in any direction she wants.
On Sleeping...
Sleep is something that both Casey and I take very seriously with Elle. Not only would she be more difficult if she weren't well-rested, but she wouldn't be in an optimal state for learning about our beautiful world. Putting Elle to sleep was a struggle for a bit both during the day and at night. Sometimes it went well and was easy. And when it took time, sometimes she was so tired she was wired and sometimes she was so tired, she passed out. When it was hard, it was really, really hard. While she still was getting enough sleep throughout the day (due to our perseverance), it was time-consuming and also really sad seeing Elle struggle with falling asleep when she was obviously tired. So what did we do? I tried to take her perspective. Here we are playing one minute, and the next, she is being carried to bed, laid down, and expected to pass out because she's a little tired. There was no transition. Casey and I talked about it, and after a few revelations here and there, we formed a routine for her naps. We now carry her into our room, put her in her sleep sack, turn on the white noise, lay her down on her back, and give her a bottle. If she's just eaten, we make just 2 oz. Once she finishes it, we sit her up so she's sitting by herself, and wait for her to burp. Usually at this point, her head is slumped forward and she's burying her face in the burp cloth. Then we lay her back down, and read "Goodnight Moon" and watch her eyelids droop. That's it. No more struggle.
More often than not, she sleeps about 11 hours during the night (with only 1 wake-up at about 3:00 AM). Her wake-up time is getting earlier and earlier (between 5:00 and 6:00 AM) and it's really freaking Casey and I out. 5:00 AM is too early, Elle! I think she is waking up earlier because 1) it's lighter outside earlier, and 2) we are still co-sleeping. I've read that co-sleeping babies will begin to wake up earlier as they get older because they get excited about your presence and want to play. Sigh, it is time for an eviction. Casey and I have been slowly preparing to move her to her room. We bought black-out curtains, we rearranged the furniture in her room so she's no longer able to reach the curtains, and we lowered her mattress. We still need to install the video monitor above her crib and...have a game-plan. Casey and I are both reading a new sleep book now and slowly forming a plan. This is getting long. I should have made a post just about sleeping!
So happy it's still the weekend. Casey and I are going to bundle up the babe and take her to the park in a bit.
On Feeding...
Feeding Elle solids was something I was really excited about. I originally intended on pureeing my own baby foods and bought a Beaba to do so. Well, the Beaba was returned yesterday and a trip to Whole Foods was made for the organic jarred stuff. The Beaba sat unopened on our kitchen counter for about 2 weeks before I decided to ditch it. It's an expensive gadget and I didn't want to play with it and then decide I didn't want it. As soon as I read the instruction manual, my reservations set in. This was supposed to be fun and not stressful. The bottom line is that this was something that I would have been solely responsible for and I just didn't feel like I'm organized enough right now. A year ago, absolutely. And if you're wondering about the baby lead weaning approach I mentioned below, while I think it's fascinating I'm too paranoid to do something like that. We will definitely give her chunks of solid fruits and vegetables if they seem appropriate but as an exclusive approach, definitely not. And I will be making some food over the weekends as a fun treat the old fashioned way (steamer and food processor). Everything in moderation, people.
On Mobility...
Elle started rolling over at 4 months from her back to her tummy. While she occasionally rolled over from her stomach to her back, it was a rarity. More often than not, she would roll onto her stomach and then do we Casey and I affectionately called "shrieking 360s". Basically, she'd pivot in circles on her stomach, yelling all the way. It was really frustrating and hard for her. Over the past month, her push-ups on her tummy have gotten stronger and she's trying really hard to tuck her knees under. She is really close and for awhile, I thought she would be crawling by 7 months. Now I'm not so sure. The reason is because she discovered another form of locomotion that she is STOKED about. Just this past Wednesday, she started doing several rolls at once. Back to tummy, tummy to back, back to tummy and is moving a few feets at a time. Pair that with her well-practiced "shrieking 360s" (minus the shrieks now) and she is able to go in any direction she wants.
On Sleeping...
