Zander - 4 Months

Funny how last month I said things hadn't been too challenging yet. I should of known that was not a good thing to say because things have gotten more challenging, haven't I learned to not jinx things! Though not challenging like Kinley was but not as easy as they have been. We have entered the 4th leap and the 4 month sleep regression and I am feeling it.

He is still his smiley self but he has asserted his personality a little more this past month. He will let you know when he is done with something and just give you the biggest grin. I love that gummy smile! When he is awake he is always smiling or watching his sister. These two are going to be the bestest of friends.

Stats: I am dying to go to the dr to see what he weights. We have not been since 2 months and weighing him on our house scale isn't cutting it. I do think he is somewhere over 13 pounds and have no guesses on his height. Though we did have to move to 6 month pjs because the 3 months were getting too short. He is still wearing 3 month clothes for the most part with the occassional 6 month outfit. I am trying to hold off until the weather changes before I buy him new clothes.

Sleep: This month we are all over the charts with sleeping. He was sleeping 8-4 and that has changed with this wonderful sleep regression. He is now waking every 3 hours. It seems to be right on cue for 3 hours. His naps are all over the place as well; more often on the 30-45 min side. If I am home and able to help him he seems to go back to sleep for me and will get a good nap. Others are not successful with him going back to sleep. I am hoping once we get through this leap and this regression things will smooth out a little more and we will all get some more sleep. We did recently order the Dockatot and have been using that on occasion, though I am not sure it makes much of a difference to him. I will be doing a review soon on our thoughts. There will also be a coupon code so be on the lookout.  He is still swaddled and naps in his room in his crib, sometimes in the rock and play.  At night he is next to me in the pack and play. I am not sure when we will move him to his room for the night. I am not ready yet though. Especially with the frequent wake ups at night. The dockatot did allow me to watch the Olympics because I could not put him down that night.

Eating: Nothing really new to report on the eating side. He is still exclusively getting breastmilk. When I am home I nurse him and when I am working I pump and he takes a bottle. He does great with the bottle and has no issues. He will usually take 3-4oz every 3 hours. When breastfeeding he is eating about every 3 hours as well. I am still pumping every 3 hours at work which helps to keep my milk supply up and mimic what he is eating when I am away.

Play: He has really gotten more interactive within the last month. He grabs things hanging from his activity center and always gets them in his mouth. He loves playing peek a boo with Kinley and watching every move she makes. They are the sweetest together. He has laughed a few more times but still nothing consistent. I can't wait to hear those baby laughs all day every day. He loves playing on his play mat and occasionally will sit in his sit me up or the bumbo. His head control has improved a lot this month but he still has some work to do so I don't like him spending too much time in them. He continues to love his swing as well. He has gotten much better at tummy time and seems to enjoy it for longer periods of times. He loves to be in the ergo or Solly and watch everyone. I recently got a Tula and can not wait for him to be able to go in that one! He is constantly chewing on anything he can get into his mouth. I see toes going in the mouth in the near future.

I miss the newborn snuggles and the newborn coma, though this stage is pretty fun too, minus the lack of sleep. I know we will get through this and on to the next stage shortly. He is the sweetest boy and we could not imagine life without him. I love kissing those sweet cheeks.

Kinley loves him more than anything and almost always is willing to help him when he starts fussing. She was so excited she recently got him a Grover when she was with nanny and poppy. She is always thinking about him and his needs. Lets hope that doesn't change!

Happy 4 months dude!

A Day in the Life of a Working Mama

Well Ive been back at work a month now so I thought I would write a post on being a working mama! It was very hard to go back and I miss Kinley so much during the day. It's been tough to be up 2-3 times in the night and still function at work and then at home with her in the evening. But we are making do and I am loving every minute of it. It's a long day but nothing a cup or two of coffee doesn't get me through.

6:15am - Get up and shower as quietly as possible. She is still in our room right now and I swear she hears everything and wants to get up with mama. There have been many mornings I push snooze until 6:30 but I try to get up at 6:15.

6:35 am - Tip toe out of our room and go down stairs to dry and straighten my hair. Hook up the pump because I won't get to pump again until 10:00 and that makes for some sore boobs! Put on some makeup as I hear Matt and Kinley get up.

7:03 am - Change Kinley and enjoy her smiley face. I am amazed at how smiley this girl is in the morning despite being up so often and not sleeping very late. She is one happy girl. Seeing her smiles in the morning makes it all worth getting up in the middle of the night. Feed her and enjoy the last little bit I get with her before going to work.

7:34 am - Throw together some lunch, usually dinner from the night before. Pack up the bottles I need for pumping and all the pump parts. I carry so many bags to work they make fun of me. One day I forgot half my pump parts at home and had to come back and get them. Good thing I work only 7 minutes away.

7:47 am - Brew coffee. This is a MUST! I have come to love coffee even more since becoming a mommy. I don't have more than 2 cups a day but I love it! I find myself going to bed thinking about my coffee the next morning.

7:50 am - Soak up some last minute snuggles with my love bug before heading out the door for work.  Kiss Matt and the girl and I'm off.

8:05 am - Check emails and get ready for the day. The mornings are crazy busy at work and my 10:30 pumping session comes fast.

10:36 am - Pack up my bags and off to pump. I pump for 20 minutes looking through pictures of Kinley.

12:00 pm - Lunch! I am thankful we have lunch built into our day or I don't think I would ever get a chance to eat. I try to snack throughout the day because I want to make sure I am getting enough calories while breastfeeding.

2:30 pm - Off to pump again for 20 minutes while enjoying the pictures Matt sends me throughout the days. Sometimes I even get videos and I love them so much!

