8 Months

Wow so much has changed this month! One Saturday night we had one of the worst nights ever. Kinley was up almost every hour it seemed. I told Matt the next morning she is going to be crawling soon because there is so much going on in her brain she can't sleep. What do you know two days later I get a video of Kinley crawling. I wanted to cry I missed the first crawl. She is on the move and is faster than ever. She started crawling about 7 1/2 months. Shortly after she started pulling herself up on everything so down went the crib. It is pretty hard to get her in it sometimes. I feel like I am setting her on the ground. She has adjusted well to sleeping on the ground :)

There isn't a dr appointment normally for 8 months but since she was sick we were there. She weighed in at 16lbs 3oz! I was very happy! She gained over a pound in a month and we have officially doubled her birth weight. She is 27 inches long. We are still in size 2 diapers and all 6 month clothes. Yay! Monthly pictures are getting more and more difficult.

We have had quite the month. Kinley got sick for the first time with an ear infection. It was awful. She was so sad it broke my heart. On day 10 of Amoxicillin she broke out in the worst hives ever. Allergic to amoxicillin. Poor girl! She was covered in them! Benadryl helped tremendously though we had to give it to her for a few days. 11 days later she woke up with 103.8 fever. I was a little scared! Or should I say freaking out quite a bit. I gave her some Tylenol and called the dr. The dr told me to see if the Tylenol helps and call back around lunch time. I have been thinking she has been teething for a while now, still toothless, but that was WAY too high of a fever for a teething baby. My fear was it was her ears again. We watched her temperature and though it went down a little it was still too high for my comfort. Back to the dr we went. Her ears looked great but she had strep. How does a 8 month old get strep? Uggg I was so sad for her! She was so miserable again. I couldn't help but feel like a terrible mom because my baby was sick again. She was on Zithromax for 5 days and seemed to do much better after the second day. I can only hope the sicknesses stay away for awhile now. There is nothing harder than watching your baby be in pain and so upset. It was heartbreaking and I felt so helpless.

So smiley at the dr. You would never know she had an ear infection. 

After we got home I think she started to feel really bad. Lots of snuggles!

Sleep: She is still in her crib at night and since she has become very mobile we decided it was time to move to the crib for naps. It wasn't as difficult of a transition as I had thought. I think she really likes her crib. Though she continues to cuddle up in the corner I think she sleeps better. She still wakes at the 30 minute mark and I have to rock her back to sleep but then she is usually good until she wakes up to eat. She gets up once to eat and has been doing better at going right back to sleep at night. I am very thankful for that! She has been getting up really early some mornings, 430-500. It kills me! I usually bring her in our bed, cuddle her and see if I can get her back to sleep. Naps are still hit or miss! There have been many times she has slept 1-1.5 hours. I know it's possible!! I can't figure out what is different on the days she sleeps 30-45 minutes compared to days she sleeps 1-1.5 hours. We do the same thing every nap. Who knows! If you know please share :)

Eating: She is a really good eater. I am so happy we did BLW. She has done so well with it and it is so much easier to give her what we are having for dinner. There are some days we do more than just dinner with her but we are only consistent with dinner. She loves chicken, broccoli and cucumbers. She continues to get only breast milk and is becoming less and less interested in nursing. Sad sad!! I am still pumping 4 times a day and right now pumping enough or more than what she is eating in a day. It will be soon that I will be breaking into my stash in the freezer. Right now I think the amount of breast milk and food she gets are a good combination for her.


Play: Play time is so much fun with her! She doesn't sit in one place for too long but will still stand at her music table for many minutes dancing away. Two seconds later she will be at the dog dish. We definitely have to keep an eye on her! The animals have done really well with her being on the move. They don't seem too phased. She continues to love her music table and Lamaze toys but the best toys is everything that is not a toy. It all goes in her hands for her to examine then right in the mouth. She went on the swing for the first time this month and loved it! She thought it was the greatest thing ever. She went to her first Little Gym class and had a blast. She went peach picking for the first time and LOVED eating them later.

We also got her a big girl car seat this month. We will eventually buy two but for now it is in my car and she is seeming to enjoy the extra space. She continues to do new things every day and perfects the skills she's learned. It is truly been amazing watching her grow.

Other blog posts following her month to month:
7 Months
6 Months
5 Months
4 Months
3 Months

4th of July Weekend and Some News....

Wow was it nice to have a 3 day weekend! It was packed full of fun with family and friends. Thursday night I watched The Gabby Douglas Story. I have been wanting to watch it for a while now and Annette reminded me when I read her blog last week. I have a special place in my heart for gymnastics. I was a gymnast for 15 years and my littlest sister was a gymnast as well. As long as it has been since I did gymnastics I still miss it when I watch it. Gabby Douglas is from Virginia Beach where I live so it was fun to see her journey. What a great inspirational story. Check it out if you love gymnastics or just want a good message. Thanks Annette for the reminder! 