Sleep is something that both Casey and I take very seriously with Elle. Not only would she be more difficult if she weren't well-rested, but she wouldn't be in an optimal state for learning about our beautiful world. Putting Elle to sleep was a struggle for a bit both during the day and at night. Sometimes it went well and was easy. And when it took time, sometimes she was so tired she was wired and sometimes she was so tired, she passed out. When it was hard, it was really, really hard. While she still was getting enough sleep throughout the day (due to our perseverance), it was time-consuming and also really sad seeing Elle struggle with falling asleep when she was obviously tired. So what did we do? I tried to take her perspective. Here we are playing one minute, and the next, she is being carried to bed, laid down, and expected to pass out because she's a little tired. There was no transition. Casey and I talked about it, and after a few revelations here and there, we formed a routine for her naps. We now carry her into our room, put her in her sleep sack, turn on the white noise, lay her down on her back, and give her a bottle. If she's just eaten, we make just 2 oz. Once she finishes it, we sit her up so she's sitting by herself, and wait for her to burp. Usually at this point, her head is slumped forward and she's burying her face in the burp cloth. Then we lay her back down, and read "Goodnight Moon" and watch her eyelids droop. That's it. No more struggle.
More often than not, she sleeps about 11 hours during the night (with only 1 wake-up at about 3:00 AM). Her wake-up time is getting earlier and earlier (between 5:00 and 6:00 AM) and it's really freaking Casey and I out. 5:00 AM is too early, Elle! I think she is waking up earlier because 1) it's lighter outside earlier, and 2) we are still co-sleeping. I've read that co-sleeping babies will begin to wake up earlier as they get older because they get excited about your presence and want to play. Sigh, it is time for an eviction. Casey and I have been slowly preparing to move her to her room. We bought black-out curtains, we rearranged the furniture in her room so she's no longer able to reach the curtains, and we lowered her mattress. We still need to install the video monitor above her crib and...have a game-plan. Casey and I are both reading a new sleep book now and slowly forming a plan. This is getting long. I should have made a post just about sleeping!
So happy it's still the weekend. Casey and I are going to bundle up the babe and take her to the park in a bit.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Memorial Day Weekend
Casey, Elle, and I flew up to Lake Almanor for Memorial Day weekend. It was Elle's first time there! Our sweet baby is always impressing me. She's such a great traveler! We had a lot of turbulence on the way up and couldn't land in Chester because the visibility was poor. We ended up landing in Redding and making the 2-hour drive to the lake house. Elle took a nap on my legs on the plane. It was so cute/funny. She was getting a little fussy and I knew she was tired but wasn't sure how well she'd go down in her car seat. I was swaying her on my legs just for fun at first and when I noticed her eyes start to shut and her limbs go limp, I knew we were golden. Here is a little video Casey took with his iPhone of Elle awkwardly sleeping on her mama:
Boy was it chilly! It snowed a bit while we were there but didn't stick. I got a ton of great shots of Elle (who else?) while we were there...
Boy was it chilly! It snowed a bit while we were there but didn't stick. I got a ton of great shots of Elle (who else?) while we were there...
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| Playing with daddy after a long morning of traveling |
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| Bundled up with Grandma Chris |
Casey took one of my favorite shots of Elle eating so far. She had sweet potato while we were there. She also tried some watermelon and her Aunt Annie shared peach with her (which was hilarious to watch). Elle put her mouth on the peach and wouldn't let go. She attacked it! Panting all the way. Sweet angel.
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| Excited for her sweet potato |
I also got some of my favorite shots ever of Elle with her daddy. Don't be deceived by Casey's T-shirt in the first pic. It really was cold enough to warrant the extra bundling that Elle is sporting. In fact, the cold weather chapped her cheeks a bit. See her right cheek in the second pic below where she's riding KC the dog?
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| Daddy with his Glow Worm |
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| Giddy Up! |
Now onto my absolute favorite photo ever. This was right before we left Lake Almanor. We tried to put Elle down for a nap at about 11:30 but she was being hard and we knew we were leaving in about an hour so we decided to hold off since she reliably passes out in the car. She got really tired in the last 10 minutes or so before we left. Usually she gets fussy when she's tired and pushes you away. Not this time. She went into full on heartwarming cuddle mode. Love my girl.
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| Sigh. So stinking cute. |
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| Beautiful angel |
We drove to Redding from there and Elle slept during the entire 2 hour trip. She woke up a few times with red-brimmed eyes but went right back to sleep. We then flew to Ukiah to visit Elle's great grandmother. The plane ride was really shaky and I was honestly scared. It was hard to keep my face smiling and excited for Elle since I was facing her.
