video time...

A little bit of cuteness from today......


Playing with Sophie from Stephanie Allen on Vimeo.



Floor time 7/8 months from Stephanie Allen on Vimeo.

Seventh month recap...

Baby Girl turned eight months yesterday!  Here is her seventh month in review. Note: I am using a new format for my own record keeping so that when I print her blog out for her to have, her developmental milestones will be easy to see each month.  Feel free to disregard all of the info ;)

Weight: 19 lb 14 oz

Height: not sure exactly, but at least 27 inches

Napping: She continues to take a morning and an afternoon nap, ranging in length from 35 minutes to a rare two hours (her norm is around an hour).  Her third nap of the day (around 4-5ish) comes and goes.  She needs it most everyday, but she fights it a lot, so it doesn't always happen.  The routine to get to sleep remains a good one for us.  We settle her in our arms for a few minutes and then put her down awake, and then she falls asleep on her own.  Sometimes I have to go back in if she gets upset, but her norm is to chatter herself to sleep or just drift off.

Night:  We have regressed, much to my dismay!  After being sick about three weeks back, she started waking up twice each night and this has not stopped.  I haven't gotten tough again and let her cry it out, so I am partially to blame.  She wakes up anywhere in the 1:00 to 3:00 timeframe, and then like clock-work at 5:30am.  She nurses a few minutes and then I put her back down each time, but it is still frustrating to be waking through the night.  I feel like she is a few months old again.  All that being said, our nighttime routine is 7ish bedtime till 8ish wake-up with an average of 2 wakings in between.

Food: she likes peaches, prunes, pears, apples, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, avocado, carrots (only if they are cold...odd), peas, oatmeal, and barley.  She has decided that she no longer likes green beans =(

Nursing: continues on breastmilk only and nurses four times a day (and then her unecessary, but still happening, nighttime snacks)

Skills: sits unsupported for any length of time she wishes, picks up objects with either hand, transfers objects from hand to hand, knows when an object is hidden from her and will try and get it (object permanence), does baby push-ups and lifts body off ground down to her knees,  just started to pull knees up under her, independent with sippy cup use,  waves goodbye/hello, gives open mouth kisses, laughs at things on TV, pivots around in complete circles on belly, likes to lay on side, propped up on one arm and play with toys

Language: Expressive - imitates various and varied vocal patterns (e.g.,  we say 'ah, ah, ah' and she will repeat 'ah, ah, ah'), babbles include: dadada, wawawa, bu, huh, ugh, ah, mu, ba, and la, squeals and shrieks while playing independently and to display happiness socially, continues to be a very vocal baby.  Receptive - responds to name, turns to noises and voices, will look around when we say "where's the cat?", laughs in response to silly noises, smiles instantly whenever Mommy sings "Old McDonald"

Fun Facts: loves bathtime, snuggles with her muslin blankets for comforting, has begun to sleep on her belly and her side with one leg hiked up, doesn't really care for her jumparoo or excersaucer anymore, LOVES to play with books, tips over her toy bins daily, smiles anytime she sees Sophie, wears size 3 diapers, wears anywhere from 9mo to 12mo clothing, responds to family on the computer while Skyping, is very good on our laps during church each week, is a Mommy's girl, but loves to play around with Daddy, had her first fever and threw up for the first time this month, likes it when I sing to her, gets very excited when we are around other people or children (she seems to be a bit of a social butterfly!), makes a lot of silly faces as exhibited on a few of the pictures ;)

well, it happened...

....the SNOW that is!! 

We got about four inches at our house and that is a big deal considering we can be to the beach in fifteen minutes!  It stuck overnight on the grass and trees and was a beautiful sight.  According to Rob Fowler (the local weatherman) the last time we had snow accumulate like this was 1989.  Since Andy and I were both eight at that time, I would say that the snow we witnessed last night was historic.  It was even exciting to me and I grew up with winter that drug on and on and on with snow. 

Olivia wasn't too sure of it. I think her bottom was getting cold, but I subjected her to the snow and the camera, none the less.  

Just as I subjected her to the cold snow, I will now subject you (my faithful blog stalkers) to a ridiculous amount of pictures of the historical event.  And, to all of my northern friends and family, before you roll your eyes and think I am nuts for getting so excited about a few inches of snow, remember this is Charleston, not Indiana! 

This snowfall was indeed a BIG deal!

Fabulous Friday!

....well, it seems like one anyways.  I have been the queen of productivty this morning.  One bed made, three rooms mopped, seven rooms and the hallways vacuumed, two loads of laundry complete, one diswasher loaded, ran, and emptied, four baby feedings (two nursing, two solids), and two baby naps (falling asleep on own without tears!).  And it isn't even one o'clock yet!  Hmmm, I wonder what the afternoon brings =)

We have had a good week around here.  I worked yesterday at my old job and Andy was a stay-at-home dad.  It felt good to go back to work.  I do not regret my decision to quit one single bit, but it did feel good to be in the professional setting and working one on one with patients again.  I will definately do more of that as Baby Girl gets older. 

They say it may snow this evening, but I am not holding my breath.  Charleston likes to get all worked up about snow and then nothing ever really happens.  I have seen maybe three snowflakes fall since moving here four years ago, and that was a huge deal to the locals.  They are predicting anywhere from 2-6 inches tonight.  The city and bridges will probably be shut down.  In fact, we have dinner plans with friends tonight and I wonder if we will be the only ones in the restaurant?! ;)

Nothing much more to share, but here are a few pictures from the last few weeks.  I have been playing around with the editing features on my camera and it is a lot of fun!  Next up will be some simple editing software so I can really get creative!

Like my new sneakers? 

Playtime can be tiring....sometimes you need to rest your head!

Avocado chunks are messy and fun to play with!  She won't put them in her mouth, but she loves to feel them in her fingers so we are just letting her explore. (the therapist in me is working towards her not having any texture issues)

Hmmmm, what is behind here?!?!  She is a rolling fool and nothing is safe anymore.

taking sides...

Today is the day!  SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!  Ahhh, the day of too much beer, cheese dip, and wings!  This year I have to pick a side.  I have rooted for both the Colts (my "hometown" team) and the Saints (my "hometown" quarterback) all year long, but it isn't fun to go into a game not really caring who wins.

So, I have chosen.....

GO SAINTS!!!    Really, it is more of an issue of "GO, DREW", but he is the leader of the Saints, so this year they are my team!  I can't ignore the memories that I have from my freshman year of college.  He took us to the Rose Bowl!!  I was on the field with the team when we won the game that clinched that deal, and I stood next to him while he had this rose in his teeth!!  What a memory!

So, to honor him and thank him for the amazing memories, I have taken sides......Go Drew!!  I hope you get the superbowl win.  You deserve it!

p.s. Andy is rooting for Peyton and the Colts and Baby Girl is dressed in gold and black today, so I guess she sided with her mother ;)  Let the family rivalry begin!

the Cheerio face...

I gave Baby Girl some Cheerios the other day to see what she would do with them.  I never dreamed the moment would become camera-worthy!

In fact, Andy and I have given them to her a few more times just so we can watch the face and get a good laugh!  She is food for our souls, indeed!

The conclusion is either she will be the first and only kid to not like Cheerios, or she just isn't ready for them yet!  Regardless, we get a hoot out of offering them to her.

Waving girl...

Waving Girl from Stephanie Allen on Vimeo.