Friday started with a cup of coffee and many smiles from my baby girl! It is such a wonderful feeling to wake up to a happy baby that loves me unconditionally. We woke up to "hurricane" weather. Thankfully it wasn't too bad, just some wind and rain that came and went pretty fast! It turned out to be a beautiful day. We went to the in laws for a BBQ. We enjoyed some family time and they got to have lots of play time with Kinley. I think everyone was happy! 

Saturday Kinley didn't wake up until 4:00am to feed which always means she's going to sleep later than 530am. And she did, we all slept until 7:30am. It was AMAZING!! We went out on a family run then ran a bunch of errands before Kinley's first My Little Gym class. They do a free intro class so we  decided to try it out. We all had a lot of fun! Saturday we had some friends over and had a BBQ at our house. It always makes life easier when we are able to do things at our house because then we can get Kinley in bed on time and in her bed. It was nice to catch up with friends! 

How does Sunday always come so fast! Sunday morning started very early! Kinley decided to get up at 515am and did not want to go back to sleep. At least she is so happy in the mornings!

We went out to the farmers market then had some fun time in the sun! We were going to go to a friend's pool but it just got too late in the afternoon so we hung out in the kiddi pool in the back yard. Sun is sun right! 

Well that was our fun filled weekend in a nut shell.

So now for the news....

I have given LOTS and LOTS of thought to continuing with blogging and right now I have decided that I am going to take a break and blog here and there. I do not have much time to write up posts since Matt and I work opposite schedules and when we are both home I want to spend time with him or Kinley. So for right now I am not going to be blogging much at all. I will try to do some posts here and there and updates on her and life when I get a chance. Until then you can follow me on Instagram for lots of fun pictures! 

Weekend Fun in Pictures

Life has been so busy these days that blogging has definitely been neglected, amongst other things like cleaning my house and working out. At least Kinley is getting my full undivided attention. To be honest I am still trying to figure out how to juggle everything while working full time. It has been quite difficult. Matt went back to work so it is just me at night and when I get home from work I just want to spend the 2 hours I get with my sweet baby girl! So for right now that is what I will do!

Our weekend was pretty quiet. It was just Kinley and I on Saturday since Matt had to work. I hate his new schedule and only getting one family day. We will adjust I guess. I felt like we just hung out and ran a bunch of errands so I will share some fun pictures!

Fun in the sun with mommy and daddy!

Mommy and I got matching scarves :)

More fun adventures of baby led weaning. 

Coffee is a must when this munchkin gets up so early. 

Much needed home pedicure while the baby takes her 30 minute nap. 

It's Been Awhile...

Well it sure has been awhile since I have posted. Things are so crazy and busy that all my free time I want to spend with Kinley and Matt. Life has been good but there has been a lot going on that I may be able to get into more detail at a later date ;)

Kinley has turned 6 months and is sitting on her own! She also has realized she can sleep on her tummy and be so comfortable she sleeps through the night! I know you just about feel off the couch! If you have been reading since the beginning you know she has been a terrible sleeper all along and it's been tough! But hopefully things are starting to come together and we can all get a little more sleep! She changes over night and it has been so much fun to watch! She is such a joy! I will get to a 6 month post later in the week, hopefully! For now I just want to share some fun pictures of what has been going on in our life!

 A little fun at Starbucks on Memorial Day!

Holy Moly I am 6 months old!!

I love me some broccoli!

Stylin with my glasses on!

You ask the dog to sit and he practically sits on her.

Love her to the moon and back!

Matt and I went on our first date since she arrived! We had a great time but sure did miss our monkey! It really is hard for me to leave her on the weekends when I am gone all day during the week! I miss her so much I try to soak up all the time I can with her on the weekends! 

Have a great week everyone!

4 and 5 Month Must Haves

Sorry this post is so over due! Life gets busy with a little one :). Below are our must haves for a 4-5 month old!

1. Aden and Anais Security Blanket: We are really a fan of these blankets or loveys. I was very hesitant on giving her a blanket but with the breathable material these are made out of, it eased my mind. They are soft and come in a pack of two! Since we are trying to move past swaddling Kinley likes having something in her hand when falling asleep. 

2. Earths Best Oatmeal:  I knew I wanted an organic oatmeal to give her. We have been very happy with earths best and Kinley loves it! Win win. *We did not give this to her until she was almost 6 months old and this was at the request of the pediatrician to help her gain some weight. 

3. Tommee Tippee bottles: With being back at work Kinley is getting the bottle more often than not. I really like the tommee tippee bottles and she has never had a problem with them. 

4. Sophie the Giraffe: I can not say enough good things about this toy. People asked me if it was really worth the money. At first I didn't think it was any more than a glorified dog toy to be honest, but now that we are in the middle of teething Sophie goes everywhere with us! Kinley loves this toy! 