Elle's great grandmother Marian was so excited to see her! It's so special to Casey and I that our sweet baby brings our family so much joy. I took a ton of pics but here are a few highlights.
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| Smacking daddy in the face with Sophie |
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| Being silly with daddy! |
Monday, May 23, 2011
Baby Lead Weaning?
Our sweet Elle is officially 6 months old as of yesterday! I can't believe she's been in our lives for half a year now. Even crazier, just one year ago I was early in my pregnancy. Pregnancy is WAY too short. We took her down to Orange County for a playdate with her friend Katelyn and to visit her Babcia Kinga. The playdate turned into a lunchdate for the grown-ups because we were all hungry. It was Elle's first time in a high chair! She did pretty well but next time I'll need to make sure to bring toys that can attach to her high chair cover. She was knocking her toys on the floor the whole time. Casey took a silly video of Katelyn pulling Elle's pacifier out of her mouth. Too funny!
I discovered a feeding approach called "Baby Lead Weaning" and spent some time researching it last night. Needless to say, I was intrigued but not sold yet. Basically, you skip the puree and introduce large chunks of fruits and vegetables that the baby is able to grasp. The baby then decides how much she wants to eat and feeds herself. The idea behind it is that this was the method of feeding prior to the invention of baby foods and so it's more natural and allows the baby to discover foods. I assumed that baby's would choke on anything not pureed and you have to feed them small chunks of food, if anything. I learned that feeding them small chunks is far more of a choking hazard and the baby wont chew off more than she can swallow. So interesting. I need to do more research first but to test it out, I decided to give Elle a slice of orange (with the skin) and a slice of pear. She did FAR better with the orange because she was able to get a good grip. The pear was slimy and kept falling on the floor. She didn't choke! She didn't actually --eat-- that much of either fruit. I had some orange alongside her and she seemed to LOVE that we were eating the same thing. It was really cute. She was "mmm-ing" and grunting the entire time.
I discovered a feeding approach called "Baby Lead Weaning" and spent some time researching it last night. Needless to say, I was intrigued but not sold yet. Basically, you skip the puree and introduce large chunks of fruits and vegetables that the baby is able to grasp. The baby then decides how much she wants to eat and feeds herself. The idea behind it is that this was the method of feeding prior to the invention of baby foods and so it's more natural and allows the baby to discover foods. I assumed that baby's would choke on anything not pureed and you have to feed them small chunks of food, if anything. I learned that feeding them small chunks is far more of a choking hazard and the baby wont chew off more than she can swallow. So interesting. I need to do more research first but to test it out, I decided to give Elle a slice of orange (with the skin) and a slice of pear. She did FAR better with the orange because she was able to get a good grip. The pear was slimy and kept falling on the floor. She didn't choke! She didn't actually --eat-- that much of either fruit. I had some orange alongside her and she seemed to LOVE that we were eating the same thing. It was really cute. She was "mmm-ing" and grunting the entire time.
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| Oops, dropped it! |
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| Finished product |
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Avocado is a Winner
Daddy got to play alone with Elle today until about 2:00 PM. I was dress shopping with my sister and mom for my sister's wedding! It was so fun. She picked such a beautiful dress. It could not be more perfect for her. I L-O-V-E it. It's so much fun and has so much personality. Just like her :)
We fed Elle more avocado in the AM and again when I got back from dress shopping. This time we heated it up and she seemed to like it even more. It was greeted with flapping arms, an open mouth, grunting, and a "mmm" noise after she took a bite. We got her "mmm"-ing over it on camera...aww. I knew I'd love feeding my baby. I'll probably not be as enthusiastic when she rejects a food I spent time making but until then...awwww.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Overdue Post
Boy am I behind. I owe my blog an Easter recap and a Mother's day recap. In the meantime, I'll recap this past week :)
Grandpa Bill stopped by on his way home from UCSB last Friday evening. He brought Elle a UCSB outfit! He also brought a UCSB pink sweatshirt but I haven't taken a picture of Elle in it yet. She has been wearing it on all her walks! Perfect timing--she just outgrew her last hoodie. Here she is Saturday morning. Maybe she'll be a Gaucho like her parents (and Grandpa, and second cousin...). Doesn't she look tired?