4:00 pm - I am out the door and headed home to see my baby girl!

4:15 - 6:00 pm - Sometimes I try to get her down for a small nap depending on how her day went. If she doesn't go down, which is about 90% of the time we play and go for walks.

6:02 pm - Start dinner while talking to Kinley. She loves being in her bouncy seat watching me make dinner.

7:00 pm - Bedtime routine starts with a bath. Kinley loves the bath and I think could stay in the water forever. It is such a great time with her smiling and talking. After bath we do lotion and pjs. Mood depending on story time. She eats and then I put her in the rock and play. She usually falls right asleep until..

7:56 pm - 45 minutes later she is up. Happens every time she goes down. This 45minute intruder is killer and the struggle starts to get her back to sleep for the night. This is anywhere from a 1-2 hour battle. By that time I am beat and ready for bed myself.

10:04 pm - Brush my teeth and get into bed. I know she will be up soon to eat again. We are experiencing 4 month sleep regression and she is up every 3-4 hours now.

12:10 am - Kinley is up to eat. I feed her and put her right back down.

3:17 am - Up to eat again. This is definitely taking a toll on me. She usually goes right back down but there have been a few nights where she doesn't and we are up until 5 or 530.

4:03 am - Back to sleep for a few hours until it starts all over again.

I love my baby girl so so much but I am really looking forward to getting more than 3-4 hours of sleep at a time.

Happy Hump Day!!

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. 

4 Months

Here we are at 4 months already. I think we all have adjusted to me being back at work and are trying to get on a schedule. Matt is home with her during the day and on leave so he gets to be with us at night. That is nice! And I am loving the extra help and having my husband home at night.

Here are other blog updates in this series:
 3 Months

We are going to the dr later today so I will add in her stats when we get back. She is getting her 4 month shots :(. It just breaks my heart. I cried last time and I am sure I will again. I hate seeing her in pain. She got a slight fever last time and was cranky but other than that she did great. Hoping for the same this time!

Sleep: She still isn't the best sleep and we have definitely been hit with the 4 month sleep regression this past month. Holy moly it is killing us! It makes it super difficult to be up all night and then have to function at work and not bite people's heads off! I think I am doing pretty well! We are still dealing with the 45 minute intruder every time she goes down. I have done endless research and we have tried so many different things nothing seems to work. I keep telling myself we will get there and some day she will sleep better. She started going to bed earlier this past month, between 7 and 8, usually closer to 7. But then the 45 minute intruder hits and we are at 8:00 working on bedtime again. I feel so bad for her she just can't seem to settle down. After settling she sleeps until about 1 then feds and goes back down. Then sleeps until about 5 or 6 and feeds again. I try to push it closer to 6 or 630 because she seems to be ready to get up for the day. Well at least she thinks she's ready and doesn't go back to sleep. We are still really trying hard to figure out a nap schedule during the day. The only thing that is consistent is she goes down for a nap about an hour after she gets up. She usually only sleeps 45-60 minutes. Then throughout the rest of the day naps are sporadic and we just go with her cues. We haven't gotten to her crib yet because she has been sleeping so poorly, though we have been talking about getting her in the crib and trying a wedge. Maybe it is just what she needs. I will keep you all posted on when we try the crib. Hopefully soon.

Eating: Oh my has she been all over the place with eating. During the day she usually takes 5 oz at a time and eats twice while I am gone. I still nurse her before I go to work and when I get home or before bedtime. She goes about 4 hours in between feeds. She has days where she only eats 2-3 oz at a time also. I have been struggling with her nursing well lately. She wants to latch and unlatch so many times while nursing. She has become so curious with what else is going on she forgets she is eating. I have been contemplating going exclusively to the bottle and just pumping because I feel she gets more from a bottle. Again something I have been thinking about, though not sure I am ready to give up nursing her. I love that time with her so much and bottle feeding her won't be the same!

I am still pumping two times during the day at work. It has gotten easier and doesn't feel so much as an inconvenience or as I am being rushed. It has become part of my day and I am happy when I get to pump. It gives me a chance to look at pictures of my little munchkin.

Play: She has really started to play with lots of her toys and enjoy them. We took out the exersaucer earlier this month for something new. She is still a little unsure about it, but seems to enjoy being upright and looking around at everything. She has started laughing more consistently and it is the cutest thing ever!! It really makes my day when I come home and we play and she starts laughing! I sure do love her! The weather has gotten nicer so we have been able to get outside more. She loves to be in her stroller just enjoying the fresh air. Sophie has become a favorite toy this month. She also loves her toy keys. Of course everything she can get her hands on goes in her mouth.

I love how serious she is. 

Likes:
Walks in the stroller or the carrier so she can see everything
Petti the Peacock
Sophie
Enjoying tummy time more (not loving it yet)
Talking with Mommy and Daddy
Bath-time

Dislikes:
Getting into her pjs after bath
Sleep

Weekend Recap

Hope everyone had a good weekend! Ours was pretty mellow. We actually didn't do too much besides our usual grocery store and target runs! We did get to see some friends for a BBQ on Saturday. That was fun!

Kinley turned 4 months on the 27th. I am going to wait to do a 4 month post until we go to the doctor on Friday. I can't believe she is already 4 months old. Time really does fly. She's changing every day.

I'm so excited we got the ninja kitchen system this weekend! I really want to make her baby food so I'm super excited about this! Does anyone have any good baby food recipes to share? I'd love to hear! Or any other recipes! 

Matt is officially on leave and will be home with Kinley and I in the evenings! We are very excited!! 

Hope everyone has a great Monday!! Here's some pics to make you smile. I'm just in love with this headband by little hip squeaks.