5. Jumperoo: I love all the bright colors and music this jumperoo offers. Kinley especially loves it because she can watch everything going on. She hasn't quite figured out how to bounce up and down yet, but I'm sure as soon as she does she will be loving it more!

6. Munchkin Spoons: We are really liking these spoons for feeding. We are following BLW but still giving oatmeal. Kinley likes to chew on them too ;)

7. Teething Rings: These are great to stick in the fridge to chill. Kinley loves chewing on them while they are cold. They make her gums feel good and keeps her from getting mad while I try to make dinner. 

8. Graco Slim Space High Chair: There are a lot of high chairs out there but this one works for us. Our kitchen is really small so I like that it folds up and we can put it against the wall when we aren't using it. 

9. MAM Pacifiers: For the longest time we loved the wubbanubs, though I found Kinley had a difficult time keeping the soothie in her mouth. We had tried many binks over and over and she always preferred the wubbanub. One day she took the MAM and loved it. They are much easier for her to keep in her mouth. They also make awesome glow in the dark ones! 

Other Must Have Posts:

3 Month Must Haves

1 & 2 Month Must Haves

Happy Hump Day!! I am so glad it's hump day but wishing it was Friday!

This post contains affiliated links. 

My 1st Mother's Day

Hey everyone! Hope everyone had a great weekend and a happy Mother's Day! We had a great weekend! My first Mother's Day could not have been more perfect! I have always dreamed of being a mom but never fully understood how awesome it is until November 27, 2013, when Kinley Reese picked me to be her mama! I love this girl more than words!

Saturday was beautiful. I actually made it out for a run. I have to be honest I've really been slacking in the workout department! I need to get back in gear but I'm lacking motivation! What motivates you to workout? It felt great to go out and run. Then I came home and made a green smoothie! It was yummy! 

The rest of Saturday consisted of lots of errands! We went to SAMs club to stock up on household essentials like coffee hehe. Man that place will make you broke! After that it was nap time for the little ms. I loved her outfit but didn't have a matching headband! Minor problem. So I made her one. I loved it. She looked so cute all weekend! 

She's starting to sit on her own and growing way too fast! It's almost her half birthday! Eeekkkk!!! Saturday night we hung out and did some things around the house! I love being at home with the family! We had some yummy turkey burgers for dinner with sweet potatoes. Of course we shared the sweet potatoes with Kinley. I can't wait til I can give her any of our meals, but right now we are introducing foods slowly. 

Sunday came so fast! I hate how fast the weekends fly by!! I started my morning by waking up to the happiest little girl talking away! She's very content laying in her bed talking in the morning. It's the cutest thing! Her and daddy made me the best Mother's Day gift! 

Yes that blob is her handprint. Go daddy!! I love it and will cherish it forever! We had brunch at Cheesecake Factory, one of my favorite places! I have to say I've been a little disappointed with their service the past two times I've been there! It makes me upset when you spend a lot of money to eat out and the service is terrible. Good thing we had good company and a happy baby!

She kept grabbing at that glass of water in the corner of the picture. Does anyone have any good sippy cup suggestions? I think we need to start one soon. She's so intrigued by drinks and food! 

After we got home and she took a nap we had a picnic in our backyard. The weather was beautiful and it was nice to enjoy it. We made some sandwiches and cut up some watermelons...which leads me to the next food Kinley had. Watermelon. She was completely unsure at first and made quite the face but then seemed to enjoy it. We were going to do broccoli but Matt and I were eating watermelon and wanted to share! I have to say I'm LOVING BLW! 

We ended the night with some quiet time on the couch watching Parenthood. Anyone watch that show? I've been in tears a few times! Hope everyone had as good of a weekend as us! Happy late Mother's Day to all the mothers!

Weekend Highlights

Hope everyone had a good weekend! Ours was mellow now that my family is gone it's back to just us. I miss them tons!

We have officially decided we are doing BLW. I'm so excited and just want to give her everything at once. She took a decent nap yesterday so it gave me some time to browse Pinterest and get some recipe ideas. BLW seems like it's going to work great for our family. We started this weekend with bananas. She loved them! We also did try a cucumber and I think she loved that because it felt good on her teething gums! 

We made a family trip to lowes, where I could spend a lot of money! We are going to give our bathroom a makeover. It really needs it. Ideally we'd like to purchase a new house but right now use staying put is what's best for us. So we are going to do a little upgrading and go with it! Anyone have any upgrading/remodeling tips??

Of course we went grocery shopping! Next on the list for Kinley is sweet potatoes! 

We are tackling the no swaddle also! We tried cold turkey Friday night and it was quite the mess. So Saturday we stuck to one arm and that seemed much better. She looks like such an angel. I love her tons! 

Don't let her fool you..it didn't last long! But I still love her! Does anyone else's little one LOVE their toes? She literally eats them! 

Happy Monday! Hope everyone has a great week!