Casey and I picked up our new BOB jogger stroller last week and it is AMAZING. My walks have doubled. It's all-terrain and it's so nice to have such a smooth ride. Plus, I'm pretty sure Elle loves it too. Casey, Elle, and I took a 2 hour walk on Saturday. Elle then had some fun "riding" her horse Marley.
Elle had her 6-month well-baby doctor's appointment on Monday. While driving to her Pediatrician, we heard a grunt from the backseat, a cry out, followed by stink...then silence. Elle had pooped. Almost unsurprisingly, when we took her out of her carseat, it had exploded out of her pants. Casey carried her with a burp cloth over her butt so he wouldn't get poop juiced. However, when we got to our Pediatrician's office, we discovered that they had MOVED LOCATIONS. Thanks for the heads up! Anyway, we were a little ticked off and Casey had the pleasure of changing Elle's poopie diaper/pants in the hallway. We drove across town to their new location and took Elle to the doctor without pants. She didn't seem to mind. Elle now weighs 19 lbs 1 oz and is 28 inches long (!). She is as big as a 10 month old! Big girl. Our Pediatrician was impressed with her ability to sit-up unassisted and her balance. He said about 25% of 6-month olds are able to do so...and she isn't even 6 months yet! That's our girl! Elle got her last round of vaccinations. I was so impressed! Not only was she SUPER tired because her 9:00 AM appointment was now taking place at 10:30 because of their surprise relocation but she was also hungry. She took the shots like a champ. Casey and I waved her favorite toys (her magic wand) in front of her face to distract her. She cried pretty hard but I picked her up and she was fine. We took a little video of pantsless Elle on the pony while waiting for the doctor.
Grandpa Bill stopped by on his way home from UCSB last Friday evening. He brought Elle a UCSB outfit! He also brought a UCSB pink sweatshirt but I haven't taken a picture of Elle in it yet. She has been wearing it on all her walks! Perfect timing--she just outgrew her last hoodie. Here she is Saturday morning. Maybe she'll be a Gaucho like her parents (and Grandpa, and second cousin...). Doesn't she look tired?
Casey and I picked up our new BOB jogger stroller last week and it is AMAZING. My walks have doubled. It's all-terrain and it's so nice to have such a smooth ride. Plus, I'm pretty sure Elle loves it too. Casey, Elle, and I took a 2 hour walk on Saturday. Elle then had some fun "riding" her horse Marley.
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| Elle having a stare-off with Delilah |
Elle had her 6-month well-baby doctor's appointment on Monday. While driving to her Pediatrician, we heard a grunt from the backseat, a cry out, followed by stink...then silence. Elle had pooped. Almost unsurprisingly, when we took her out of her carseat, it had exploded out of her pants. Casey carried her with a burp cloth over her butt so he wouldn't get poop juiced. However, when we got to our Pediatrician's office, we discovered that they had MOVED LOCATIONS. Thanks for the heads up! Anyway, we were a little ticked off and Casey had the pleasure of changing Elle's poopie diaper/pants in the hallway. We drove across town to their new location and took Elle to the doctor without pants. She didn't seem to mind. Elle now weighs 19 lbs 1 oz and is 28 inches long (!). She is as big as a 10 month old! Big girl. Our Pediatrician was impressed with her ability to sit-up unassisted and her balance. He said about 25% of 6-month olds are able to do so...and she isn't even 6 months yet! That's our girl! Elle got her last round of vaccinations. I was so impressed! Not only was she SUPER tired because her 9:00 AM appointment was now taking place at 10:30 because of their surprise relocation but she was also hungry. She took the shots like a champ. Casey and I waved her favorite toys (her magic wand) in front of her face to distract her. She cried pretty hard but I picked her up and she was fine. We took a little video of pantsless Elle on the pony while waiting for the doctor.
I picked up a Beaba baby food maker earlier today with Elle. I can't wait to use it! What a fun new fad. We had some avocados laying around so Casey and I decided to feed Elle her "first" official solid tonight. Technically, its #3 on the list our doctor gave us but whatever. She can enjoy squash and sweet potato this weekend once I have the Beaba up and running. She loved it! She tried feeding it to herself and was an overall mess. So much fun! Here are some highlights...
Friday, May 13, 2011
This might seem really cute...
But when you experience approximately 20 minutes of it pre-naptime 6 times a day, it can get really annoying :)
And more...
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